DR-009: Multi-Language Support Strategy

Status

[x] Accepted
[ ] Proposed
[ ] Rejected
[ ] Deprecated
[ ] Superseded

Date: 2024-11-25

Context

Repository needs Go (CLI/libraries), TypeScript (VSCode), PowerShell (Windows), Shell (Linux/macOS), Python (tools) with unified contracts and CI/CD.

Problem: How to support multiple languages while maintaining consistency?

Decision

Multi-language component types with language-specific builders and unified module contracts.

Supported Languages:

Go: CLI tools, libraries, MCP servers (go/eac/, go/r2r/)
TypeScript: VSCode extension (typescript/vscode-ext-commit/)
PowerShell: Windows scripts, installers (scripts/pwsh/)
Shell: Linux/macOS scripts, installers (scripts/sh/)
Python: Specialized tooling, diagram processing (containers/drawio-cli/*.py)

Cross-Platform Strategy:

PowerShell + Shell for portability
Same functionality, platform-specific implementation
Examples: r2r-installer, implicit-r2r-cli

Component Types:

go: {builder: go, requirements: [go]}
typescript: {builder: npm, requirements: [npm]}
pwsh: {patterns: {tests: ["**/*.Tests.ps1"]}}
bash: {extensions: [".sh", ".bash"]}
python: {requirements: [python]}

Unified Testing: BDD specifications in Gherkin for cross-language validation

Consequences

Positive: Technology flexibility, cross-platform support, unified contracts, best tool for job, ecosystem benefits

Negative: Build complexity, multiple test frameworks, maintainer knowledge requirements, toolchain diversity

Alternatives Considered

Go Only: Rejected - not optimal for all tasks (VSCode extensions, Windows scripting, Python tooling)
JavaScript Everywhere: Rejected - poor for CLI tools, system integration, performance-critical code
Per-Language Repos: Rejected - coordination overhead, atomic commits difficult, duplication

Tutorials | How-to Guides | Explanation | Reference

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