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github-spec-kit/templates
github-actions[bot] 1354eade99 fix(constitution): stop propagating guidance into templates (#3737) (#3790)
Issue #3737 asked the /constitution command to synchronize constitutional
guidance into every effective task/plan/spec template, including active
preset-provided replacements. This changes the fix's direction: rather than
teach the command to discover and edit more template layers, it removes the
template-propagation behavior entirely.

Why this is the correct fix:

- The governed templates do not embed constitutional content. plan-template
  carries a runtime placeholder ("[Gates determined based on constitution
  file]") and spec-template/tasks-template reference no principles at all.
- The consuming commands read .specify/memory/constitution.md at runtime and
  derive their Constitution Check gates live (plan, tasks), and analyze is the
  dedicated drift checker that validates spec/plan/tasks against the
  constitution. Enforcement is therefore already automatic and always current.
- Statically editing template files fights the preset/override composition
  system: a replace preset shadows an edited core template entirely, and a
  hand-edited versioned preset file is clobbered on its next update. Presets and
  extensions are formalized, versioned artifacts the command must not mutate.

So the original bug (constitution edits missing active preset templates) is
resolved by not propagating at all: the runtime read is the single source of
truth. The /constitution command is scoped to its own artifact — it drafts and
writes the constitution and reports a Sync Impact Report changelog, and no
longer reads, edits, or reports on plan/spec/tasks/preset/extension templates.

Refs #3737

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2026-07-28 09:17:32 -05:00
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