What is Project mode¶
Project mode is how N45 works inside a single repository — an app, a microservice, or a monorepo (a monorepo is still one repository). It's the default mode: you run /n45 at the repo root, and every feature, bug and roadmap lives there.
If your product is spread across several repositories and a feature needs to span more than one, see Workspace mode.
Project vs Workspace¶
| Project (single-repo) | Workspace (polyrepo) | |
|---|---|---|
Where you run /n45 |
inside the repository | in the workspace folder |
| Scope of a feature | one repository | one or more members |
| What it coordinates | — | the CONTRACT between services |
| Where roadmaps live | in the repo itself | in each member (one sub-roadmap per member) |
The mental model¶
- Everything lives in the repository's
.n45/. Discovery, spec, roadmap, tasks and the context documents are versioned in the repo itself. See The .n45/ folder. - N45 learns your project once. On the first run it inspects the code and generates the four documents of context (STACK, PATTERNS, PROJECT, RUNBOOK); after that it just re-reads them.
- Big work runs isolated. A structured roadmap executes in an isolated git worktree and only returns to your branch at validation and merge.
When to use it¶
- Use Project mode when the work lives in a single repository.
- Use Workspace mode when a product lives across several repositories and the feature spans them.