# Product & architecture decisions

A running log of decisions that aren't obvious from the code and would
otherwise be re-litigated. Newest first.

## 2026-06-08 — PDF to CSV and Reconcile stay in the bundle, under a "Finance" group

**Decision:** `10_pdf_extractor` (PDF to CSV) and `11_reconciler` (Reconcile
Two Files) remain part of the DataTools suite. In the sidebar they are
segregated into their own **Finance** section, distinct from the
file-cleaning tools.

**Context / why this needed deciding:**
- Both tools sit outside the documented 9-script cleaning architecture
  (TECHNICAL.md / USER-GUIDE.md stop at the orchestrator).
- They occupy the "reconciliation / manual data-entry" territory the
  product's honest-positioning note explicitly placed outside a
  file-cleaning tool's scope.
- A journey-level UX review flagged that every extra tool in the main
  sidebar raises the "which tool do I need?" load for a non-technical
  buyer, so tools serving a different job should live in a clearly
  different place.

**Resolution:** Keep them in-bundle (they're built, useful, and ship
today) but group them under "Finance" so the cleaning flow stays
uncluttered. Revisit only if a separate finance-focused product emerges.

**Implications:**
- `tools_registry.py`: Reconcile + PDF to CSV carry a `finance` section.
- Sidebar order: Start here → Data Cleaners → Transformations →
  Automations → Finance → Coming soon.
- This is the source-of-truth realization of the `layout-review/`
  mockups (see `layout-review/shell.js`).
