From c95af033c92aea1f51ac65fd4a4f4274d93c8fe5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Ashley Childress <6563688+anchildress1@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2025 20:17:09 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] chore(chatmodes): Standardize and clarify Mermaid diagram
enforcement in HLBPA chat mode (#281)
- Standardized YAML front-matter formatting and tool list quoting in hlbpa.chatmode.md
- Clarified and enforced Mermaid-only diagram requirement in HLBPA chat mode
Assisted-by: GitHub Copilot
Signed-off-by: Ashley Childress <6563688+anchildress1@users.noreply.github.com>
---
README.chatmodes.md | 2 +-
chatmodes/hlbpa.chatmode.md | 38 +++++++++++++++++++------------------
2 files changed, 21 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-)
diff --git a/README.chatmodes.md b/README.chatmodes.md
index 9a61d4a..e663e98 100644
--- a/README.chatmodes.md
+++ b/README.chatmodes.md
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Custom chat modes define specific behaviors and tools for GitHub Copilot Chat, e
| [Expert C++ software engineer mode instructions](chatmodes/expert-cpp-software-engineer.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fexpert-cpp-software-engineer.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fexpert-cpp-software-engineer.chatmode.md) | Provide expert C++ software engineering guidance using modern C++ and industry best practices. |
| [Expert React Frontend Engineer Mode Instructions](chatmodes/expert-react-frontend-engineer.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fexpert-react-frontend-engineer.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fexpert-react-frontend-engineer.chatmode.md) | Provide expert React frontend engineering guidance using modern TypeScript and design patterns. |
| [Gilfoyle Code Review Mode](chatmodes/gilfoyle.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fgilfoyle.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fgilfoyle.chatmode.md) | Code review and analysis with the sardonic wit and technical elitism of Bertram Gilfoyle from Silicon Valley. Prepare for brutal honesty about your code. |
-| [High-Level Big Picture Architect (HLBPA)](chatmodes/hlbpa.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fhlbpa.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fhlbpa.chatmode.md) | HLBPA: Your perfect AI chat mode for high-level architectural documentation and review. Perfect for targeted updates after a story or researching that legacy system when nobody remembers what it's supposed to be doing. |
+| [High-Level Big Picture Architect (HLBPA)](chatmodes/hlbpa.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fhlbpa.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fhlbpa.chatmode.md) | Your perfect AI chat mode for high-level architectural documentation and review. Perfect for targeted updates after a story or researching that legacy system when nobody remembers what it's supposed to be doing. |
| [Idea Generator mode instructions](chatmodes/simple-app-idea-generator.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fsimple-app-idea-generator.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fsimple-app-idea-generator.chatmode.md) | Brainstorm and develop new application ideas through fun, interactive questioning until ready for specification creation. |
| [Implementation Plan Generation Mode](chatmodes/implementation-plan.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fimplementation-plan.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fimplementation-plan.chatmode.md) | Generate an implementation plan for new features or refactoring existing code. |
| [Kusto Assistant: Azure Data Explorer (Kusto) Engineering Assistant](chatmodes/kusto-assistant.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fkusto-assistant.chatmode.md)
[](https://aka.ms/awesome-copilot/install/chatmode?url=vscode-insiders%3Achat-mode%2Finstall%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fgithub%2Fawesome-copilot%2Fmain%2Fchatmodes%2Fkusto-assistant.chatmode.md) | Expert KQL assistant for live Azure Data Explorer analysis via Azure MCP server |
diff --git a/chatmodes/hlbpa.chatmode.md b/chatmodes/hlbpa.chatmode.md
index 357ab69..9b75483 100644
--- a/chatmodes/hlbpa.chatmode.md
+++ b/chatmodes/hlbpa.chatmode.md
@@ -1,21 +1,21 @@
---
-description: 'HLBPA: Your perfect AI chat mode for high-level architectural documentation and review. Perfect for targeted updates after a story or researching that legacy system when nobody remembers what it's supposed to be doing.'
-model: Claude-Sonnet-4
+description: 'Your perfect AI chat mode for high-level architectural documentation and review. Perfect for targeted updates after a story or researching that legacy system when nobody remembers what it's supposed to be doing.'
+model: 'claude-sonnet-4'
tools:
- - codebase
- - changes
- - editFiles
- - fetch
- - findTestFiles
- - githubRepo
- - runCommands
- - runTests
- - search
- - searchResults
- - testFailure
- - usages
- - activePullRequest
- - copilotCodingAgent
+ - 'codebase'
+ - 'changes'
+ - 'editFiles'
+ - 'fetch'
+ - 'findTestFiles'
+ - 'githubRepo'
+ - 'runCommands'
+ - 'runTests'
+ - 'search'
+ - 'searchResults'
+ - 'testFailure'
+ - 'usages'
+ - 'activePullRequest'
+ - 'copilotCodingAgent'
---
# High-Level Big Picture Architect (HLBPA)
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ HLBPA filters information through the following ordered rules:
The mode emits GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) that passes common markdownlint rules:
-- Mermaid diagrams are the preferred format (natively supported by GitHub). Mermaid supports comprehensive diagram types including flowcharts, sequence diagrams, class diagrams, state diagrams, ER diagrams, C4 diagrams, and more. Any other formats (ASCII art, PlantUML, Graphviz, etc.) will be flagged as unsupported.
+
+- **Only Mermaid diagrams are supported.** Any other formats (ASCII art, ANSI, PlantUML, Graphviz, etc.) are strongly discouraged. All diagrams should be in Mermaid format.
- Primary file lives at `#docs/ARCHITECTURE_OVERVIEW.md` (or caller‑supplied name).
@@ -157,7 +158,8 @@ The mode emits GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) that passes common markdownlint ru
| systems | System interaction overview | architecture |
| history | Historical changes overview for a specific component | gitGraph |
-**Note on Diagram Types**: Copilot selects appropriate diagram type based on content and context for each artifact and section. Users can specify diagram types explicitly to override it's selection.
+
+**Note on Diagram Types**: Copilot selects appropriate diagram type based on content and context for each artifact and section, but **all diagrams should be Mermaid** unless explicitly overridden.
**Note on Inline vs External Diagrams**: