fix(presets): seed constitution from preset constitution-template (#3272) by BenBtg · Pull Request #3276 · github/spec-kit

BenBtg · 2026-06-30T18:54:47Z

Summary

Fixes #3272. A preset that ships a type: template constitution-template entry (e.g. strategy: replace with a ratified constitution) was never applied to .specify/memory/constitution.md. The constitution is the only template materialized to a live file rather than resolved on demand, yet ensure_constitution_from_template hardcoded a copy from the core template and bypassed PresetResolver. Combined with init seeding the constitution before preset installation, a preset's constitution could never go live.

This is a provenance fix (resolve through the same priority stack every other template uses), not a copy-into-core fix.

Changes

commands/init.py — ensure_constitution_from_template now resolves constitution-template through PresetResolver (project overrides → installed presets → extensions → core). Core remains the fallback when nothing overrides it. Skip-if-exists / not-found behavior preserved.
commands/init.py — reordered so the constitution is seeded after preset installation, so specify init --preset seeds from the resolved stack. No-op for non-preset init.
presets/__init__.py — install_from_directory re-seeds .specify/memory/constitution.md from the resolved preset template, only when the memory file is missing or still contains generic placeholder tokens ([PROJECT_NAME] / [PRINCIPLE_1_NAME]). Authored constitutions are never overwritten. Covers specify preset add and install_from_zip (which delegates here).
Tests — preset seeds memory; placeholder memory re-seeded; authored constitution preserved; CORE_TEMPLATE_NAMES override resolves constitution-template to the preset file; resolver-aware init seeding (core fallback, preset override, existing-file preservation).

Key guard

Placeholder-token detection (_constitution_is_placeholder) prevents clobbering legitimately authored constitutions during preset add on an existing project.

Testing

pytest tests/test_presets.py — 333 passed (7 new)
Full suite — 3853 passed, 4 skipped

This PR was authored autonomously by GitHub Copilot (model: Claude Opus 4.8). Each commit carries an Assisted-by: trailer.

) The constitution is the only template materialized to a live file (.specify/memory/constitution.md) rather than resolved on demand, yet ensure_constitution_from_template hardcoded a copy from the core template and ignored PresetResolver. Combined with init seeding the constitution before preset installation, a preset's constitution-template (e.g. strategy: replace with a ratified constitution) could never go live. Changes: - ensure_constitution_from_template now resolves constitution-template through PresetResolver, so a preset/override/extension wins and core is the fallback. - init seeds the constitution after preset installation so init --preset uses the resolved stack. - install_from_directory re-seeds memory/constitution.md from the resolved preset template, guarded to only act when the memory file is missing or still contains generic placeholder tokens — authored constitutions are never overwritten. Covers preset add and install_from_zip. - Tests for preset seeding, placeholder re-seed, authored-constitution preservation, override resolution, and resolver-aware init seeding. Assisted-by: GitHub Copilot (model: Claude Opus 4.8, autonomous) Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

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gglachant · 2026-07-01T08:41:26Z

+1 — we hit this independently. We maintain a spec-kit harness for a team with a fixed, ratified constitution authored upstream in a canonical repo and installed verbatim downstream. /speckit.constitution treating .specify/memory/constitution.md as a template to (re-)author from placeholders is exactly the hazard #3272 names: for us an AI-authored variant is a governance violation, not a convenience.

We read #3276's diff against our use case, and it handles our edge cases correctly:

Deferred-value markers are preserved. Our authored constitution carries a few intentional spec-kit-style TODO(FIELD) deferred values (e.g. TODO(RATIFICATION_DATE)) that resolve at a later milestone. Because _constitution_is_placeholder keys on the stock template's specific sentinels ([PROJECT_NAME], [PRINCIPLE_1_NAME]) rather than any generic TODO( / [...], such a constitution is correctly classified authored and preserved. 👍 (That was our one worry from the summary; the diff resolves it.)
Byte-faithful install. shutil.copy2(resolved, memory_constitution) materializes the preset's replace template unchanged — exactly what a ratified constitution needs (no reformatting, token-fill, or version recompute).

One small maintainability suggestion: _CONSTITUTION_PLACEHOLDER_TOKENS is a fixed pair — worth a test pinning it to the actual [ALL_CAPS] tokens in the stock constitution-template.md, so the guard can't silently drift out of sync if that template's placeholders ever change.

Our current stopgap is cp canonical → diff (confirm byte-identical) → run the command report-only plus disabling the auto-authoring path; #3276's preset-aware replace path would let us ship the constitution as a preset template and retire that entirely. Thanks for picking this up.

(Disclosure, per CONTRIBUTING: this comment was drafted with the assistance of Claude Code (an AI coding agent) and reviewed by a human before posting.)

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Review details

Files reviewed: 3/3 changed files
Comments generated: 2
Review effort level: Low

+    template_constitution = PresetResolver(project_path).resolve(
+        "constitution-template", "template"
    )


+        resolved = PresetResolver(self.project_root).resolve(
+            "constitution-template", "template"
+        )
+        if resolved is None or not resolved.exists():
+            return
+
+        try:
+            memory_constitution.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+            shutil.copy2(resolved, memory_constitution)


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Review details

Files reviewed: 3/3 changed files
Comments generated: 0 new
Review effort level: Low

Take on review feedback from Copilot and gglachant: - constitution seeding previously copied the top layer file path verbatim even when the winning layer used a composing strategy (prepend/append/wrap), which could leave {CORE_TEMPLATE} unresolved. - both seeding paths now inspect resolver layers and only copy verbatim for replace; non-replace strategies materialize composed content via PresetResolver.resolve_content(). - add regression tests for wrap strategy composition in both PresetManager seeding and ensure_constitution_from_template. - add a drift-guard test pinning _CONSTITUTION_PLACEHOLDER_TOKENS to the placeholders in templates/constitution-template.md. Assisted-by: GitHub Copilot (model: GPT-5.3-Codex, autonomous) Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

BenBtg · 2026-07-01T18:30:45Z

Addressed review feedback in f954e30.\n\n- Fixed constitution seeding to handle composing strategies (//) in both paths ( and ): we now materialize composed content via whenever the winning layer is non-.\n- Added regression tests that verify wrap composition is materialized (no unresolved ) in both seeding paths.\n- Added a drift-guard test that pins to placeholders present in the core , per gglachant’s maintainability suggestion.\n\nPosted on behalf of @BenBtg by GitHub Copilot (model: gpt-5.3-codex).

BenBtg · 2026-07-01T18:30:52Z

Correction to my previous comment (shell quoting ate formatting). Addressed review feedback in f954e30.

Fixed constitution seeding to handle composing strategies (prepend/append/wrap) in both paths: ensure_constitution_from_template and PresetManager._seed_constitution_from_preset now materialize composed content via PresetResolver.resolve_content() whenever the winning layer is non-replace.
Added regression tests that verify wrap composition is materialized with no unresolved {CORE_TEMPLATE} in both seeding paths.
Added a drift-guard test that pins _CONSTITUTION_PLACEHOLDER_TOKENS to placeholders present in the core templates/constitution-template.md, per gglachant’s maintainability suggestion.

Posted on behalf of @BenBtg by GitHub Copilot (model: gpt-5.3-codex).

Copilot

Review details

Files reviewed: 3/3 changed files
Comments generated: 3
Review effort level: Low

    memory_constitution = project_path / ".specify" / "memory" / "constitution.md"
-    template_constitution = (
-        project_path / ".specify" / "templates" / "constitution-template.md"
-    )
+    resolver = PresetResolver(project_path)
+    layers = resolver.collect_all_layers("constitution-template", "template")



        if tracker:
            tracker.add("constitution", "Constitution setup")
            tracker.complete("constitution", "copied from template")


+        try:
+            memory_constitution.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+            top_layer = layers[0]
+            if top_layer["strategy"] == "replace":
+                shutil.copy2(top_layer["path"], memory_constitution)
+            else:
+                composed_content = resolver.resolve_content(
+                    "constitution-template", "template"
+                )
+                if composed_content is None:
+                    return
+                memory_constitution.write_text(composed_content, encoding="utf-8")
+        except OSError as exc:


Address latest Copilot feedback on the constitution seeding path: - moved resolver/layer I/O behind the existing-memory fast path in init - corrected tracker output for composed materialization - deduplicated materialization logic shared by init and preset install seeding into presets._materialize_constitution_template() Behavior is unchanged for replace strategies (copy verbatim) and remains composed for prepend/append/wrap via resolve_content(). Assisted-by: GitHub Copilot (model: GPT-5.3-Codex, autonomous) Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

BenBtg · 2026-07-01T18:53:34Z

Addressed the latest Copilot feedback in aa09272.

Moved resolver/layer collection behind the existing-memory fast path in ensure_constitution_from_template, so we avoid unnecessary I/O when memory already exists.
Updated tracker output to distinguish copied vs composed constitution materialization.
Deduplicated constitution materialization logic used by both init seeding and preset install re-seeding into a shared helper (_materialize_constitution_template) to keep behavior in sync.

Posted on behalf of @BenBtg by GitHub Copilot (model: gpt-5.3-codex).

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fix(presets): seed constitution from preset constitution-template (#3272)#3276

fix(presets): seed constitution from preset constitution-template (#3272)#3276
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BenBtg commented Jun 30, 2026

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