- Point all memlog writes at the canonical core script (uv {project-root}/_bmad/scripts/memlog.py) in bmad-spec, bmad-brainstorming, and bmad-architecture; drop the python3/{skill-root} invocations and remove the bundled memlog.py copy from bmad-brainstorming.
- Migrate bmad-prd, bmad-ux, and bmad-product-brief off the hand-authored decision-log.md onto the memlog standard: .memlog.md written only via memlog.py (init/append), distilled-toward not authored, no lifecycle status; rename the headless decision_log JSON key to memlog.
- Fix bmad-spec capability rendering: nested bullets so intent/success break onto their own lines instead of collapsing into one blob.
- Update EN + FR docs (getting-started, workflow-map, core-tools) to reference .memlog.md.
- Remove the bmad-product-brief eval suite (to be replaced with a new format).
* feat(docs): add sidebar order validator
Adds tools/validate-sidebar-order.js to validate sidebar.order values
in YAML frontmatter across English and translated docs.
Checks for duplicate orders, gaps in sequence, and missing order fields.
For translations, also warns on order drift from English counterparts.
Wired into the quality script as docs:validate-sidebar.
* fix(validate-sidebar): tighten language detection and drift guard, add docstrings
* fix(validate-sidebar): replace subdirectory heuristic with locale pattern matching
detectLanguageDirs() previously classified any top-level docs/ directory
containing subdirectories as a translation language. This was too broad —
if an English section ever gained nested subfolders it would be silently
excluded from validation.
Replaced with a BCP 47 locale-code regex (/^[a-z]{2}(?:-[a-zA-Z]{2})?$/)
that matches known patterns (cs, fr, vi-vn, zh-cn) and won't falsely
classify content sections like explanation/ or reference/.
* fix(validate-sidebar): guard drift check against undefined order values
extractSidebarOrder() returns { hasSidebar: false } when no sidebar block
exists, leaving order as undefined rather than null. The drift check only
guarded against null, allowing undefined values to emit noisy warnings
like "Order drift: ... order undefined".
Changed the guard to typeof === 'number' which correctly excludes both
undefined and null without relying on a specific sentinel value.
* chore(validate-sidebar): add JSDoc docstrings to all functions
Adds @param and @returns annotations to extractSidebarOrder,
detectLanguageDirs, getEnglishSections, checkDirectory,
checkTranslationDrift, and relativePath.
* fix(validate-sidebar): add to pre-commit hook
* refactor(validate-sidebar): harden parsing and edge-case handling
Refactor to main() wrapper with pure return-based APIs, single directory
scan, and shared reporting. Harden frontmatter parsing (anchored delimiter,
direct-child-only order extraction, flow mapping support) and validation
(Infinity/zero guard, gap flood cap, multi-segment locales, graceful ENOENT).
* docs: fix sidebar.order duplicates and gaps across all locales
Resolves all validator errors flagged by the new
tools/validate-sidebar-order.js check.
English (docs/{explanation,how-to,reference}/):
- Renumbered to remove duplicates; established reading order
for new explanation pages added since orders were last set.
Translations (cs, fr, vi-vn, zh-cn):
- Mirrored English structural ordering where files exist, then
compacted to 1..N within each directory to eliminate gaps
caused by missing translation files.
Non-blocking drift warnings remain where translation directories
have fewer files than English; these are expected per the
validator's design.
---------
Co-authored-by: Brian Madison <bmadcode@gmail.com>
* feat(bmad-spec): add Spec kernel distiller skill
New 2-plan-workflows skill that distills any intent input (brain dump,
PRD, transcript, brief) into a spec.md carrying the five-field kernel:
Problem, Capabilities, Constraints, Non-goals, Success signal. Headless
callers receive JSON; interactive runs close conversationally with the
spec path and gap-coverage invitations.
Includes:
- SKILL.md with activation contract and conventions
- customize.toml exposing template path, output path, run-folder pattern
- assets/spec-template.md (five-field skeleton)
- assets/headless-schemas.md (JSON IO contracts)
* remove brain-dump fallback config from bmad-spec customize.toml
* refactor(bmad-spec): companions+sources model, routing tilt, flat output path
- Collapse `related:` into `companions:`; companion paths may point inside the spec folder (spec-authored) or outside it (adopted from an upstream skill), distinguished implicitly by path
- `sources:` reserved for fully-absorbed inputs; downstream does NOT read these
- Soften mutation contract: bmad-spec owns SPEC.md and spec-authored companions; adopted companions belong to their originating skill
- Add "when to spawn a companion" tilt: multi-item catalogs, tables, diagrams (always), editorial voice rules; sub-bullets in a kernel field signal it has outgrown the kernel
- Fix Spec Law rule 7 and Pass 2: load-bearing content lands in SPEC.md or a companion, not the decision log (the log records wrapper-drops only)
- Flatten output path to `{planning_artifacts}/specs/spec-{slug}-{date}/`, mirroring `prds/` and `ux-designs/`; drop `spec_folder_name` (no longer used)
- Extract Load-bearing definition into its own section above Spec Law
* chore(core): retire bmad-distillator, promote bmad-spec to core
- Delete bmad-distillator/ and all registry + doc references (superseded by bmad-spec; no skill or workflow in any BMad module invoked it)
- Add bmad-distillator to removals.txt so installer cleans it from existing IDE skill directories on update
- Move bmad-spec from bmm-skills/2-plan-workflows/ to core-skills/ (universal scope: game design, research hypotheses, editorial briefs, policy, business plans, not just software)
- Register bmad-spec in core module-help.csv and bmad-pro-skills marketplace plugin
- Drop bmad-distillator section from core-tools.md (en, vi-vn, cs, fr, zh-cn) and vi-vn dev guide; renumber subsequent sections
* refactor(bmad-spec): add lean-prose discipline + generalize help text
- Add Spec Law rule 8: lean prose. Every sentence carries load-bearing content; cut decoration, hedges, backstory, throat-clearing. Applies to SPEC.md, companions, and decision log.
- Update Self-Validate Pass 1 to enforce rules 1-6 and 8 (rule 7 stays in Pass 2)
- Prime the operation up-front: write lean from the first pass, every sentence must earn its place
- Note in Companions section that companions follow the same lean discipline
- Generalize core module-help.csv entry: domain-agnostic framing (software, game design, research, editorial, policy, business, anything intent-bearing); call out succinct, no-fluff and "locks the WHAT before the HOW" as the value props
* fix(bmad-spec): address PR review findings (CodeRabbit + Augment)
- headless-schemas.md: rewrite spec_path examples to point at the spec folder (not a file), rename source_artifact to sources[] array, add companions[] array, update verdict from "six rules" to "eight rules", disambiguate reason requirement (only when status=blocked)
- SKILL.md activation: fix config path from {project-root}/_bmad/config.yaml to {project-root}/_bmad/core/config.yaml (matches other BMM skills)
- customize.toml + SKILL.md Workspace: drop {date} from default run_folder_pattern (spec-{slug}); same slug = same folder = trivial in-place update, no glob-and-pick-most-recent needed. Override available for users who want dated history.
- spec-template.md: rename "## Success signals" (plural) to "## Success signal" (singular) to match SKILL.md kernel naming
- SKILL.md Frontmatter conventions: fix adopted-companion example path from _bmad-output/ux-designs/foo-ux/DESIGN.md to ../../ux-designs/ux-foo-bar-2026-05-23/DESIGN.md (matches actual flat-output convention)
- SKILL.md Spec Law: fix double-period typo in rule 2 ((stack, conventions)..)
- SKILL.md Overview: fix awkward "bloat with expansive line item details the kernel" phrasing; drop software-flavored downstream consumer list since bmad-spec is now a core skill serving any domain
* fix(bmad-spec): drop {planning_artifacts} dependency; output to {output_folder}/specs
bmad-spec is a core skill but its default path used {planning_artifacts}, a bmm-module variable. Core-only installs (no bmm) would fail at activation when the resolver tried to expand the path.
Land specs directly under {output_folder}/specs/spec-{slug}/ instead. Works in any install regardless of installed modules, and aligns with the long-term BMad direction of grouping artifacts as siblings under {output_folder}/<type>/ rather than nested under planning vs implementation parents.
In bmm installs, adopted-companion paths from spec to UX/PRD pick up one extra .. (e.g., ../planning-artifacts/ux-designs/<run>/DESIGN.md) since the spec folder is now one level up from planning-artifacts. Examples in SKILL.md and headless-schemas.md updated. module-help.csv output-location updated and stale -{date} fragment removed.
* docs(bmad-spec): add reference docs, trim headless schema, tighten defaults
- Add full bmad-spec entry to docs/reference/core-tools.md and table-row
stubs to cs/fr/vi-vn/zh-cn (full translation pending).
- Strip headless-schemas.md to a minimal {status, files} success response
and {status, error_code, reason} blocked response. Drop spec_path,
capabilities, verdict, decision_log_path — all derivable from the files
themselves.
- Narrow customize.toml persistent_facts default from recursive glob to
single {project-root}/project-context.md; document override path.
- Drop unused {doc_workspace} convention line from SKILL.md.
- Clarify Self-Validate verdict handling for interactive vs headless.
- Document missing_slug error code in SKILL.md + headless schema.
* prototype preview of new version of product brief skill
* chore: re-enable bmad-builder external module
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
* config loading with existing location
* refactor: rename bmad-bmm-product-brief-preview to bmad-product-brief-preview
Drop the redundant bmm prefix from the product brief preview skill folder
to align with the standard naming convention.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
* docs: add core tools reference and apply Diataxis style fixes
Add comprehensive reference doc for all 11 built-in core tools (tasks
and workflows) that ship with every BMad installation — bmad-help,
brainstorming, party-mode, distillator, advanced-elicitation, both
review tools, both editorial tools, shard-doc, and index-docs. Each
entry follows the Configuration Reference structure with purpose,
use cases, how it works, inputs, and outputs.
Style fixes across existing docs:
- reference/commands.md: convert #### headers to bold text, replace
sparse task table with link to new core-tools reference
- how-to/get-answers-about-bmad.md: remove horizontal rule between
sections (Diataxis violation)
- how-to/project-context.md: consolidate 4 consecutive tip admonitions
into single admonition with bullet list, add AGENTS.md reference
Also includes:
- Add bmad-distillator task to core module with compression agents,
format reference, splitting strategy, and analysis scripts
- Add Distillator entry to module-help.csv
- Rename supports-autonomous to supports-headless in product-brief
manifest
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
* core items to skills folder
* fix calls to invoke party mode
* fix calls to invoke party mode and AE as skills
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Brian Madison
Loic Duong
Emmanuel Atsé