Add `init` workflow step to bootstrap projects like `specify init` by Copilot · Pull Request #2838 · github/spec-kit

Copilot · 2026-06-03T21:49:49Z

Workflows had no way to scaffold a project; users had to run specify init manually before any workflow could drive the spec-driven process. This adds an init step type so a workflow can bootstrap (or merge into) a project itself.

Changes

New InitStep (type: init) in src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/init/ — runs the bundled specify init command in-process against context.project_root, capturing exit_code/stdout/stderr and returning FAILED on non-zero exit.
- Config fields (all optional): project, here, integration, script, force, no_git, ignore_agent_tools, preset, branch_numbering; string fields resolve {{ }} expressions.
- Integration falls back to the workflow-level default; defaults to --ignore-agent-tools since workflows run unattended.
- validate() rejects script values other than sh/ps.
Registration — added to STEP_REGISTRY and the engine's valid-step-types fallback.
Docs — workflows/ARCHITECTURE.md and workflows/README.md updated (step table, module tree, new "Init Steps" section).
Tests — coverage for bootstrap, default-integration fallback, project-name subdirectory, invalid-integration failure, and validation.

Example

- id: bootstrap
  type: init
  here: true
  integration: copilot   # optional; defaults to workflow integration
  script: sh

Copilot

Pull request overview

Adds a new workflow step type (type: init) so workflows can bootstrap (or merge into) a Spec Kit project by invoking the bundled specify init logic in-process, enabling end-to-end “scaffold → run steps” workflows without requiring a manual pre-step.

Changes:

Introduces InitStep (src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/init/) that builds specify init argv from step config, runs it via CliRunner, and captures exit_code/stdout/stderr.
Registers the new step type in the workflow step registry and engine’s valid-step-type fallback, and updates architecture/README docs.
Adds tests covering argv building, workflow-default integration fallback, directory creation via project, invalid integration failure, and validation.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
workflows/README.md	Documents the new `init` step type and provides a YAML example.
workflows/ARCHITECTURE.md	Updates step-type counts/table and module tree to include `init`.
tests/test_workflows.py	Adds test coverage for the new `InitStep`.
src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/init/init.py	Implements `InitStep` execution, expression resolution, and validation.
src/specify_cli/workflows/engine.py	Adds `init` to the engine’s valid step-type fallback set.
src/specify_cli/workflows/init.py	Registers `InitStep` in the built-in `STEP_REGISTRY`.

Copilot's findings

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Files reviewed: 6/6 changed files
Comments generated: 3

Copilot

Copilot's findings

Files reviewed: 6/6 changed files
Comments generated: 1

Copilot

Copilot's findings

Files reviewed: 6/6 changed files
Comments generated: 3

Copilot · 2026-06-08T12:39:35Z

+            base = context.project_root or os.getcwd()
+            try:
+                not_empty = any(os.scandir(base))
+            except OSError:
+                not_empty = False


Fixed in the latest commit — replaced any(os.scandir(base)) with a with os.scandir(base) as it: context manager so the iterator is always closed even when any() short-circuits.

Copilot · 2026-06-08T12:39:35Z

+        try:
+            result = runner.invoke(app, argv, catch_exceptions=True)
+        finally:
+            os.chdir(prev_cwd)


Fixed — wrapped os.chdir(prev_cwd) in the finally block with try/except OSError: pass so a stale working directory can't bypass returning the captured StepResult.

Copilot · 2026-06-08T12:39:35Z

+        script = config.get("script")
+        if (
+            isinstance(script, str)
+            and "{{" not in script
+            and script not in VALID_SCRIPT_TYPES
+        ):


Fixed — validate() now checks not isinstance(script, str) first (before the string-value check), so non-string values like script: true are rejected immediately with a clear error message.

+        finally:
+            try:
+                os.chdir(prev_cwd)
+            except OSError:


Copilot

Copilot's findings

Files reviewed: 6/6 changed files
Comments generated: 2

+        integration = config.get("integration") or context.default_integration
+        integration = self._resolve(integration, context)
+


+    def validate(self, config: dict[str, Any]) -> list[str]:
+        errors = super().validate(config)
+        script = config.get("script")
+        if script is not None and not isinstance(script, str):
+            errors.append(
+                f"Init step {config.get('id', '?')!r}: 'script' must be a string "
+                f"({' or '.join(repr(s) for s in VALID_SCRIPT_TYPES)})."
+            )
+        elif (
+            isinstance(script, str)
+            and "{{" not in script
+            and script not in VALID_SCRIPT_TYPES
+        ):
+            errors.append(
+                f"Init step {config.get('id', '?')!r}: 'script' must be "
+                f"{' or '.join(repr(s) for s in VALID_SCRIPT_TYPES)}."
+            )
+        return errors


…orce fix

- Use `with os.scandir(...)` context manager so the iterator is always closed even when `any()` short-circuits, preventing file-descriptor leaks in long-running workflow runs. - Guard `os.chdir(prev_cwd)` in the `finally` block with a try/except so an `OSError` (e.g. directory deleted) doesn't bypass returning the captured `StepResult`. - Reject non-string `script` values in `validate()` with a clear error message, rather than silently passing them through to become `--script True` at runtime.

Copilot

Copilot's findings

Files reviewed: 6/6 changed files
Comments generated: 0 new

Copilot AI assigned Copilot and mnriem Jun 3, 2026

Copilot AI requested review from Copilot and removed request for Copilot June 3, 2026 21:49

Copilot AI linked an issue Jun 3, 2026 that may be closed by this pull request

Add a InitStep so we can use a workflow to bootstrap a project #2837

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Copilot started work on behalf of mnriem June 3, 2026 21:49 View session

Copilot AI requested review from Copilot and removed request for Copilot June 3, 2026 21:56

Copilot AI changed the title ~~[WIP] Add InitStep for bootstrapping project workflow~~ Add init workflow step to bootstrap projects like specify init Jun 3, 2026

Copilot finished work on behalf of mnriem June 3, 2026 21:58

Copilot AI requested a review from mnriem June 3, 2026 21:58

mnriem requested a review from Copilot June 3, 2026 22:41

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Copilot AI reviewed Jun 3, 2026

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Comment thread workflows/README.md Outdated

Comment thread src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/init/__init__.py

Comment thread src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/init/__init__.py

Copilot started work on behalf of mnriem June 4, 2026 12:25 View session

Copilot finished work on behalf of mnriem June 4, 2026 12:30

mnriem requested a review from Copilot June 4, 2026 14:29

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Comment thread src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/init/__init__.py

Copilot started work on behalf of mnriem June 4, 2026 15:55 View session

Copilot finished work on behalf of mnriem June 4, 2026 15:57

mnriem requested a review from Copilot June 4, 2026 16:56

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of mnriem June 4, 2026 16:56 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Jun 4, 2026

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Copilot started work on behalf of mnriem June 8, 2026 12:36 View session

Copilot finished work on behalf of mnriem June 8, 2026 12:39

github-code-quality Bot found potential problems Jun 8, 2026

View reviewed changes

Comment thread src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/init/__init__.py

finally:

try:

os.chdir(prev_cwd)

except OSError:

mnriem marked this pull request as ready for review June 8, 2026 19:53

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings June 8, 2026 19:53

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of mnriem June 8, 2026 19:53 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Jun 8, 2026

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Copilot AI added 6 commits June 8, 2026 15:05

Initial plan

8c03325

Add init workflow step to bootstrap projects like specify init

c3ccb21

Address review: simplify stderr capture and extract VALID_SCRIPT_TYPES

57c94cb

Address review: fail fast on non-empty dir, stdout fallback, README f…

134ab3b

…orce fix

Populate exit_code/stdout/stderr in non-empty-dir fast-fail

a047846

mnriem force-pushed the copilot/add-init-step-bootstrap-project branch from 1746289 to fc8d6c3 Compare June 8, 2026 20:07

mnriem requested a review from Copilot June 8, 2026 20:13

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of mnriem June 8, 2026 20:13 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Jun 8, 2026

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Add `init` workflow step to bootstrap projects like `specify init`#2838

Add `init` workflow step to bootstrap projects like `specify init`#2838
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Copilot AI commented Jun 3, 2026 •

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		integration = config.get("integration") or context.default_integration
		integration = self._resolve(integration, context)

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Copilot AI commented Jun 3, 2026 •

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