adopt-spec

Start a typed CLAUDE.md.spec.ts from an existing hand-written CLAUDE.md (or AGENTS.md). This is the non-destructive adoption path — you keep your existing instruction file as the starting point and get type safety going forward.

Adoption rules

Adoption is the safe, faithful on-ramp — never an upgrade in disguise. These are non-negotiable:

• Faithful. Preserve every rule, command, and prose section as-is. Invent nothing — the spec must compile back to ~the user's existing file. The one exception is a file map ("Key Files"): never emit the deprecated keyFiles field — see the guideline under Step 3.
• Non-destructive. Never edit the original CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md. Only write the new .spec.ts. Never auto-compile over the file — switching it to spec-managed is a separate, explicit step the user runs with a diff to review.
• Don't escalate enforcement. Keep guidance() as guidance(). Upgrading to enforce() has a cost (config/plugins, possible false positives) and is a separate opt-in step — the strengthen skill. Adoption is not turning on strict / workflow gating.
• Reversible. vigiles eject <file> hands the file back as plain hand-owned markdown anytime — it's never a one-way door. Tell the user this.
• Ask before writing. Present the generated spec and a conversion summary first; write only on the user's yes.
• A lighter touch exists. For no spec at all, inline <!-- vigiles:enforce ... --> comments are verified by vigiles lint with the same engine.

Instructions

Step 1: Read the Existing File

Read the target instruction file (default: CLAUDE.md in the repo root). If the user specified a path, use that.

Also check if vigiles is installed: look for vigiles in package.json devDependencies. If not, suggest:

npm install -D vigiles

Step 2: Parse the Structure

Identify these sections in the markdown:

• Commands — lines like `npm run build` — description or - `command` — description
• A file map ("Key Files") — lines like `src/foo.ts` — description listing important files. Never becomes keyFiles (deprecated); see the guideline under Step 3
• Rules — ### headings with **Enforced by:**, **Claimed (unverified):** or **Guidance only** annotations
• Prose sections — everything else (positioning, architecture, principles, etc.)

For each rule, classify it:

• Has **Enforced by:** \linter/rule`→enforce("linter/rule", "why")`
• Has **Claimed (unverified):** \linter/rule`→enforce("linter/rule", "why")` too — the last compile could not verify it; the next one will say why
• Has **Enforced by:** \code-review`or similar non-linter →guidance("...")`
• Has **Guidance only** → guidance("...")
• Has no annotation → mark as TODO for the user to classify

Step 3: Generate the Spec File

Create CLAUDE.md.spec.ts (or the appropriate name based on the source file) with this structure:

import {
  claude,
  enforce,
  guidance,
  file,
  cmd,
  ref,
  instructions,
} from "vigiles/spec";

export default claude({
  sections: {
    // Prose sections here
  },

  // No `keyFiles`: the field is deprecated (removed next major). A "Key Files"
  // list in the original file is NOT carried over as a map — see the
  // guideline below.

  commands: {
    // Commands here
  },

  rules: {
    // Rules here
  },
});

Important guidelines:

• Use file() refs in sections where file paths appear in backticks — this enables stale reference detection
• 🔴 Never emit keyFiles. The field is deprecated and removed in the next major (vigiles lint warns as deprecated-key-files). For a "Key Files" / file-map section in the original, apply the migration recipe (docs/rules/deprecated-key-files.md in the vigiles repository) and show the user, per entry, where it goes — the first that fits: (1) the file's header, the docs or the path already say it (or the path no longer exists) → delete it; (2) a fact about that one file → that file's header comment; (3) a rule for working in one folder → that folder's nested CLAUDE.md (its own <folder>/CLAUDE.md.spec.ts); (4) nothing else would lead an agent to the file → a one-line file() pointer in the section where the decision that needs it is written. Where each entry goes is the user's call; that the map does not become keyFiles is not. Until they decide, carry the list over as a plain prose section so adoption stays faithful
• Use cmd() refs for any npm run commands mentioned in sections
• Convert **Enforced by:** \code-review`rules toguidance()` — code review is not a mechanical enforcement
• For rules with no annotation, add a // TODO: classify as enforce() or guidance() comment
• Keep rule IDs as kebab-case versions of the heading text
• Preserve the **Why:** text as the second argument to enforce() or guidance()
• If sections reference other files or skills, use ref() for cross-references

Step 4: Verify the Spec Compiles

Run:

npm run build
npx vigiles compile CLAUDE.md.spec.ts

Compare the compiled output against the original file. Key differences are expected (formatting, section ordering), but all rules, commands, and prose content should be preserved (a file map is the exception — see the keyFiles guideline above).

Step 5: Present the Result

Show the user:

1. The generated spec file
2. How many rules were converted (enforce vs guidance vs TODO)
3. How many file/cmd refs were added for stale reference detection
4. The command to compile: npx vigiles compile
5. The command to verify: npx vigiles lint

Ask if they want you to write the file. If yes, also suggest adding to .gitignore or updating CI to run vigiles compile and vigiles lint.

Step 6: Optional — Set Up CI

If the user wants CI integration, suggest adding to their GitHub Actions workflow:

- name: Compile specs
  run: npx vigiles compile
- name: Verify references + integrity
  run: npx vigiles lint

Or using the vigiles GitHub Action:

- uses: zernie/vigiles@v1
  with:
    command: lint