# ADR 0005: Frontend and Backend in Separate Repositories

**Date:** 2026-04-26
**Status:** Accepted

## Context

The frontend (Angular SPA) and backend (Express API) are distinct deployment units with different runtimes, dependencies, and release cycles. Two organisational options exist:

- **Monorepo** — single repository containing both applications, possibly managed with Nx or Turborepo.
- **Separate repositories** — each application in its own repository with independent versioning.

## Decision

Maintain two separate repositories: `adastra_app` (frontend) and `adastra_api` (backend). Both are treated as a single product during development — tasks that span both (e.g. adding a new API endpoint and its frontend consumer) are handled in a single working session across both repos.

## Consequences

- **Positive:** Independent dependency management. Frontend and backend `package.json` files don't interfere with each other.
- **Positive:** Simpler CI/CD pipeline per repo when production deployment is set up.
- **Positive:** Each repo's git history reflects only its own changes.
- **Negative:** No shared type definitions between frontend and backend. API contract changes must be coordinated manually.
- **Negative:** Cross-repo changes require two separate commits/PRs. A monorepo would allow atomic cross-boundary commits.
- **Tooling note:** The Angular frontend's `CLAUDE.md` declares `adastra_api` as an additional working directory so that cross-repo tasks can be handled in a single session.