feat(scripts): add SPECIFY_INIT_DIR to target a member project from the repo root (#2892)

* feat(scripts): add SPECIFY_INIT_DIR to target a member project from the repo root

Resolve an explicit SPECIFY_INIT_DIR project override once in the core
get_repo_root / Get-RepoRoot, so a non-interactive / CI caller can target a
member project (the directory containing .specify/) from a monorepo root
without cd. Strict by design: the path must exist and contain .specify/,
otherwise it hard-errors with no silent fallback.

- Single resolver in core; the git feature-branch script inherits it by
  sourcing core, with no per-extension copies.
- PS resolver verifies the resolved path is a directory (Resolve-Path also
  succeeds for files) so a file value errors as "not an existing directory".
- get_feature_paths splits decl/assignment so a SPECIFY_INIT_DIR failure
  propagates instead of being masked by `local`.
- create-new-feature-branch: when core is absent (only git-common loaded) and
  SPECIFY_INIT_DIR is set, hard-error rather than silently using the git root.
- Document SPECIFY_INIT_DIR and SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY in the core reference.
- Tests for valid/relative/trailing-slash/file/missing/no-.specify targets,
  feature-axis composition, the no-core guard, and a PowerShell mirror.

* fix: guard SPECIFY_INIT_DIR with stale core scripts

* docs: clarify SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY precedence wording

* fix: normalize trailing slash in PowerShell SPECIFY_INIT_DIR resolver

Resolve-Path preserves a trailing separator from its input, so a
SPECIFY_INIT_DIR ending in a slash returned a root that didn't match the
bash resolver (whose `cd && pwd` strips it). That broke
test_ps_trailing_slash_tolerated on the CI runners, which do have pwsh.
Trim it with TrimEndingDirectorySeparator (no-op on a bare root or a path
with no trailing separator).

Also fix the misleading test comment: the PowerShell mirror runs on the
CI ubuntu/windows runners (they ship pwsh), it is not skipped there.

* test: normalize bash path expectations on Windows

* docs: clarify SPECIFY_INIT_DIR root helpers

tests/test_init_dir.py

@@ -0,0 +1,467 @@
+"""Tests for the SPECIFY_INIT_DIR project-root override.
+
+SPECIFY_INIT_DIR lets a non-interactive / CI caller target a member project from
+outside its directory (e.g. a monorepo root) without `cd`. It names the project
+root — the directory *containing* `.specify/` — and is strict: it must exist and
+contain `.specify/`, otherwise the resolver hard-errors with no silent fallback to
+cwd or the git toplevel.
+
+See proposals/monorepo-support and github/spec-kit discussion #2834.
+"""
+
+import json
+import os
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+from tests.conftest import requires_bash
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+COMMON_SH = PROJECT_ROOT / "scripts" / "bash" / "common.sh"
+COMMON_PS = PROJECT_ROOT / "scripts" / "powershell" / "common.ps1"
+GIT_CREATE_FEATURE_SH = (
+    PROJECT_ROOT / "extensions" / "git" / "scripts" / "bash" / "create-new-feature-branch.sh"
+)
+
+HAS_PWSH = shutil.which("pwsh") is not None
+_POWERSHELL = shutil.which("powershell.exe") or shutil.which("powershell")
+_PS_EXE = "pwsh" if HAS_PWSH else _POWERSHELL
+
+
+def _clean_env() -> dict[str, str]:
+    """Inherited env minus all SPECIFY_* vars, so a developer/CI override
+    (SPECIFY_FEATURE, SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY, …) cannot leak into the
+    subprocess and make these resolution tests flaky."""
+    env = os.environ.copy()
+    for key in list(env):
+        if key.startswith("SPECIFY_"):
+            env.pop(key)
+    return env
+
+
+def _make_project(root: Path, name: str) -> Path:
+    """Create <root>/<name>/.specify (the minimal Spec Kit project marker)."""
+    proj = root / name
+    (proj / ".specify").mkdir(parents=True)
+    return proj
+
+
+def _bash(func_call: str, cwd: Path, env: dict[str, str]) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    """Source the real common.sh and run a function, from a given cwd/env."""
+    return subprocess.run(
+        ["bash", "-c", f'source "{COMMON_SH}" && {func_call}'],
+        cwd=cwd,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        check=False,
+        env=env,
+    )
+
+
+def _ps(script: str, cwd: Path, env: dict[str, str]) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    """Dot-source the real common.ps1 and run PowerShell, from a given cwd/env."""
+    return subprocess.run(
+        [_PS_EXE, "-NoProfile", "-Command", f'. "{COMMON_PS}"; {script}'],
+        cwd=cwd,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        check=False,
+        env=env,
+    )
+
+
+def _feature_dir_line(stdout: str) -> str | None:
+    for line in stdout.splitlines():
+        if line.startswith("FEATURE_DIR="):
+            return line.split("=", 1)[1].strip("'\"")
+    return None
+
+
+def _bash_path(path: Path) -> str:
+    """Return the path format emitted by Bash `pwd`.
+
+    Git-for-Windows Bash reports absolute paths as /c/... while pathlib reports
+    them as C:\\..., so Bash stdout comparisons need an expected value in Bash's
+    own path shape.
+    """
+    if os.name != "nt":
+        return str(path)
+
+    resolved = path.resolve()
+    path_str = str(resolved).replace("\\", "/")
+    if resolved.drive.endswith(":"):
+        return f"/{resolved.drive[0].lower()}{path_str[len(resolved.drive):]}"
+    return path_str
+
+
+requires_pwsh = pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not (HAS_PWSH or _POWERSHELL), reason="no PowerShell available"
+)
+
+
+# ── Bash: positive cases ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_valid_path_resolves_from_outside(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """P1: a valid project path resolves correctly when run from elsewhere."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(web)}
+    result = _bash("get_repo_root", cwd=tmp_path, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert result.stdout.strip() == _bash_path(web)
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_relative_path_normalized_against_cwd(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """P2: a relative SPECIFY_INIT_DIR is resolved against the current directory."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": "web"}
+    result = _bash("get_repo_root", cwd=tmp_path, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert result.stdout.strip() == _bash_path(web)
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_trailing_slash_tolerated(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """P3: a trailing slash is collapsed by normalization."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": f"{web}/"}
+    result = _bash("get_repo_root", cwd=tmp_path, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert result.stdout.strip() == _bash_path(web)
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_precedence_over_cwd_project(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """P4: feature resolution happens inside the *target* project, not cwd.
+
+    cwd is itself a valid Spec Kit project; SPECIFY_INIT_DIR must redirect
+    resolution to the target project, so a relative SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY
+    normalizes under the target root, not cwd.
+    """
+    cwd_proj = _make_project(tmp_path, "cwd_proj")
+    (cwd_proj / "specs" / "001-cwd").mkdir(parents=True)
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+
+    env = {
+        **_clean_env(),
+        "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(web),
+        "SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY": "specs/001-demo",
+    }
+    result = _bash("get_feature_paths", cwd=cwd_proj, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert _feature_dir_line(result.stdout) == _bash_path(web / "specs" / "001-demo")
+    assert _bash_path(cwd_proj) not in result.stdout
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_composes_with_feature_directory_override(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """P5: SPECIFY_INIT_DIR (project axis) composes with SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY
+    (feature axis); a relative feature dir normalizes under the *target* root."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    env = {
+        **_clean_env(),
+        "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(web),
+        "SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY": "specs/003-x",
+    }
+    result = _bash("get_feature_paths", cwd=tmp_path, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert _feature_dir_line(result.stdout) == _bash_path(web / "specs" / "003-x")
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_composes_with_target_feature_json(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """P6: the target project's .specify/feature.json is honored."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    (web / ".specify" / "feature.json").write_text(
+        '{"feature_directory": "specs/004-fj"}'
+    )
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(web)}
+    result = _bash("get_feature_paths", cwd=tmp_path, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert _feature_dir_line(result.stdout) == _bash_path(web / "specs" / "004-fj")
+
+
+# ── Bash: negative / contract cases ─────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_unset_preserves_cwd_walk(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """N1: with SPECIFY_INIT_DIR unset, resolution walks up from cwd as before."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    sub = web / "src" / "deep"
+    sub.mkdir(parents=True)
+    result = _bash("get_repo_root", cwd=sub, env=_clean_env())
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert result.stdout.strip() == _bash_path(web)
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_empty_string_treated_as_unset(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """N2: an empty SPECIFY_INIT_DIR behaves as unset (not as ".").
+
+    Run from a deep subdirectory so the two interpretations diverge:
+    empty-as-unset walks up to the project root; empty-as-"." would resolve to
+    the cwd (which has no .specify/) and error. Asserting the walk-up result
+    genuinely guards against a regression to "." semantics.
+    """
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    sub = web / "src" / "deep"
+    sub.mkdir(parents=True)
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": ""}
+    result = _bash("get_repo_root", cwd=sub, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert result.stdout.strip() == _bash_path(web)
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_invalid_init_dir_fails_feature_paths_chain(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """N5: an invalid SPECIFY_INIT_DIR hard-fails the load-bearing call site
+    (get_feature_paths), not just get_repo_root — this is what the decl/assign
+    split guards against (a `local x=$(get_repo_root)` would mask the failure
+    and emit a FEATURE_DIR under the wrong root). SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY is
+    set so a feature dir *is* resolvable — only the propagation stops a
+    wrong-root FEATURE_DIR, so a revert to the masked form fails this test."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")  # valid project at cwd
+    missing = tmp_path / "does_not_exist"
+    env = {
+        **_clean_env(),
+        "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(missing),
+        "SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY": "specs/001-x",
+    }
+    result = _bash("get_feature_paths", cwd=web, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode != 0
+    assert "does not point to an existing directory" in result.stderr
+    assert "FEATURE_DIR=" not in result.stdout
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_nonexistent_path_errors_no_fallback(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """N3: a non-existent path hard-errors — even from inside a valid project,
+    proving there is no silent fallback to the cwd walk-up or git root."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")  # valid project at cwd
+    missing = tmp_path / "does_not_exist"
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(missing)}
+    result = _bash("get_repo_root", cwd=web, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode != 0
+    assert "does not point to an existing directory" in result.stderr
+    assert _bash_path(web) not in result.stdout
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_path_without_specify_errors_no_fallback(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """N4: a path that exists but lacks .specify/ hard-errors, no fallback."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")  # valid project at cwd
+    nodot = tmp_path / "nodot"
+    nodot.mkdir()
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(nodot)}
+    result = _bash("get_repo_root", cwd=web, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode != 0
+    assert "not a Spec Kit project" in result.stderr
+    assert _bash_path(web) not in result.stdout
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_file_path_errors_no_fallback(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """N4b: a path that exists but is a file (not a directory) hard-errors with
+    the existing-directory message, with no fallback."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")  # valid project at cwd
+    a_file = tmp_path / "afile"
+    a_file.write_text("x")
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(a_file)}
+    result = _bash("get_repo_root", cwd=web, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode != 0
+    assert "does not point to an existing directory" in result.stderr
+    assert _bash_path(web) not in result.stdout
+
+
+# ── Bash: bundled Git extension entrypoint ──────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def _bash_git_create(
+    args: list[str], cwd: Path, env: dict[str, str]
+) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    """Run the bundled git extension's create-new-feature-branch.sh (the real
+    /speckit.specify before_specify entrypoint)."""
+    return subprocess.run(
+        ["bash", str(GIT_CREATE_FEATURE_SH), *args],
+        cwd=cwd,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        check=False,
+        env=env,
+    )
+
+
+def _json_line(stdout: str) -> dict | None:
+    for line in stdout.splitlines():
+        line = line.strip()
+        if line.startswith("{"):
+            return json.loads(line)
+    return None
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_git_ext_create_feature_numbers_from_target(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """P8: the git extension's feature creation numbers from the SPECIFY_INIT_DIR
+    project, not the cwd project."""
+    (tmp_path / "specs" / "008-cwd").mkdir(parents=True)  # cwd project's specs
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    (web / ".specify" / "templates").mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    (web / ".specify" / "templates" / "spec-template.md").write_text("# Spec: [FEATURE]\n")
+    (web / "specs" / "005-existing").mkdir(parents=True)
+
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(web)}
+    result = _bash_git_create(["--json", "next thing"], cwd=tmp_path, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    data = _json_line(result.stdout)
+    assert data is not None and data["FEATURE_NUM"] == "006"  # 005 in web → 006, not 009
+
+
+@requires_bash
+def test_git_ext_create_feature_invalid_init_dir_errors(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """N7: the git extension hard-errors on an invalid SPECIFY_INIT_DIR with no
+    fallback to the cwd/git-toplevel project."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")  # valid project at cwd
+    (web / "specs" / "001-cwd").mkdir(parents=True)
+    missing = tmp_path / "does_not_exist"
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(missing)}
+    result = _bash_git_create(["--json", "x"], cwd=web, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode != 0
+    assert "does not point to an existing directory" in result.stderr
+    assert _json_line(result.stdout) is None
+
+
+# ── PowerShell mirror (skipped only when no PowerShell is installed; the CI
+#    ubuntu/windows runners ship pwsh, so these DO run there) ─────────────────
+
+
+@requires_pwsh
+def test_ps_valid_path_resolves_from_outside(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(web)}
+    result = _ps("Get-RepoRoot", cwd=tmp_path, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert result.stdout.strip() == str(web)
+
+
+@requires_pwsh
+def test_ps_relative_path_normalized_against_cwd(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": "web"}
+    result = _ps("Get-RepoRoot", cwd=tmp_path, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert result.stdout.strip() == str(web)
+
+
+@requires_pwsh
+def test_ps_trailing_slash_tolerated(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": f"{web}/"}
+    result = _ps("Get-RepoRoot", cwd=tmp_path, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert result.stdout.strip() == str(web)
+
+
+@requires_pwsh
+def test_ps_unset_preserves_cwd_walk(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    sub = web / "src" / "deep"
+    sub.mkdir(parents=True)
+    result = _ps("Get-RepoRoot", cwd=sub, env=_clean_env())
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert result.stdout.strip() == str(web)
+
+
+@requires_pwsh
+def test_ps_precedence_over_cwd_project(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    cwd_proj = _make_project(tmp_path, "cwd_proj")
+    (cwd_proj / "specs" / "001-cwd").mkdir(parents=True)
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    env = {
+        **_clean_env(),
+        "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(web),
+        "SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY": "specs/001-demo",
+    }
+    result = _ps(
+        '$r = Get-FeaturePathsEnv; Write-Output "FEATURE_DIR=$($r.FEATURE_DIR)"',
+        cwd=cwd_proj,
+        env=env,
+    )
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    # PowerShell Join-Path keeps the embedded "/" of the relative feature dir
+    # while pathlib uses the platform separator; compare separator-insensitively
+    # so the Windows CI runner (where pwsh runs) matches.
+    feature_dir = _feature_dir_line(result.stdout)
+    assert feature_dir is not None, result.stdout
+    assert feature_dir.replace("\\", "/") == (web / "specs" / "001-demo").as_posix()
+    assert str(cwd_proj) not in result.stdout
+
+
+@requires_pwsh
+def test_ps_composes_with_feature_directory_override(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    env = {
+        **_clean_env(),
+        "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(web),
+        "SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY": "specs/003-x",
+    }
+    result = _ps(
+        '$r = Get-FeaturePathsEnv; Write-Output "FEATURE_DIR=$($r.FEATURE_DIR)"',
+        cwd=tmp_path,
+        env=env,
+    )
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    # Separator-insensitive: PowerShell Join-Path keeps the embedded "/".
+    feature_dir = _feature_dir_line(result.stdout)
+    assert feature_dir is not None, result.stdout
+    assert feature_dir.replace("\\", "/") == (web / "specs" / "003-x").as_posix()
+
+
+@requires_pwsh
+def test_ps_empty_string_treated_as_unset(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    sub = web / "src" / "deep"
+    sub.mkdir(parents=True)
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": ""}
+    result = _ps("Get-RepoRoot", cwd=sub, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert result.stdout.strip() == str(web)
+
+
+@requires_pwsh
+def test_ps_nonexistent_path_errors_no_fallback(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    missing = tmp_path / "does_not_exist"
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(missing)}
+    result = _ps("Get-RepoRoot", cwd=web, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode != 0
+    assert "does not point to an existing directory" in result.stderr
+
+
+@requires_pwsh
+def test_ps_path_without_specify_errors_no_fallback(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    nodot = tmp_path / "nodot"
+    nodot.mkdir()
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(nodot)}
+    result = _ps("Get-RepoRoot", cwd=web, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode != 0
+    assert "not a Spec Kit project" in result.stderr
+
+
+@requires_pwsh
+def test_ps_file_path_errors_no_fallback(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """A file path resolves via Resolve-Path but is not a directory; the resolver
+    must reject it with the existing-directory message, not not-a-project."""
+    web = _make_project(tmp_path, "web")
+    a_file = tmp_path / "afile"
+    a_file.write_text("x")
+    env = {**_clean_env(), "SPECIFY_INIT_DIR": str(a_file)}
+    result = _ps("Get-RepoRoot", cwd=web, env=env)
+    assert result.returncode != 0
+    assert "does not point to an existing directory" in result.stderr