diff --git a/TEST.md b/TEST.md deleted file mode 100644 index d6a7cf0c..00000000 --- a/TEST.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,359 +0,0 @@ -# Markdown Formatting Fix - Test Evidence - -**Fix Type:** CommonMark Compliance -**Target Branch:** v6-alpha -**Test Repository:** https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test -**Test Date:** 2025-10-28 - ---- - -## Executive Summary - -This fix makes BMAD-generated markdown **CommonMark compliant** by adding 6 critical formatting rules that ensure proper rendering across ALL markdown parsers, not just GitHub's lenient renderer. - -**The Problem:** BMAD generates markdown that violates CommonMark specification by omitting required blank lines around lists, tables, and code blocks. While GitHub's renderer (GFM) handles this gracefully, strict parsers like Mac Markdown.app break completely. - -**The Solution:** Add 6 mandatory markdown formatting rules to `bmad/core/tasks/workflow.xml` that enforce proper spacing and consistency. - -**The Result:** Professional, standards-compliant documentation that works everywhere. - ---- - -## The Fix - -### Location -`bmad/core/tasks/workflow.xml` - Line 73 (in `` section) - -### Code Added - -```xml -MARKDOWN FORMATTING RULES - Critical for proper rendering across all markdown parsers: - 1. ALWAYS add blank line before and after bullet lists (-, *, +) - 2. ALWAYS add blank line before and after numbered lists (1., 2., etc.) - 3. ALWAYS add blank line before and after tables (| header |) - 4. ALWAYS add blank line before and after code blocks (```) - 5. Use - for bullets consistently (not * or +) - 6. Use language identifier for code fences (```bash, ```javascript, etc.) - -``` - ---- - -## Why This Fix Matters - -### GitHub Hides the Problem - -**Important Discovery:** During testing, we found that GitHub's markdown renderer (GFM) is **lenient** and handles missing blank lines gracefully. Both the before-fix and after-fix versions render acceptably in GitHub. - -**However**, many other tools do NOT: - -- ❌ **Mac Markdown.app** - Lists render as plain text -- ❌ **CommonMark reference parser** - Violates specification -- ❌ **Some IDE previewers** - Inconsistent rendering -- ❌ **Documentation generators** - May break - -### The Real Value - -This fix provides: - -1. **CommonMark Compliance** - Follows official markdown specification -2. **Cross-Tool Compatibility** - Works in ALL markdown renderers -3. **Professional Best Practices** - Industry-standard documentation -4. **Future-Proofing** - Won't break if parsers get stricter -5. **Developer Experience** - Team members can use any tool they prefer - ---- - -## Test Methodology - -### Three-Phase Testing - -**Phase 1: Synthetic Test** -- Created isolated test to validate fix mechanism -- Confirmed all 6 rules apply correctly -- Verified blank lines added properly - -**Phase 2: Fresh Install End-to-End** -- Clean BMAD v6-alpha installation -- Generated comprehensive API Gateway project documentation -- Baseline (before-fix) vs. Fixed (after-fix) comparison -- Results: 1112 lines of formatting improvements, 0 content changes - -**Phase 3: GitHub Validation** -- Created public test repository -- Uploaded both versions to GitHub -- Discovered GitHub's leniency (critical insight!) -- Added Mac Markdown.app screenshot proving the issue - -### Test Repository Structure - -``` -bmad-markdown-formatting-test/ -├── docs/ -│ ├── product-brief.md -│ ├── PRD.md -│ └── epics.md -├── test-results/ -│ ├── before-fix/ # Baseline without fix -│ ├── after-fix/ # With formatting rules -│ ├── screenshots/ # Mac Markdown.app proof -│ └── FINDINGS.md # Detailed analysis -├── README.md -├── VISUAL-COMPARISON-GUIDE.md -└── CROSS-TOOL-COMPATIBILITY.md -``` - ---- - -## Test Results - -### Quantitative Analysis - -| Metric | Value | -|--------|-------| -| Documents tested | 3 (product-brief, PRD, epics) | -| Total diff lines | 1,112 | -| Formatting improvements | 1,112 | -| Content changes | 0 | -| Bullet lists fixed | 99 | -| Numbered lists fixed | 36 | -| Tables fixed | 11 | -| Code blocks fixed | 12+ | -| CommonMark violations before | 64+ | -| CommonMark violations after | 0 ✅ | - -### Before Fix Issues - -**Without blank lines, strict parsers break:** - -```markdown -**Security Vulnerabilities:** -- Each service implements its own authentication logic -- No centralized authorization enforcement -``` - -**Mac Markdown.app renders as:** -> Security Vulnerabilities: - Each service implements its own authentication logic - No centralized authorization enforcement - -All bullets flow together as plain text! - -### After Fix - -**With proper blank lines:** - -```markdown -**Security Vulnerabilities:** - -- Each service implements its own authentication logic -- No centralized authorization enforcement -``` - -**Mac Markdown.app renders properly as:** -> **Security Vulnerabilities:** -> -> - Each service implements its own authentication logic -> - No centralized authorization enforcement - -Professional, structured formatting! - ---- - -## Visual Evidence - -### Mac Markdown.app Screenshot - -The test repository includes a screenshot showing broken rendering in Mac Markdown.app (before-fix): - -- Lists render as plain text instead of bullets -- Code blocks render as inline text -- Everything flows together as paragraphs -- Complete loss of structure - -**View Screenshot:** [test-results/screenshots/mac-markdown-before-fix-broken.png](https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/blob/main/test-results/screenshots/mac-markdown-before-fix-broken.png) - -This is the **real problem** that GitHub's leniency hides. - ---- - -## Comparison Links - -### GitHub Before/After Commits - -**Before Fix (Baseline):** -- Commit: `dcf405f` -- View: https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/blob/dcf405f/docs/product-brief.md - -**After Fix (With Rules):** -- Commit: `0b30d47` -- View: https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/blob/0b30d47/docs/product-brief.md - -**Side-by-Side Comparison:** -- https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/compare/dcf405f...0b30d47 - -### Specific Examples to Review - -**Example 1: Acceptance Criteria Lists** -- Before: https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/blob/dcf405f/docs/PRD.md#functional-requirements -- After: https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/blob/0b30d47/docs/PRD.md#functional-requirements - -**Example 2: Tables** -- Before: https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/blob/dcf405f/docs/product-brief.md#user-success-metrics -- After: https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/blob/0b30d47/docs/product-brief.md#user-success-metrics - -**Example 3: Code Blocks** -- Before: https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/blob/dcf405f/docs/epics.md#story-11-gateway-server-setup -- After: https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/blob/0b30d47/docs/epics.md#story-11-gateway-server-setup - ---- - -## CommonMark Specification Reference - -According to the [CommonMark Specification (v0.31.2)](https://spec.commonmark.org/): - -**Section 5.2 - List items:** - -> "A list item can begin with at most one blank line... A list item can contain blocks that are separated by more than one blank line..." - -**The key requirement:** Lists must be separated from preceding text by a blank line. - -### Example from Spec - -**NOT a list (incorrect):** -```markdown -Foo -- bar -``` - -Renders as: `Foo - bar` (plain text) - -**IS a list (correct):** -```markdown -Foo - -- bar -``` - -Renders as: -> Foo -> - bar - -BMAD now generates the correct version! - ---- - -## How to Reproduce Testing - -### Method 1: Clone Test Repository - -```bash -git clone https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test.git -cd bmad-markdown-formatting-test - -# View before-fix version -git checkout dcf405f -# Open docs/*.md in Mac Markdown.app - see broken rendering - -# View after-fix version -git checkout 0b30d47 -# Open docs/*.md in Mac Markdown.app - see proper rendering -``` - -### Method 2: Test With Mac Markdown.app - -1. Download before-fix file: - ```bash - curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/dcf405f/docs/product-brief.md - ``` - -2. Open in Mac Markdown.app (or Marked 2) - -3. Observe: Lists render as plain text! - -4. Download after-fix file: - ```bash - curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/0b30d47/docs/product-brief.md - ``` - -5. Open in Mac Markdown.app - -6. Observe: Lists render properly! - -### Method 3: CommonMark CLI - -```bash -npm install -g commonmark - -# Test before-fix -curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/dcf405f/docs/product-brief.md | commonmark > before.html - -# Test after-fix -curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test/0b30d47/docs/product-brief.md | commonmark > after.html - -# Compare HTML output -diff before.html after.html -``` - -You'll see the before-fix version has malformed HTML for lists! - ---- - -## Real-World Impact - -### Before This Fix - -- ❌ Violates CommonMark specification -- ❌ Breaks in Mac Markdown.app and strict parsers -- ❌ Non-standard markdown that relies on GitHub's leniency -- ❌ Unprofessional code that doesn't follow best practices -- ❌ May break if tools update to stricter parsing -- ❌ Inconsistent developer experience across different tools - -### After This Fix - -- ✅ Complies with CommonMark specification -- ✅ Works in ALL markdown parsers (GitHub, Mac app, IDEs, etc.) -- ✅ Professional, standards-compliant documentation -- ✅ Follows industry best practices -- ✅ Future-proof against parser changes -- ✅ Consistent experience for all developers - ---- - -## Additional Documentation - -The test repository includes comprehensive documentation: - -- **README.md** - Overview and quick start -- **FINDINGS.md** - Detailed test analysis with metrics -- **VISUAL-COMPARISON-GUIDE.md** - Step-by-step visual examples -- **CROSS-TOOL-COMPATIBILITY.md** - Deep dive into parser differences - -**Full Documentation:** https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test - ---- - -## Conclusion - -This fix is **fully tested** and **production-ready**. - -**What We Proved:** - -- ✅ Fix mechanism works correctly (Phase 1 synthetic test) -- ✅ Fix works in real-world scenarios (Phase 2 end-to-end test) -- ✅ GitHub is lenient but other tools break (Phase 3 validation) -- ✅ Visual proof via Mac Markdown.app screenshot -- ✅ Zero content changes - only formatting improved -- ✅ 100% CommonMark compliance achieved - -**The Value:** - -This isn't about "fixing GitHub rendering" - it's about generating **professional, standards-compliant markdown** that works everywhere. BMAD should follow industry best practices and output documentation that any developer can view in any tool without surprises. - -**Recommendation:** Merge this fix into v6-alpha to ensure BMAD generates professional, standards-compliant documentation from day one. - ---- - -**Test Repository:** https://github.com/jheyworth/bmad-markdown-formatting-test -**Test Date:** 2025-10-28 -**Test Duration:** ~2 hours -**Status:** ✅ SUCCESS