---
status: accepted
date: 2026-04-29
decision-makers: R&D Lead
tags: [process]
---

# Workspace and app naming convention

## Context and Problem Statement

Default Nx scaffolding offers placeholder names like `my-workspace` and `web`, which are unacceptable for a long-lived enterprise project. Naming has to survive two foreseeable changes: the product's marketing name may evolve (the working title `apf_portal` is provisional), and the project may sit alongside other R&D projects in the same Gitea organization, where collisions on generic names like `web` or `api` would cause confusion.

What naming convention do we adopt for the workspace, the apps, and future libraries so names are explicit, function-anchored, and stable against rebranding?

## Decision Drivers

- The product's marketing name is provisional — names anchored on it become stale at rebrand.
- Names should reflect _function_, not _brand_.
- Multiple R&D projects may share the org — generic names (`web`, `api`, `frontend`) cause friction.
- Compliance with npm package naming rules (lowercase, kebab-case).
- Readability inside Nx's project graph and CLI output.

## Considered Options

- **Defaults** — `my-workspace`, `web`. (Rejected up-front.)
- **Brand-anchored** — `apf-front`, `apf-back`. Fragile to further rebranding.
- **Function-prefixed** — `portal-shell`, `portal-bff`. (Chosen.)
- **Generic** — `shell`, `bff`. Risk of org-wide collision; reduced readability.

## Decision Outcome

Chosen option: **function-prefixed naming**.

| Scope                               | Name             | Rationale                                                                                                   |
| ----------------------------------- | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Workspace / repo / npm package root | `apf-portal`     | matches the Gitea repository name; the only place a brand-ish name lives, so a rebrand is a one-line change |
| Frontend app                        | `portal-shell`   | "shell" describes the function — the Angular host that loads features                                       |
| Backend app                         | `portal-bff`     | explicit role: backend-for-frontend                                                                         |
| Feature libraries                   | `feature-<name>` | e.g. `feature-auth`, `feature-billing`                                                                      |
| Shared libraries                    | `shared-<scope>` | e.g. `shared-ui`, `shared-data-access`, `shared-util`                                                       |

The `portal-` prefix encodes the _function_ (a portal). The host organisation's brand can change without invalidating "portal" — the project was originally proposed as `adastra_portal` and renamed to `apf_portal` on 2026-04-30 once the host organisation (APF France Handicap) was confirmed; the apps `portal-shell` / `portal-bff` were unaffected by the rename, validating this convention. The brand-ish token `apf` is confined to the workspace root and a tiny number of metadata files (root `package.json`, repo URL).

### Consequences

- Good, because names survive a brand change with minimal churn.
- Good, because `portal-shell` / `portal-bff` are unambiguous in CLI output and in the Nx project graph.
- Good, because the prefix scales when more apps appear (e.g. `portal-admin`, `portal-jobs`).
- Bad, because the prefix adds verbosity (`pnpm nx serve portal-shell` vs `pnpm nx serve web`). Acceptable.
- Neutral, because if "portal" itself ceases to be accurate (e.g. the system pivots to something other than a portal), the prefix would also need updating — but that would be a deeper architectural pivot anyway.

### Confirmation

- Nx project names match the convention in `nx.json` and in each project's `project.json`.
- `@nx/eslint/enforce-module-boundaries` is configured with tags aligned to the convention (`scope:portal-shell`, `scope:portal-bff`, `type:feature`, `type:shared`).
- PR review rejects new project names that don't match.

## More Information

- Related ADRs: [ADR-0002](0002-adopt-nx-monorepo-apps-preset.md), and the "Project name" rule in [CLAUDE.md](../../CLAUDE.md).
