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Fix/issue 140 clarify commands location#2190

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Tayyaba-Akbar956 wants to merge 4 commits intogithub:mainfrom
Tayyaba-Akbar956:fix/issue-140-clarify-commands-location
Open

Fix/issue 140 clarify commands location#2190
Tayyaba-Akbar956 wants to merge 4 commits intogithub:mainfrom
Tayyaba-Akbar956:fix/issue-140-clarify-commands-location

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Summary

Fixes issue #140 - Unclear instructions on where to run /specify command.

Problem

New users were confused about where to run spec-kit commands:

  • Typing /specify in Copilot Chat treated it as plain text, not a command
  • No clear distinction between CLI commands and slash commands

Solution

  • Added clear distinction between CLI commands (specify) vs slash commands (/speckit.specify)
  • Updated docs to explain where to run each type:
    • CLI: Run in terminal
    • Slash commands: Run in AI assistant chat
  • Added quick reference table in quickstart.md
  • Added troubleshooting section for common issues
  • Updated all examples to use /speckit. prefix

Files Changed

  • docs/quickstart.md - Added command type table, clarification
  • docs/vscode-usage.md - Renamed section, clearer explanations
  • docs/README.md, docs/toc.yml - Updated navigation

* Add \docs/quickstart.md\: 4-step beginner flow with clear CLI vs AI command separation
* Add \docs/vscode-usage.md\: step-by-step guide to install Copilot Chat, run \specify\ in terminal, and fix common errors
* Update \README.md\ with links to both guides
* Use newcomer-friendly tone with warnings, code blocks, and troubleshooting
* Prevent users from typing \specify\ into Copilot Chat (common first-timer mistake)

Closes github#140
Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings April 12, 2026 17:00
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Pull request overview

Documentation update to address issue #140 by clarifying where Spec Kit CLI commands vs AI-assistant slash commands should be run (terminal vs chat), and by standardizing examples on the /speckit.* slash-command prefix.

Changes:

  • Added a new VS Code usage guide explaining Copilot Chat setup and where to run CLI vs slash commands.
  • Updated quickstart with a command-type reference table, troubleshooting, and revised examples using /speckit.*.
  • Updated docs navigation to include the new VS Code guide.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 4 out of 4 changed files in this pull request and generated 3 comments.

File Description
docs/vscode-usage.md New guide describing Copilot Chat setup and where to run CLI vs slash commands.
docs/toc.yml Adds “VS Code Usage” to the Getting Started TOC.
docs/README.md Updates docs index to include the new VS Code usage page.
docs/quickstart.md Adds command-type clarification/table, troubleshooting, and updates examples to /speckit.*.

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Please address Copilot feedback. If not applicable, please explain why

Copilot AI and others added 2 commits April 13, 2026 12:50
…fy-command-instructions

docs: fix Copilot review comments on quickstart and vscode-usage guides
@Tayyaba-Akbar956
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Hi @mnriem! I've addressed all three Copilot review comments. The fixes have been merged into this branch and are reflected in the latest commits.

Here's a quick summary of what was fixed:

  • Escaped the bare backtick in Ctrl+\`` in vscode-usage.md` to prevent Markdown rendering issues
  • Removed the unverifiable rename claim in quickstart.md and replaced it with a factual statement
  • Removed the misleading specify init my-project block that incorrectly implied it was a CLI equivalent of /speckit.specify

Please let me know if anything else needs to be changed. Thanks!

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Pull request overview

This PR updates the DocFX documentation to clarify where to run Spec Kit commands (terminal vs AI assistant slash commands), addressing confusion reported in issue #140 when users typed /specify in Copilot Chat and it was treated as plain text.

Changes:

  • Add a new “VS Code Usage” doc page explaining command locations and Copilot Chat setup.
  • Update quickstart.md with a CLI vs slash-command reference table, updated examples using /speckit.*, and troubleshooting tips.
  • Update docs navigation/indexing to include the new VS Code page.
Show a summary per file
File Description
docs/vscode-usage.md New guide explaining VS Code terminal vs Copilot Chat usage and setup.
docs/quickstart.md Adds a command-type table, clarifies CLI vs slash commands, updates examples, and adds troubleshooting.
docs/toc.yml Adds “VS Code Usage” to the Getting Started TOC.
docs/README.md Lists the new vscode-usage.md file in the docs structure.

Copilot's findings

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  • Files reviewed: 4/4 changed files
  • Comments generated: 5


### Common Issues and Solutions

- **Command not found**: Ensure `uvx` is installed (`pip install uvx`)
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The troubleshooting tip suggests installing uvx via pip install uvx, but this repo’s docs list uv as the prerequisite and uvx ships with uv. Suggest updating the instruction to install uv (or link to the uv install docs) rather than a non-standard uvx package name.

Suggested change
- **Command not found**: Ensure `uvx` is installed (`pip install uvx`)
- **Command not found**: Ensure `uv` is installed; `uvx` is included with `uv`

Copilot uses AI. Check for mistakes.
### 3. Create a Technical Implementation Plan

Use the `/speckit.plan` command to provide your tech stack and architecture choices.
Use the plan command to provide your tech stack and architecture choices.
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This section is meant to clarify command types, but it says “Use the plan command…” without naming the slash command explicitly. Suggest referring to /speckit.plan here (and noting it runs in the AI assistant), to stay consistent with the surrounding CLI vs slash command distinction.

Suggested change
Use the plan command to provide your tech stack and architecture choices.
Use the `/speckit.plan` slash command (in an AI assistant or editor that supports slash commands) to provide your tech stack and architecture choices.

Copilot uses AI. Check for mistakes.

```text
implement specs/002-create-taskify/plan.md
/speckit.implement specs/002-create-taskify/plan.md
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The example passes a plan file path to /speckit.implement, but the speckit.implement prompt file doesn’t appear to consume arguments (it always reads plan.md/tasks.md from the feature context). Suggest either removing the argument from the docs or updating the prompt/command behavior so the argument is actually used.

Suggested change
/speckit.implement specs/002-create-taskify/plan.md
/speckit.implement

Copilot uses AI. Check for mistakes.
Comment on lines +40 to +55
```powershell
# create a venv (first time)
python -m venv .venv

# allow script execution for the current session if required (temporary)
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope Process

# activate the venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# install the project in editable mode (if the project exposes a CLI entrypoint)
pip install -e .

# run the CLI (example)
specify --help
```
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These steps recommend pip install -e . to get the specify CLI, but elsewhere in the repo the documented installation paths are uv tool install specify-cli ... (persistent) or uvx --from ... specify ... (one-time). Suggest aligning this VS Code guide with the project’s supported install flows to avoid sending new users down a local-dev-only setup path.

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Comment on lines +59 to +63
```powershell
python -m specify_cli --help
```

Replace `specify_cli` above with the actual module name or entrypoint if different.
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This suggests python -m specify_cli --help and then says to “replace specify_cli … if different”, but for this repo/module structure the direct module entrypoint differs depending on whether it’s installed (editable) vs run from source (e.g., python -m src.specify_cli). Suggest making the guidance explicit for this repo rather than leaving it as a placeholder.

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@mnriem mnriem self-assigned this Apr 13, 2026
@mnriem mnriem self-requested a review April 13, 2026 15:44
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Please address Copilot feedback. If not applicable, please explain why

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4 participants