Nx Workspace Patterns

---
name: nx-workspace-patterns
description: Configure and optimize Nx monorepo workspaces. Use when setting up Nx, configuring project boundaries, optimizing build caching, or implementing affected commands.
---

# Nx Workspace Patterns

Production patterns for Nx monorepo management.

## When to Use This Skill

- Setting up new Nx workspaces
- Configuring project boundaries
- Optimizing CI with affected commands
- Implementing remote caching
- Managing dependencies between projects
- Migrating to Nx

## Core Concepts

### 1. Nx Architecture

```
workspace/
├── apps/              # Deployable applications
│   ├── web/
│   └── api/
├── libs/              # Shared libraries
│   ├── shared/
│   │   ├── ui/
│   │   └── utils/
│   └── feature/
│       ├── auth/
│       └── dashboard/
├── tools/             # Custom executors/generators
├── nx.json            # Nx configuration
└── workspace.json     # Project configuration
```

### 2. Library Types

| Type            | Purpose                          | Example             |
| --------------- | -------------------------------- | ------------------- |
| **feature**     | Smart components, business logic | `feature-auth`      |
| **ui**          | Presentational components        | `ui-buttons`        |
| **data-access** | API calls, state management      | `data-access-users` |
| **util**        | Pure functions, helpers          | `util-formatting`   |
| **shell**       | App bootstrapping                | `shell-web`         |

## Templates and detailed worked examples

Full template library and detailed worked examples live in `references/details.md`. Read that file when you need the concrete templates.

## Best Practices

### Do's

- **Use tags consistently** - Enforce with module boundaries
- **Enable caching early** - Significant CI savings
- **Keep libs focused** - Single responsibility
- **Use generators** - Ensure consistency
- **Document boundaries** - Help new developers

### Don'ts

- **Don't create circular deps** - Graph should be acyclic
- **Don't skip affected** - Test only what changed
- **Don't ignore boundaries** - Tech debt accumulates
- **Don't over-granularize** - Balance lib count