Architecture Decision Records

Decisions that shape SlideStream, recorded so nobody has to reverse-engineer them from code. Backfilled 2026-09 from module docstrings, config comments, and the git history (the repo's visible history starts in the 2.15.x era).

ADR	Title	Status
0001	Provider registry with fallback chains and strict mode	Accepted
0002	Layered YAML configuration with ${ENV} expansion	Accepted
0003	OpenAI-compatible APIs as the default self-hosted shape	Accepted
0004	gTTS and text cards are the always-available floor	Superseded by 0012
0005	Privacy-first voice cloning (ephemeral, deleted after the run)	Accepted
0006	Avatar render economics: one GPU clip per deck	Accepted
0007	Hermetic tests; provider env vars scrubbed	Accepted
0008	Dual output modes: .mp4 video and editable .pptx deck	Accepted
0009	Designed decks via an external Presenton, rasterised for video	Accepted
0010	SlideStream orchestrates external services through adapters	Proposed
0011	A project folder holds the pipeline's state	Proposed
0012	Three-level fallback; Kokoro is the voice floor	Accepted
0013	Designed decks stay faithful: fidelity check and code slides	Accepted
0014	Design new slides from the user's own PowerPoint template	Accepted (not yet implemented)

Format

Each ADR is short: Context (the forces), Decision (what we chose), and Consequences (what that costs or enables). New ADRs get the next number and are never edited after acceptance — supersede them with a new record instead.