Local Development Guide

This guide shows how to iterate on the specify CLI locally without publishing a release or committing to main first.

Scripts now have both Bash (.sh) and PowerShell (.ps1) variants. The CLI auto-selects based on OS unless you pass --script sh|ps.

1. Clone and Switch Branches

git clone https://github.com/github/spec-kit.git
cd spec-kit
# Work on a feature branch
git checkout -b your-feature-branch

2. Run the CLI Directly (Fastest Feedback)

You can execute the CLI via the module entrypoint without installing anything:

# From repo root
python -m src.specify_cli --help
python -m src.specify_cli init demo-project --ai claude --ignore-agent-tools --script sh

If you prefer invoking the script file style (uses shebang):

python src/specify_cli/__init__.py init demo-project --script ps

3. Use Editable Install (Isolated Environment)

Create an isolated environment using uv so dependencies resolve exactly like end users get them:

# Create & activate virtual env (uv auto-manages .venv)
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # or on Windows PowerShell: .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# Install project in editable mode
uv pip install -e .

# Now 'specify' entrypoint is available
specify --help

Re-running after code edits requires no reinstall because of editable mode.

4. Invoke with uvx Directly From Git (Current Branch)

uvx can run from a local path (or a Git ref) to simulate user flows:

uvx --from . specify init demo-uvx --ai copilot --ignore-agent-tools --script sh

You can also point uvx at a specific branch without merging:

# Push your working branch first
git push origin your-feature-branch
uvx --from git+https://github.com/github/spec-kit.git@your-feature-branch specify init demo-branch-test --script ps

4a. Absolute Path uvx (Run From Anywhere)

If you're in another directory, use an absolute path instead of .:

uvx --from /mnt/c/GitHub/spec-kit specify --help
uvx --from /mnt/c/GitHub/spec-kit specify init demo-anywhere --ai copilot --ignore-agent-tools --script sh

Set an environment variable for convenience:

export SPEC_KIT_SRC=/mnt/c/GitHub/spec-kit
uvx --from "$SPEC_KIT_SRC" specify init demo-env --ai copilot --ignore-agent-tools --script ps

(Optional) Define a shell function:

specify-dev() { uvx --from /mnt/c/GitHub/spec-kit specify "$@"; }
# Then
specify-dev --help

5. Testing Script Permission Logic

After running an init, check that shell scripts are executable on POSIX systems:

ls -l scripts | grep .sh
# Expect owner execute bit (e.g. -rwxr-xr-x)

On Windows you will instead use the .ps1 scripts (no chmod needed).

6. Run Lint / Basic Checks (Add Your Own)

Currently no enforced lint config is bundled, but you can quickly sanity check importability:

python -c "import specify_cli; print('Import OK')"

7. Build a Wheel Locally (Optional)

Validate packaging before publishing:

uv build
ls dist/

Install the built artifact into a fresh throwaway environment if needed.

8. Using a Temporary Workspace

When testing init --here in a dirty directory, create a temp workspace:

mkdir /tmp/spec-test && cd /tmp/spec-test
python -m src.specify_cli init --here --ai claude --ignore-agent-tools --script sh  # if repo copied here

Or copy only the modified CLI portion if you want a lighter sandbox.

9. Debug Network / TLS Skips

If you need to bypass TLS validation while experimenting:

specify check --skip-tls
specify init demo --skip-tls --ai gemini --ignore-agent-tools --script ps

(Use only for local experimentation.)

10. Rapid Edit Loop Summary

Action Command
Run CLI directly python -m src.specify_cli --help
Editable install uv pip install -e . then specify ...
Local uvx run (repo root) uvx --from . specify ...
Local uvx run (abs path) uvx --from /mnt/c/GitHub/spec-kit specify ...
Git branch uvx uvx --from git+URL@branch specify ...
Build wheel uv build

11. Cleaning Up

Remove build artifacts / virtual env quickly:

rm -rf .venv dist build *.egg-info

12. Common Issues

Symptom Fix
ModuleNotFoundError: typer Run uv pip install -e .
Scripts not executable (Linux) Re-run init or chmod +x scripts/*.sh
Git step skipped You passed --no-git or Git not installed
Wrong script type downloaded Pass --script sh or --script ps explicitly
TLS errors on corporate network Try --skip-tls (not for production)

13. Next Steps

  • Update docs and run through Quick Start using your modified CLI
  • Open a PR when satisfied
  • (Optional) Tag a release once changes land in main
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