PublishedVS CodeFree coreLocal-first
Architecture memory for changing codebases

Living Architecture Nodes

Keep the reasoning around your code close to the code itself. Living Architecture Nodes shows when architecture memory is missing, stale, or orphaned before the next human or AI change compounds the drift.

Core operation stays local and does not require an account.

Architecture memorymissing · stale · orphanscan → review → handoff
Why it exists

Code changes faster than the explanation around it.

Architecture notes, dependency assumptions, regression context, and module intent are easy to leave behind. That becomes more expensive when another developer or an AI system continues from incomplete context.

Living Architecture Nodes treats architecture memory as a maintained part of the repository rather than a document somebody remembers to update later.

01

See what is missing

Scan significant source files and identify modules that do not yet have a companion .node.md memory file.

02

See what is stale

Flag node memory that has fallen behind its source file so the next change starts with an explicit warning instead of silent drift.

03

Hand context forward

Export local JSON and Markdown handoff bundles so another human or AI tool can start from structured repository context instead of guessing.

In the editor

Useful checks without turning your repository into a service dependency.

Architecture-memory health

One sidebar view for missing, stale/dirty, and orphan node memory.

Generated node drafts

Create missing .node.md files from a structured template after explicit confirmation. Drafts are not treated as verified architecture truth.

Repository nervous system

Jump directly to ARCH.md, NERVE.md, and CHANGELOG.node.md when the repository uses them.

AI/dev handoff export

Write diagnostic context to .lan-vscode/ as local JSON and Markdown.

Restricted Mode support

Read-only scanning remains available without Workspace Trust. File generation and exports require trust.

No telemetry

Core Free operation does not send source code, architecture memory, diagnostics, secrets, or behavioral telemetry to a remote service.

Typical workflow

Use it before architecture drift becomes cleanup work.

  1. 1
    Open the repository

    Open a workspace in VS Code and select Living Architecture Nodes from the Activity Bar.

  2. 2
    Scan architecture memory

    Review missing, stale, dirty, or orphan node memory before making a broad change.

  3. 3
    Create drafts where useful

    In a trusted workspace, generate structured companion node drafts for missing areas.

  4. 4
    Review the meaning

    Populate and verify the draft. Generated structure is a starting point, not a claim of architectural truth.

  5. 5
    Export a handoff

    Create local diagnostic context when another developer or AI system needs to continue the work.

Trust boundary

Local by default.

The extension reads the active workspace for the checks you request. It writes only when you explicitly generate node drafts or export a handoff bundle, and those write paths are confined to the trusted workspace.

Telemetry NoneAccount Not required for core useSource upload NoneWorkspace writes Explicit + trusted