## Overview
This commit represents a complete overhaul of the BMAD agent creation system, establishing clear standards for agent development, installation workflows, and persona design. The changes span documentation, tooling, reference implementations, and field-specific guidance.
## Key Components
### 1. Agent Installation Infrastructure
**New CLI Command: `agent-install`**
- Interactive agent installation with persona customization
- Supports Simple (single YAML), Expert (sidecar files), and Module agents
- Template variable processing with Handlebars-style syntax
- Automatic compilation from YAML to XML (.md) format
- Manifest tracking and IDE integration (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.)
- Source preservation in `_cfg/custom/agents/` for reinstallation
**Files Created:**
- `tools/cli/commands/agent-install.js` - Main CLI command
- `tools/cli/lib/agent/compiler.js` - YAML to XML compilation engine
- `tools/cli/lib/agent/installer.js` - Installation orchestration
- `tools/cli/lib/agent/template-engine.js` - Handlebars template processing
**Compiler Features:**
- Auto-injects frontmatter, activation, handlers, help/exit menu items
- Smart handler inclusion (only includes action/workflow/exec/tmpl handlers actually used)
- Proper XML escaping and formatting
- Persona name customization (e.g., "Fred the Commit Poet")
### 2. Documentation Overhaul
**Deleted Bloated/Outdated Docs (2,651 lines removed):**
- Old verbose architecture docs
- Redundant pattern files
- Outdated workflow guides
**Created Focused, Type-Specific Docs:**
- `src/modules/bmb/docs/understanding-agent-types.md` - Architecture vs capability distinction
- `src/modules/bmb/docs/simple-agent-architecture.md` - Self-contained agents
- `src/modules/bmb/docs/expert-agent-architecture.md` - Agents with sidecar files
- `src/modules/bmb/docs/module-agent-architecture.md` - Workflow-integrated agents
- `src/modules/bmb/docs/agent-compilation.md` - YAML → XML process
- `src/modules/bmb/docs/agent-menu-patterns.md` - Menu design patterns
- `src/modules/bmb/docs/index.md` - Documentation hub
**Net Result:** ~1,930 line reduction while adding MORE value through focused content
### 3. Create-Agent Workflow Enhancements
**Critical Persona Field Guidance Added to Step 4:**
Explains how the LLM interprets each persona field when the agent activates:
- **role** → "What knowledge, skills, and capabilities do I possess?"
- **identity** → "What background, experience, and context shape my responses?"
- **communication_style** → "What verbal patterns, word choice, quirks, and phrasing do I use?"
- **principles** → "What beliefs and operating philosophy drive my choices?"
**Key Insight:** `communication_style` should ONLY describe HOW the agent talks, not restate role/identity/principles. The `communication-presets.csv` provides 60 pure communication styles with NO role/identity/principles mixed in.
**Files Updated:**
- `src/modules/bmb/workflows/create-agent/instructions.md` - Added persona field interpretation guide
- `src/modules/bmb/workflows/create-agent/brainstorm-context.md` - Refined to 137 lines
- `src/modules/bmb/workflows/create-agent/communication-presets.csv` - 60 styles across 13 categories
### 4. Reference Agent Cleanup
**Removed install_config Personality Bloat:**
Understanding: Future installer will handle personality customization, so stripped all personality toggles from reference agents.
**commit-poet.agent.yaml** (Simple Agent):
- BEFORE: 36 personality combinations (3 enthusiasm × 3 depths × 4 styles) = decision fatigue
- AFTER: Single concise persona with pure communication style
- Changed from verbose conditionals to: "Poetic drama and flair with every turn of a phrase. I transform mundane commits into lyrical masterpieces, finding beauty in your code's evolution."
- Reduction: 248 lines → 153 lines (38% reduction)
**journal-keeper.agent.yaml** (Expert Agent):
- Stripped install_config, simplified communication_style
- Shows proper Expert agent structure with sidecar files
**security-engineer.agent.yaml & trend-analyst.agent.yaml** (Module Agents):
- Added header comments explaining WHY Module Agent (design intent, not just location)
- Clarified: Module agents are designed FOR ecosystem integration, not capability-limited
**Files Updated:**
- `src/modules/bmb/reference/agents/simple-examples/commit-poet.agent.yaml`
- `src/modules/bmb/reference/agents/expert-examples/journal-keeper/journal-keeper.agent.yaml`
- `src/modules/bmb/reference/agents/module-examples/security-engineer.agent.yaml`
- `src/modules/bmb/reference/agents/module-examples/trend-analyst.agent.yaml`
### 5. BMM Agent Voice Enhancement
**Gave all 9 BMM agents distinct, memorable communication voices:**
**Mary (analyst)** - The favorite! Changed from generic "systematic and probing" to:
"Treats analysis like a treasure hunt - excited by every clue, thrilled when patterns emerge. Asks questions that spark 'aha!' moments while structuring insights with precision."
**Other Notable Voices:**
- **John (pm):** "Asks 'WHY?' relentlessly like a detective on a case. Direct and data-sharp, cuts through fluff to what actually matters."
- **Winston (architect):** "Speaks in calm, pragmatic tones, balancing 'what could be' with 'what should be.' Champions boring technology that actually works."
- **Amelia (dev):** "Ultra-succinct. Speaks in file paths and AC IDs - every statement citable. No fluff, all precision."
- **Bob (sm):** "Crisp and checklist-driven. Every word has a purpose, every requirement crystal clear. Zero tolerance for ambiguity."
- **Sally (ux-designer):** "Paints pictures with words, telling user stories that make you FEEL the problem. Empathetic advocate with creative storytelling flair."
**Pattern Applied:** Moved behaviors from communication_style to principles, keeping communication_style as PURE verbal patterns.
**Files Updated:**
- `src/modules/bmm/agents/analyst.agent.yaml`
- `src/modules/bmm/agents/pm.agent.yaml`
- `src/modules/bmm/agents/architect.agent.yaml`
- `src/modules/bmm/agents/dev.agent.yaml`
- `src/modules/bmm/agents/sm.agent.yaml`
- `src/modules/bmm/agents/tea.agent.yaml`
- `src/modules/bmm/agents/tech-writer.agent.yaml`
- `src/modules/bmm/agents/ux-designer.agent.yaml`
- `src/modules/bmm/agents/frame-expert.agent.yaml`
### 6. Linting Fixes
**ESLint Compliance:**
- Replaced all `'utf-8'` with `'utf8'` (unicorn/text-encoding-identifier-case)
- Changed `variables.hasOwnProperty(varName)` to `Object.hasOwn(variables, varName)` (unicorn/prefer-object-has-own)
- Replaced `JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(...))` with `structuredClone(...)` (unicorn/prefer-structured-clone)
- Fixed empty YAML mapping values in sample files
**Files Fixed:**
- 7 JavaScript files across agent tooling (compiler, installer, commands, IDE integration)
- 1 YAML sample file
## Architecture Decisions
### Agent Types Are About Architecture, Not Capability
- **Simple:** Self-contained in single YAML (NOT limited in capability)
- **Expert:** Includes sidecar files (templates, docs, etc.)
- **Module:** Designed for BMAD ecosystem integration (workflows, cross-agent coordination)
### Persona Field Separation Critical for LLM Interpretation
The LLM needs distinct fields to understand its role:
- Mixing role/identity/principles into communication_style confuses the persona
- Pure communication styles (from communication-presets.csv) have ZERO role/identity/principles content
- Example DON'T: "Experienced analyst who uses systematic approaches..." (mixing identity + style)
- Example DO: "Systematic and probing. Structures findings hierarchically." (pure style)
### Install-Time vs Runtime Configuration
- Template variables ({{var}}) resolve at compile-time
- Runtime variables ({user_name}, {bmad_folder}) resolve when agent activates
- Future installer will handle personality customization, so agents should ship with single default persona
## Testing
- All linting passes (ESLint with max-warnings=0)
- Agent compilation tested with commit-poet, journal-keeper examples
- Install workflow validated with Simple and Expert agent types
- Manifest tracking and IDE integration verified
## Impact
This establishes BMAD as having a complete, production-ready agent creation and installation system with:
- Clear documentation for all agent types
- Automated compilation and installation
- Strong persona design guidance
- Reference implementations showing best practices
- Distinct, memorable agent voices throughout BMM module
Co-Authored-By: BMad Builder <builder@bmad.dev>
Co-Authored-By: Mary the Analyst <analyst@bmad.dev>
Co-Authored-By: Paige the Tech Writer <tech-writer@bmad.dev>
Remove hardcoded .bmad folder references throughout documentation and source files, replacing them with the configurable {bmad_folder} placeholder. This change enables users to customize the BMAD installation folder name via configuration, improving flexibility and reducing coupling to a specific directory structure.
Changes include:
- Update all documentation to reference {bmad_folder} instead of .bmad
- Remove legacy configuration files from .bmad and .claude directories
- Update workflow.xml and CLI documentation with new placeholder syntax
This commit extracts game development functionality from BMM into a standalone
BMGD (BMad Game Development) module and implements workflow vendoring to enable
module independence.
BMGD Module Creation:
- Moved agents: game-designer, game-dev, game-architect from BMM to BMGD
- Moved team config: team-gamedev
- Created new Game Dev Scrum Master agent using workflow vendoring pattern
- Reorganized workflows into industry-standard game dev phases:
* Phase 1 (Preproduction): brainstorm-game, game-brief
* Phase 2 (Design): gdd, narrative
* Phase 3 (Technical): game-architecture
* Phase 4 (Production): vendored from BMM workflows
- Updated all module metadata and config_source references
Workflow Vendoring Feature:
- Enables modules to copy workflows from other modules during installation
- Build-time process that updates config_source in vendored workflows
- New agent YAML attribute: workflow-install (build-time metadata)
- Final compiled agents use workflow-install value for workflow attribute
- Implementation in module manager: vendorCrossModuleWorkflows()
- Allows standalone module installation without forced dependencies
Technical Changes:
- tools/cli/lib/yaml-xml-builder.js: Use workflow-install for workflow attribute
- tools/cli/installers/lib/modules/manager.js: Add vendoring functions
- tools/schema/agent.js: Add workflow-install to menu item schema
- Updated 3 documentation files with workflow vendoring details
BMM Workflow Updates:
- workflow-status/init: Added game detection checkpoint
- workflow-status/paths/game-design.yaml: Redirect to BMGD module
- prd/instructions.md: Route game projects to BMGD
- research/instructions-market.md: Reference BMGD for game development
Documentation:
- Created comprehensive BMGD module README
- Added workflow vendoring documentation
- Updated BMB agent creation and module creation guides
## 📚 Complete Documentation Restructure
**BMM Documentation Hub Created:**
- New centralized documentation system at `src/modules/bmm/docs/`
- 18 comprehensive guides organized by topic (7000+ lines total)
- Clear learning paths for greenfield, brownfield, and quick spec flows
- Professional technical writing standards throughout
**New Documentation:**
- `README.md` - Complete documentation hub with navigation
- `quick-start.md` - 15-minute getting started guide
- `agents-guide.md` - Comprehensive 12-agent reference (45 min read)
- `party-mode.md` - Multi-agent collaboration guide (20 min read)
- `scale-adaptive-system.md` - Deep dive on Levels 0-4 (42 min read)
- `brownfield-guide.md` - Existing codebase development (53 min read)
- `quick-spec-flow.md` - Rapid Level 0-1 development (26 min read)
- `workflows-analysis.md` - Phase 1 workflows (12 min read)
- `workflows-planning.md` - Phase 2 workflows (19 min read)
- `workflows-solutioning.md` - Phase 3 workflows (13 min read)
- `workflows-implementation.md` - Phase 4 workflows (33 min read)
- `workflows-testing.md` - Testing & QA workflows (29 min read)
- `workflow-architecture-reference.md` - Architecture workflow deep-dive
- `workflow-document-project-reference.md` - Document-project workflow reference
- `enterprise-agentic-development.md` - Team collaboration patterns
- `faq.md` - Comprehensive Q&A covering all topics
- `glossary.md` - Complete terminology reference
- `troubleshooting.md` - Common issues and solutions
**Documentation Improvements:**
- Removed all version/date footers (git handles versioning)
- Agent customization docs now include full rebuild process
- Cross-referenced links between all guides
- Reading time estimates for all major docs
- Consistent professional formatting and structure
**Consolidated & Streamlined:**
- Module README (`src/modules/bmm/README.md`) streamlined to lean signpost
- Root README polished with better hierarchy and clear CTAs
- Moved docs from root `docs/` to module-specific locations
- Better separation of user docs vs. developer reference
## 🤖 New Agent: Paige (Documentation Guide)
**Role:** Technical documentation specialist and information architect
**Expertise:**
- Professional technical writing standards
- Documentation structure and organization
- Information architecture and navigation
- User-focused content design
- Style guide enforcement
**Status:** Work in progress - Paige will evolve as documentation needs grow
**Integration:**
- Listed in agents-guide.md, glossary.md, FAQ
- Available for all phases (documentation is continuous)
- Can be customized like all BMM agents
## 🔧 Additional Changes
- Updated agent manifest with Paige
- Updated workflow manifest with new documentation workflows
- Fixed workflow-to-agent mappings across all guides
- Improved root README with clearer Quick Start section
- Better module structure explanations
- Enhanced community links with Discord channel names
**Total Impact:**
- 18 new/restructured documentation files
- 7000+ lines of professional technical documentation
- Complete navigation system with cross-references
- Clear learning paths for all user types
- Foundation for knowledge base (coming in beta)
Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
This major enhancement revolutionizes the tech-spec workflow from a basic template-filling exercise into a context-aware, intelligent planning system for rapid development of bug fixes and small features.
## Tech-Spec Workflow Transformation (11 files)
### Core Workflow Intelligence (instructions.md)
- Add standalone mode with interactive level/field-type detection
- Implement brownfield convention detection and user confirmation
- Integrate WebSearch for current framework versions and starter templates
- Add comprehensive context discovery (stack, patterns, dependencies)
- Implement auto-validation with quality scoring (always runs)
- Add UX/UI considerations capture for user-facing changes
- Add test framework detection and pattern analysis
- Transform from batch generation to living document approach
### Comprehensive Tech-Spec Template (tech-spec-template.md)
- Expand from 8 to 23 sections for complete context
- Add Context section (available docs, project stack, existing structure)
- Add Development Context (conventions, test framework, existing code)
- Add UX/UI Considerations section
- Add Developer Resources (file paths, key locations, testing)
- Add Integration Points and Configuration Changes
- All sections populated via template-output tags during workflow
### Enhanced Story Generation
- Level 0 (instructions-level0-story.md): Extract from comprehensive tech-spec
- Level 1 (instructions-level1-stories.md): Add story sequence validation, AC quality checks
- User Story Template: Add Dev Agent Record sections for implementation tracking
- Epic Template: Complete rewrite with proper structure and variables
### Validation & Quality (checklist.md)
- Add context gathering completeness checks
- Add definitiveness validation (no "use X or Y" statements)
- Add brownfield integration quality scoring
- Add stack alignment verification
- Add implementation readiness assessment
- Auto-generates validation report with scores
### Configuration (workflow.yaml)
- Add runtime variables: project_level, project_type, development_context, change_type, field_type
- Enable standalone operation without workflow-status.yaml
- Support both workflow-init integration and quick-start mode
## Phase 4 Integration (3 files)
### Story Context Workflow
- Add tech_spec to input_file_patterns (recognizes as authoritative source)
- Update instructions to prioritize tech-spec for Level 0-1 projects
- Tech-spec provides brownfield analysis, framework details, existing patterns
### Create Story Workflow
- Add tech_spec to input_file_patterns
- Enable story generation from tech-spec (alternative to PRD)
- Supports both Quick Spec Flow and traditional BMM flow
## Documentation (2 new files)
### Quick Spec Flow Guide (docs/quick-spec-flow.md)
- Comprehensive 595-line guide for Level 0-1 rapid development
- Complete user journey examples (bug fix, small feature)
- Context discovery explanation (stack, brownfield, conventions)
- Auto-validation details and benefits
- Integration with Phase 4 workflows
- Comparison: Quick Spec vs Full BMM
- Real-world examples and best practices
### Scale Adaptive System (docs/scale-adaptive-system.md)
- Complete 950-line technical guide to BMad Method's 5-level system
- Key terminology: Analysis, Tech-Spec, Epic-Tech-Spec, Architecture
- Level 0-4 workflows, planning docs, and progression
- Brownfield emphasis: document-project required first
- Tech-spec (upfront, Level 0-1) vs epic-tech-spec (during implementation, Level 2-4)
- Architecture document replaces tech-spec at Level 2+ (scales with complexity)
- Retrospectives after each epic in multi-epic projects
- Workflow path configuration reference
### README Updates
- Add Quick Spec Flow announcement with benefits
- Link to Scale Adaptive System documentation
- Clarify when to use Quick Spec Flow vs Full BMM
## Key Features
### Context-Aware Intelligence
- Auto-detects project stack from package.json, requirements.txt, etc.
- Analyzes brownfield codebases using document-project output
- Detects code conventions and confirms with user before proceeding
- Uses WebSearch for up-to-date framework info and starter templates
### Brownfield Respect
- Detects existing patterns (code style, test framework, naming conventions)
- Asks user for confirmation before applying conventions
- Adapts to existing code vs forcing changes
- References document-project analysis for comprehensive context
### Auto-Validation
- Always runs (not optional)
- Validates context gathering, definitiveness, brownfield integration
- Scores tech-spec quality and implementation readiness
- Validates story sequence for Level 1 (no forward dependencies)
### Living Document Approach
- Write to tech-spec continuously during discovery
- Progressive refinement vs batch generation
- Template variables populated via template-output tags in real-time
## Breaking Changes
None - all changes are additive and backward compatible.
## Impact
This transformation enables:
- Bug fixes and small features implemented in minutes vs hours
- Automatic stack detection and brownfield analysis
- Respect for existing conventions and patterns
- Current best practices via WebSearch integration
- Comprehensive context that can replace story-context for simple efforts
- Seamless integration with Phase 4 implementation workflows
Quick Spec Flow now provides a **true fast path from idea to implementation** for Level 0-1 projects while maintaining quality through auto-validation and comprehensive context gathering.
- Added docs/ide-info/opencode.md
- Added tool/cli/installers/lib/ide/opencode.js
- Modified tools/installers/lib/ide/core/detector.js to include
detection for opencode command dir
- Modified tools/cli/platform-codes.yaml to include opencode config
- Modified tools/cli/installers/lib/ide/workflow-command-template.md to
include frontmatter with description as opencode requires this for
commands and adding it to the template by default does not seem to
impact other IDEs
- Modified src/modules/bmm/workflows/workflow-status/workflow.yaml
description so that it properly escapes quotes when interpolated in the
teplate
* feat: add OpenCode integration implementation plan for BMAD-METHOD
* installer(opencode): add OpenCode target metadata in install.config.yaml
* chore(deps): add comment-json for JSONC parsing in OpenCode integration
* feat(installer/opencode): implement setupOpenCode with minimal instructions merge and BMAD-managed agents/commands
* feat(installer): add OpenCode (SST) to IDE selector and CLI --ide help
* fix(opencode): align generated opencode.json(c) with schema (instructions as strings; agent.prompt; command.template; remove unsupported fields)
* feat(installer): enhance OpenCode setup with agent selection and prefix options
* fix: update configuration file references from `bmad-core/core-config.yaml` to `.bmad-core/core-config.yaml` across multiple agent and task files for consistency and clarity.
* refactor: streamline OpenCode configuration prompts and normalize instruction paths for agents and tasks
* feat: add tools property to agent definitions for enhanced functionality. Otherwise opencode consders the subagents as readonly
* feat: add extraction of 'whenToUse' from agents markdown files for improved agent configuration in opencode
* feat: enhance task purpose extraction from markdown files with improved parsing and cleanup logic
* feat: add collision warnings for non-BMAD-managed agent and command keys during setup
* feat: generate and update AGENTS.md for OpenCode integration with agent and task details
* feat: add compact AGENTS.md generator and JSON-only integration for OpenCode
* chore(docs): remove completed OpenCode integration implementation plans
* feat: enable default prefixes for agent and command keys to avoid collisions
* fix: remove unnecessary line breaks in 'whenToUse' descriptions for QA agents to mathc the rest of the agents definitions and improve programatic parsing of whenToUse prop
* fix: update OpenCode references to remove 'SST' for consistency across documentation and configuration
* fix: update agent mode from 'subagent' to 'all' for consistency in agent definitions
* fix: consolidate 'whenToUse' description format for clarity and consistent parsing
- Added support for a new optional `.bmad-flattenignore` file to allow users to specify additional files to exclude from the flattened XML output.
- Updated README and documentation to reflect the new feature and provide examples for usage.
- Modified ignore rules to incorporate patterns from the `.bmad-flattenignore` file after applying `.gitignore` rules.
Benefits:
- Greater flexibility in managing file exclusions for AI model consumption.
- Replace old semantic-release documentation with new simplified system
- Document command line release workflow (npm run release:*)
- Explain automatic release notes generation and categorization
- Add troubleshooting section and preview functionality
- Reflect current single @stable tag installation approach
Brian Madison
Murat K Ozcan
Cameron Pitt
Dylan Buchi
Alex Verkhovsky
Javier Gomez
Daniel Dabrowski
Jonathan Borgwing
manjaroblack
Yongjip Kim