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docs: replace deprecated --ai flag with --integration in all documentation#2359

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mnriem merged 4 commits intogithub:mainfrom
mnriem:docs/replace-deprecated-ai-flag-2358
Apr 24, 2026
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docs: replace deprecated --ai flag with --integration in all documentation#2359
mnriem merged 4 commits intogithub:mainfrom
mnriem:docs/replace-deprecated-ai-flag-2358

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@mnriem mnriem commented Apr 24, 2026

Summary

Replace all user-facing --ai, --ai-skills, and --ai-commands-dir references in documentation with their modern equivalents:

  • --ai <agent>--integration <agent>
  • --ai-skills--integration-options="--skills"
  • --ai-commands-dir <dir>--integration generic --integration-options="--commands-dir <dir>"

Changes

File Approx. changes Notes
README.md ~17 Quick-start examples, usage reference, --ai-skills mentions
docs/installation.md ~8 All uvx one-liner examples, section heading rename
docs/upgrade.md ~11 Every upgrade command example
docs/local-development.md ~5 Dev workflow examples
CONTRIBUTING.md 1 Manual testing example
extensions/EXTENSION-USER-GUIDE.md 1 --ai-skills--integration-options="--skills"
src/specify_cli/__init__.py ~15 Docstring examples and error message examples

Out of scope (per issue)

  • CHANGELOG.md — historical record, left as-is
  • Test files — intentionally exercise the deprecated flag path
  • CLI flag implementation — backward compatibility preserved

Testing

All 1728 tests pass.

Closes #2358

…ation

Replace all user-facing --ai, --ai-skills, and --ai-commands-dir references
with their modern equivalents:

- --ai <agent> → --integration <agent>
- --ai-skills → --integration-options="--skills"
- --ai-commands-dir <dir> → --integration generic --integration-options="--commands-dir <dir>"

Updated files:
- README.md (~17 occurrences)
- docs/installation.md (~8 occurrences)
- docs/upgrade.md (~11 occurrences)
- docs/local-development.md (~5 occurrences)
- CONTRIBUTING.md (1 occurrence)
- extensions/EXTENSION-USER-GUIDE.md (1 occurrence)
- src/specify_cli/__init__.py (docstring examples and error messages)

Left unchanged:
- CHANGELOG.md (historical record)
- Test files (intentionally exercise deprecated flag path)
- CLI flag implementation (backward compatibility)

Closes github#2358
Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings April 24, 2026 19:29
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Pull request overview

Updates user-facing documentation to use the modern --integration / --integration-options flags instead of deprecated --ai-prefixed flags, reducing first-run deprecation warnings and aligning docs with the current CLI interface.

Changes:

  • Replaced --ai / --ai-skills / --ai-commands-dir usage in docs with --integration and --integration-options.
  • Updated headings and examples across install/upgrade/dev docs and contributing guide.
  • Updated specify init docstring/help examples and related printed example strings.
Show a summary per file
File Description
README.md Updates quick-start and detailed examples to use --integration / --integration-options.
docs/installation.md Renames section and updates uvx install/init examples to --integration.
docs/upgrade.md Updates upgrade command examples/table entries to use --integration.
docs/local-development.md Updates local invocation examples to use --integration.
CONTRIBUTING.md Updates manual testing command example to use --integration.
extensions/EXTENSION-USER-GUIDE.md Updates skills-mode reference to --integration-options="--skills".
src/specify_cli/init.py Updates init docstring examples and printed “Example:” guidance strings.

Copilot's findings

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  • Files reviewed: 7/7 changed files
  • Comments generated: 4

Comment thread src/specify_cli/__init__.py Outdated
Comment thread extensions/EXTENSION-USER-GUIDE.md Outdated
Comment thread README.md Outdated
Comment thread src/specify_cli/__init__.py Outdated
- Fix duplicate copilot example in README.md (replace with codex)
- Fix invalid gemini --integration-options="--skills" example (gemini
  does not support --skills)
- Update generic integration comment from 'Unsupported agent' to
  'Bring your own agent; requires --commands-dir'
- Clarify EXTENSION-USER-GUIDE.md: skills auto-register for
  skills-based integrations, not only with --integration-options
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Comments suppressed due to low confidence (3)

src/specify_cli/init.py:1033

  • The --ai mis-parsed-value check prints an example using --integration, but the error/hint text is specifically about --ai. This mixed messaging can confuse users who just need to add the missing --ai value (or who don’t realize --ai is deprecated). Consider either (a) keeping the example in --ai form, or (b) updating the error/hint to explicitly mention that --ai is deprecated and showing both --integration ... and --ai ... examples.
    if ai_assistant and ai_assistant.startswith("--"):
        console.print(f"[red]Error:[/red] Invalid value for --ai: '{ai_assistant}'")
        console.print("[yellow]Hint:[/yellow] Did you forget to provide a value for --ai?")
        console.print("[yellow]Example:[/yellow] specify init --integration claude --here")
        console.print(f"[yellow]Available agents:[/yellow] {', '.join(AGENT_CONFIG.keys())}")

src/specify_cli/init.py:1040

  • This validation branch is triggered for the deprecated --ai-commands-dir flag, but the suggested example uses --integration-options instead. For someone who just forgot to pass a value to --ai-commands-dir, that example doesn’t show the direct fix. Suggest printing an example that uses --ai-commands-dir (and optionally add a second line noting the preferred replacement with --integration generic --integration-options=...).
    if ai_commands_dir and ai_commands_dir.startswith("--"):
        console.print(f"[red]Error:[/red] Invalid value for --ai-commands-dir: '{ai_commands_dir}'")
        console.print("[yellow]Hint:[/yellow] Did you forget to provide a value for --ai-commands-dir?")
        console.print("[yellow]Example:[/yellow] specify init --integration generic --integration-options=\"--commands-dir .myagent/commands/\"")
        raise typer.Exit(1)

docs/installation.md:139

  • This section still documents --offline as changing behavior (“use bundled assets instead of downloading from GitHub”), but in the CLI --offline is marked deprecated/no-op and hidden. The docs should be updated to reflect current behavior (bundled assets by default) and avoid instructing users to pass a hidden/deprecated flag; alternatively, keep the note but clarify that --offline is retained only for backward compatibility.
**Step 4: Initialize a project (no network required)**

```bash
# Initialize a project — no GitHub access needed
specify init my-project --integration claude --offline

The --offline flag tells the CLI to use the templates, commands, and scripts bundled inside the wheel instead of downloading from GitHub.

Deprecation notice: Starting with v0.6.0, specify init will use bundled assets by default and the --offline flag will be removed. The GitHub download path will be retired because bundled assets eliminate the need for network access, avoid proxy/firewall issues, and guarantee that templates always match the installed CLI version. No action will be needed — specify init will simply work without network access out of the box.

</details>


- **Files reviewed:** 7/7 changed files
- **Comments generated:** 2

Comment thread src/specify_cli/__init__.py
Comment thread docs/installation.md Outdated
…roughout

Full sweep across all documentation and user-facing CLI messages to
align terminology. Bare references like 'AI agent', 'AI assistant',
and 'AI Agent' are replaced with 'coding agent' or 'coding agent
integration' as appropriate.

Intentionally left unchanged:
- 'AI coding agent' (already correct expanded form)
- Deprecated --ai flag help text and error messages (describes the
  deprecated flag itself)
- Community extension descriptions (external project text)
- 'generated by an AI' in CONTRIBUTING.md (general AI, not agent)
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Comments suppressed due to low confidence (1)

src/specify_cli/init.py:1033

  • The error message is specifically about an invalid/missing value for --ai, but the suggested example uses --integration. This can be confusing for users who are trying to fix the --ai invocation; consider showing an example that matches --ai (and optionally a second example for the canonical --integration).
    if ai_assistant and ai_assistant.startswith("--"):
        console.print(f"[red]Error:[/red] Invalid value for --ai: '{ai_assistant}'")
        console.print("[yellow]Hint:[/yellow] Did you forget to provide a value for --ai?")
        console.print("[yellow]Example:[/yellow] specify init --integration claude --here")
        console.print(f"[yellow]Available agents:[/yellow] {', '.join(AGENT_CONFIG.keys())}")
  • Files reviewed: 8/8 changed files
  • Comments generated: 4

Comment thread src/specify_cli/__init__.py
Comment thread README.md Outdated
Comment thread docs/installation.md
Comment thread CONTRIBUTING.md Outdated
…scope

- Remove --offline from docstring examples (deprecated no-op)
- Remove --offline from CONTRIBUTING.md testing example
- Replace --offline instructions in docs/installation.md with note that
  bundled assets are used by default
- Qualify --integration-options="--skills" in README.md to note it only
  applies to integrations that support skills mode
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  • Files reviewed: 8/8 changed files
  • Comments generated: 0 new

@mnriem mnriem merged commit 171b65a into github:main Apr 24, 2026
15 checks passed
@mnriem mnriem deleted the docs/replace-deprecated-ai-flag-2358 branch April 24, 2026 21:04
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docs: replace deprecated --ai flag with --integration in all documentation

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