Workspace Mode

Workspace Mode extends Lexicon for multi-crate Rust workspaces. It adds crate roles, dependency rules, architecture validation, and shared internal contracts on top of the standard Repo Mode capabilities.

When to Use Workspace Mode

Use Workspace Mode when your repository is a Cargo workspace with multiple crates and you want to:

• assign roles to crates (core, adapter, interface, application)
• enforce dependency directions between layers
• share contracts within the workspace
• validate architecture rules as part of verification

Activating Workspace Mode

Workspace Mode is activated by having a .lexicon/workspace.toml file. This can be created during lexicon init if a Cargo workspace is detected, or manually.

The workspace manifest:

1. Preserves existing contracts, scoring, and gates
2. Defines crate roles based on the workspace structure
3. Proposes architecture rules at .lexicon/architecture/rules.toml

Crate Roles

Each crate in the workspace can have a declared role:

• foundation — lowest layer, no upward dependencies
• core — central domain logic
• interface — trait and type definitions consumed by others
• adapter — implementations of interfaces
• integration — cross-crate glue
• application — end-user entrypoints
• tooling — developer utilities
• experimental — exploratory code with relaxed constraints

Roles influence what dependencies are allowed and what gates are expected.

Dependency Rules

Architecture rules define allowed dependency directions:

• foundation crates may not depend on application crates
• interface crates may not import adapter internals
• experimental crates cannot publish stable contracts

Violations are detected during lexicon verify.

Upgrading from Repo Mode

Migration from Repo Mode is additive and safe:

• existing contracts, scoring, and gates are preserved
• workspace configuration is added alongside existing files
• no existing state is modified or deleted

lexicon verify continues to work, now including workspace-level architecture checks.