/ca-reconcile

name: ca-reconcile
description: SMARTS arbitration — reconcile architectural artifacts against the scaffold and prior decisions; every variance resolved by an explicit, user-attributed choice.
argument-hint: "(none) | \"<ADR-id | artifact | scope>\""

$ca-reconcile — architectural arbitration

Reconciles the project's architectural artifacts against the scaffold and prior decisions, or challenges a specific ADR that is wrong, stale, or in conflict with another. Presents SMARTS analyses and recommendations but never arbitrates — every variance is resolved by an explicit user choice recorded in the decision log with user attribution. With no argument it runs a full reconciliation pass; an argument scopes it to a named ADR, conflict, or artifact.

Routes to

The `decision-variance` skill ([routines/decision-variance/SKILL.md](../../routines/decision-variance/SKILL.md)). It locates the three architectural artifacts by exact filename — `01-architecture-breakdown.md`, `02-phased-build-plan.md`, `03-task-backlog.md` (under `<project-root>/.codearbiter/plans/`) — and indexes the append-only decision log at `<project-root>/.codearbiter/decisions/decision-log.md`. It MAY dispatch the `decision-challenger` agent ([agents/decision-challenger.md](../../agents/decision-challenger.md)) to stress-test an in-scope ADR — optional, not forced. Each variance ends in one of three user-chosen outcomes:

1. **Ratify** — the existing decision stands; the SMARTS analysis and re-affirmation are logged. 2. **Supersede** — a new decision is recorded by appending a log entry whose `Supersedes:` references the prior one; a replacement ADR is authored via `$ca-adr`. 3. **Surface as `[CONFIRM-NN]`** — unresolvable now; a numbered placeholder is added to `<project-root>/.codearbiter/open-questions.md`.

When NOT to use

• Author a brand-new ADR with no prior conflict → `$ca-adr`.
• Check ADR health (aged, unchallenged, unresolved CONFIRM-NN) → `$ca-adr-status`.
• A general architectural discussion without recording a decision → `$ca-btw`.
• A rule conflict between project docs and code → `$ca-conflict`.
• Routine git text-merge conflicts — this is architectural reconciliation, not merge resolution.

Hard gate

MUST NOT record an arbitration decision without an explicit user choice; decline "you decide" / "use your best judgment" with a structural refusal (the only delegation is the user verbatim accepting the recommendation, logged as such in `Decided by:`). MUST match the three artifacts by exact filename. The decision log is append-only — MUST NOT edit or rebuild a prior entry; supersede by appending. MUST NOT modify the artifacts, scaffold, or code to "fix" a variance. MUST NOT author an ADR as the disposition of a routine finding — ADRs are authored only via `$ca-adr` with user attribution.