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Software → Software Architecture

Onion Architecture

An architecture style that organizes software into concentric layers with domain logic at the center.

Motivation

Onion Architecture is useful because it gives engineers a precise handle on a recurring problem: an architecture style that organizes software into concentric layers with domain logic at the center.. It helps you decide what to pay attention to, what abstractions are available, and which tradeoffs matter in real systems.

Where it fits

Onion Architecture belongs to the Software track, inside the Software Architecture layer. In the knowledge graph, this places it near concepts that explain the same level of abstraction and the neighboring ideas it depends on.

Mental model

Think of Onion Architecture as one piece of the larger computing map. It is easiest to understand when you ask two questions: what problem does it solve, and what assumptions does it make about the concepts below it?

Common mistakes

  • Treating Onion Architecture as a diagramming label rather than a set of tradeoffs.
  • Ignoring the operational constraints that make the design succeed or fail.
  • Relates to: Clean Architecture