feat: Git extension stage 2 — GIT_BRANCH_NAME override, --force for existing dirs, auto-install tests (#1940)

[mnriem]

Summary

Stage 2 of the git extension extraction (#1940). Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME environment variable override for exact branch naming, fixes --force flag for specify init into existing directories, and adds test coverage for git extension auto-install and feature directory resolution.

Follows stage 1 (#1941) which created the bundled extensions/git with hooks on all core commands.

Changes

GIT_BRANCH_NAME environment variable override

When GIT_BRANCH_NAME is set, create-new-feature.sh and .ps1 use the exact value as the branch name, bypassing all prefix/suffix generation. This parallels SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY for spec directories.

• extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh
• extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1
• extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md — documented override
• templates/commands/specify.md — documented passthrough to hook

--force flag for existing directories

specify init <dir> --force now merges into an existing directory instead of erroring. Previously --force only worked with --here.

• src/specify_cli/__init__.py

New tests

• tests/integrations/test_cli.py — TestGitExtensionAutoInstall (3 tests: auto-install, --no-git skip, commands registered)
• tests/test_timestamp_branches.py — TestFeatureDirectoryResolution (4 tests: env var override, feature.json, priority, branch fallback)

Pre-existing changes (from branch)

• scripts/bash/common.sh, scripts/powershell/common.ps1 — feature directory resolution
• tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py — test cleanup

Test Results

1,195 passed, 0 failed (43s)

All existing tests pass unchanged. No regressions.

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Stage 2 of the git extension extraction: moves git branching responsibilities further into the bundled extensions/git extension by (1) auto-installing it during specify init (unless --no-git), (2) adding GIT_BRANCH_NAME as an exact branch-name override for the branch-creation scripts, and (3) updating feature-directory resolution to prefer SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY / .specify/feature.json over branch-based lookup, with accompanying docs and tests.

Changes:

• Auto-install bundled git extension during specify init, and allow --force to merge into an existing target directory.
• Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME override to git extension create-new-feature scripts (bash + PowerShell) and update command/template docs accordingly.
• Add/adjust tests for git extension auto-install and feature directory resolution precedence.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/specify_cli/__init__.py	Implements --force merge behavior for existing dirs and installs bundled git extension during init.
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME override and removes spec-dir/spec-file creation from branch script.
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1	Same as bash: GIT_BRANCH_NAME override + branch-only behavior.
scripts/bash/common.sh	Updates get_feature_paths to prioritize SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY and .specify/feature.json.
scripts/powershell/common.ps1	Similar feature-dir resolution changes for PowerShell helper.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Documents branch-only responsibility + GIT_BRANCH_NAME behavior/output.
templates/commands/specify.md	Updates core /speckit.specify instructions to decouple spec-dir creation from git hook branch creation.
tests/integrations/test_cli.py	Adds CLI-level tests for git extension auto-install/skip/registration.
tests/test_timestamp_branches.py	Adds feature directory resolution precedence tests (env var, feature.json, branch fallback).
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Updates expectations to reflect branch-only script output (no SPEC_FILE).

Copilot's findings

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Comments suppressed due to low confidence (2)

extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh:312

• The GIT_BRANCH_NAME override extracts FEATURE_NUM by checking ^[0-9]+- before the timestamp pattern. Timestamp-style names (e.g. 20260319-143022-foo) will match the first check and incorrectly set FEATURE_NUM to just 20260319 instead of 20260319-143022. Swap the order (timestamp check first) or make the sequential regex exclude the timestamp form.

    if echo "$BRANCH_NAME" | grep -Eq '^[0-9]+-'; then
        FEATURE_NUM=$(echo "$BRANCH_NAME" | grep -Eo '^[0-9]+')
    elif echo "$BRANCH_NAME" | grep -Eq '^[0-9]{8}-[0-9]{6}-'; then
        FEATURE_NUM=$(echo "$BRANCH_NAME" | grep -Eo '^[0-9]{8}-[0-9]{6}')

extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1:266

• In the GIT_BRANCH_NAME override path, the timestamp prefix extraction (^(\d{8}-\d{6})-) is unreachable because the prior ^(\d+)- regex matches timestamps first. This causes FEATURE_NUM to be truncated to the date-only portion for timestamp branch names. Check the timestamp pattern first, or refine the sequential pattern so it won’t match timestamps.

    if ($branchName -match '^(\d+)-') {
        $featureNum = $matches[1]
    } elseif ($branchName -match '^(\d{8}-\d{6})-') {
        $featureNum = $matches[1]

• Files reviewed: 10/10 changed files
• Comments generated: 8

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Stage 2 of the Git extension extraction: shifts branch creation fully into the bundled git extension (with new GIT_BRANCH_NAME override), fixes specify init <dir> --force to merge into existing directories, and expands test coverage around git extension auto-install and feature directory resolution.

Changes:

• Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME override to git extension branch creation scripts + documentation updates.
• Update specify init to allow --force merges into existing target directories and to auto-install the bundled git extension.
• Add tests for git extension auto-install and for feature directory resolution priority (env var, feature.json, branch fallback).

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/specify_cli/__init__.py	Enables --force merge into existing dirs and installs bundled git extension during init.
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME override; removes spec dir/file creation; adjusts JSON output.
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME override; removes spec dir/file creation; adjusts JSON output.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Updates command docs for override behavior + branch-only responsibility.
scripts/bash/common.sh	Resolves feature directory via env var / .specify/feature.json / branch fallback.
scripts/powershell/common.ps1	Same feature directory resolution priority as bash.
templates/commands/specify.md	Updates /speckit.specify workflow to rely on hooks for branching and persist feature dir in .specify/feature.json.
tests/integrations/test_cli.py	Adds TestGitExtensionAutoInstall verifying bundled git extension install/skip and command registration.
tests/test_timestamp_branches.py	Adds TestFeatureDirectoryResolution covering env var / feature.json / fallback behavior.
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Updates tests to reflect branch-only outputs (no SPEC_FILE), removes spec-dir creation assertions.

Copilot's findings

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• Files reviewed: 10/10 changed files
• Comments generated: 3

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Stage 2 of the git extension extraction work: shifts branch creation fully into the bundled extensions/git hook, adds an exact-branch-name override via GIT_BRANCH_NAME, fixes specify init <dir> --force to merge into existing directories, and expands automated test coverage around extension auto-install and feature directory resolution.

Changes:

• Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME override support to git extension branch-creation scripts (bash + PowerShell) and document it in extension/core command templates.
• Update specify init to allow --force merges into existing target directories and to auto-install the bundled git extension (unless --no-git).
• Add/adjust tests for git extension auto-install + command registration and for SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY / .specify/feature.json feature directory resolution.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh	Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME exact override; stop creating spec dirs/files; JSON output now focuses on branch metadata.
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1	Same as bash: GIT_BRANCH_NAME override + branch-only behavior + updated JSON output.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Document the override and clarify that this command is branch-only and outputs BRANCH_NAME/FEATURE_NUM.
scripts/bash/common.sh	Resolve feature directory via env var → .specify/feature.json → branch-prefix fallback.
scripts/powershell/common.ps1	Resolve feature directory via env var → .specify/feature.json → branch fallback.
templates/commands/specify.md	Remove direct branching scripts; update workflow to treat branch creation as optional hook and move spec-dir creation into core flow.
src/specify_cli/__init__.py	Fix --force behavior for existing dirs and switch “git step” from repo-init to bundled git extension install.
tests/integrations/test_cli.py	Add integration-level tests validating git extension auto-install, opt-out (--no-git), and command registration.
tests/test_timestamp_branches.py	Add tests for feature directory resolution precedence (env var, feature.json, branch fallback).
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Update expectations to match branch-only outputs (no SPEC_FILE creation from git scripts).

Copilot's findings

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• Files reviewed: 10/10 changed files
• Comments generated: 2

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Stage 2 of extracting git/branching behavior into the bundled extensions/git extension by adding an exact-branch-name override (GIT_BRANCH_NAME), fixing specify init <dir> --force to merge into existing directories, and expanding test coverage around git extension auto-install and feature directory resolution.

Changes:

• Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME env var override support to extension branch-creation scripts (Bash + PowerShell) and document it.
• Update specify init to auto-install the bundled git extension by default, and allow --force merges into existing non---here directories.
• Add tests for git extension auto-install/registration and for feature directory resolution via SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY and .specify/feature.json.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/specify_cli/__init__.py	Implements --force merge behavior for existing dirs and auto-installs bundled git extension (unless --no-git).
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME override handling and adjusts JSON output to branch-only fields.
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME override handling and adjusts JSON output to branch-only fields.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Documents branch-only responsibility + GIT_BRANCH_NAME override semantics.
templates/commands/specify.md	Removes direct branch script invocation and documents hook-based branch creation + persisted feature dir.
scripts/bash/common.sh	Adds feature directory resolution priority: env var → feature.json → branch lookup.
scripts/powershell/common.ps1	Mirrors feature directory resolution priority logic for PowerShell.
tests/integrations/test_cli.py	Adds CLI-level tests validating git extension auto-install/skip/registration during init.
tests/test_timestamp_branches.py	Adds tests for feature directory resolution precedence (bash common.sh).
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Updates extension tests to reflect branch-only output/behavior.

Copilot's findings

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• Files reviewed: 10/10 changed files
• Comments generated: 5

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Stage 2 of the Git extension extraction: updates init behavior to auto-install the bundled git extension (opt-out), adds a GIT_BRANCH_NAME override for exact branch naming in extension scripts, and introduces feature-directory resolution via SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY / .specify/feature.json with new tests.

Changes:

• Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME env var override to git extension branch-creation scripts and document it.
• Fix specify init <dir> --force to merge into existing directories (not only --here) and auto-install the bundled git extension during init.
• Add/adjust tests for extension auto-install and feature-directory resolution; update git extension tests for new script output (no SPEC_FILE).

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/specify_cli/__init__.py	Enables --force merge into existing dirs; installs bundled git extension during init; adjusts cleanup logic.
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME override; removes spec-dir/spec-file creation; updates JSON output fields.
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME override; removes spec-dir/spec-file creation; updates JSON output fields.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Documents override and updated behavior/output for git feature command.
templates/commands/specify.md	Removes direct branch-creation scripts; updates workflow instructions (hooks + feature dir persistence).
scripts/bash/common.sh	Adds feature directory resolution priority: env var → feature.json → branch prefix mapping.
scripts/powershell/common.ps1	Adds feature directory resolution priority: env var → feature.json → branch mapping.
tests/integrations/test_cli.py	Adds tests for --force merge behavior and git extension auto-install during init.
tests/test_timestamp_branches.py	Adds tests for feature directory resolution (env var, feature.json, fallback) across bash/PowerShell.
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Updates tests to match new branch script outputs (no spec file creation).

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Comments suppressed due to low confidence (1)

scripts/bash/common.sh:212

• The no-jq fallback parses feature.json with grep -o ... | sed ..., which only matches when "feature_directory": "..." appears on a single line. The updated specify.md instructions show a multi-line JSON example, and agents commonly pretty-print JSON—this will make _fd empty and silently fall back to branch lookup. Consider making the fallback newline-tolerant (e.g., strip newlines before grepping) or using a small Python json parse as a fallback.

    elif [[ -f "$repo_root/.specify/feature.json" ]]; then
        local _fd
        if command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1; then
            _fd=$(jq -r '.feature_directory // empty' "$repo_root/.specify/feature.json" 2>/dev/null)
        else
            # Minimal fallback: extract value with grep/sed when jq is unavailable
            _fd=$(grep -o '"feature_directory"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*"[^"]*"' "$repo_root/.specify/feature.json" 2>/dev/null | sed 's/.*"\([^"]*\)"$/\1/')
        fi
        if [[ -n "$_fd" ]]; then

• Files reviewed: 10/10 changed files
• Comments generated: 3

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Stage 2 of the git-extension extraction: updates the CLI to auto-install the bundled git extension during specify init, adds feature directory resolution precedence (SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY → .specify/feature.json → branch fallback) across bash/PowerShell common scripts, and introduces an exact-branch-name override via GIT_BRANCH_NAME in the git extension’s branch-creation scripts/docs.

Changes:

• Add --force support for specify init <dir> when the target directory already exists (merge instead of error).
• Auto-install the bundled git extension during specify init (unless --no-git) and update tests to validate install + hook/command registration.
• Implement feature directory resolution via SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY / .specify/feature.json and update templates/docs to decouple spec dir creation from git branch creation; add resolution tests.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/specify_cli/__init__.py	Allow --force merges into existing dirs; replace init-time git repo initialization with bundled git extension install.
tests/integrations/test_cli.py	Add CLI tests for --force existing-dir merge and git extension auto-install/registration.
scripts/bash/common.sh	Resolve feature directory via env var / .specify/feature.json before branch-based lookup.
scripts/powershell/common.ps1	PowerShell equivalent feature directory resolution precedence.
tests/test_timestamp_branches.py	Add cross-shell tests for feature directory resolution precedence and fallbacks.
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh	Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME exact override; adjust output to be branch-only (no spec file/dir creation).
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1	Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME exact override; align behavior/output with branch-only responsibility.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Document override + clarify command handles branch creation only.
templates/commands/specify.md	Remove direct branch-creation scripts; document hook-driven branch creation + core-owned spec dir/file creation + feature.json persistence.
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Update expectations to match “branch-only” behavior (no SPEC_FILE creation by git extension feature script).

Copilot's findings

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• Files reviewed: 10/10 changed files
• Comments generated: 2

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Stage 2 of the git-extension extraction: shifts git branching responsibilities further into the bundled extensions/git workflow, adds an exact branch-name override (GIT_BRANCH_NAME), improves specify init behavior for --force into existing directories, and expands test coverage around extension auto-install and feature-directory resolution.

Changes:

• Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME override support in git extension branch-creation scripts (bash + PowerShell) and document it.
• Update specify init to support --force when initializing into an existing named directory, and add tests for this and git extension auto-install.
• Update feature-directory resolution to prefer SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY, then .specify/feature.json, then branch-based fallback; update /speckit.specify template accordingly and adjust tests.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/specify_cli/__init__.py	Implements --force merge into existing dirs; changes “git” init step to install bundled git extension during init.
templates/commands/specify.md	Removes direct branch-creation script invocation; documents hook-based branching + feature dir persistence to .specify/feature.json.
scripts/bash/common.sh	Adds feature directory resolution via SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY and .specify/feature.json before branch-prefix lookup.
scripts/powershell/common.ps1	Mirrors feature directory resolution priority logic for PowerShell.
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME override and aligns output to be branch-only (no spec file creation).
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME override; removes spec dir/file creation and outputs branch-only JSON.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Updates command docs to reflect override behavior and branch-only output.
tests/integrations/test_cli.py	Adds CLI-level tests for --force into existing dirs and git extension auto-install / registration.
tests/test_timestamp_branches.py	Adds fixtures + tests for GIT_BRANCH_NAME override and feature-directory resolution order.
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Updates expectations to match branch-only output / behavior (no SPEC_FILE).

Copilot's findings

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• Files reviewed: 10/10 changed files
• Comments generated: 3

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Stage 2 of the git-extension extraction: adds an exact GIT_BRANCH_NAME override for the git extension’s branch-creation scripts, fixes specify init <dir> --force to merge into existing directories, and expands test coverage around git extension auto-install and feature directory resolution.

Changes:

• Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME override to extension create-new-feature scripts (bash + PowerShell) and document the behavior.
• Update specify init to support --force when targeting an existing (named) directory, and auto-install the bundled git extension during init (unless --no-git).
• Extend tests for git extension auto-install, GIT_BRANCH_NAME, and feature directory resolution via SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY / .specify/feature.json.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/specify_cli/__init__.py	Implements --force merge behavior for existing dirs and auto-installs bundled git extension during init.
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME exact-branch override; outputs branch-only JSON (no spec file creation).
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1	PowerShell parity for GIT_BRANCH_NAME override; removes spec dir/file creation and output.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Updates extension command docs to reflect branch-only behavior and the override env var.
templates/commands/specify.md	Removes direct branch-creation scripts from core /speckit.specify; documents hook-based branching and feature dir persistence.
scripts/bash/common.sh	Enhances feature directory resolution priority: env var → .specify/feature.json → branch-based fallback.
scripts/powershell/common.ps1	Mirrors feature directory resolution priority logic for PowerShell.
tests/integrations/test_cli.py	Adds CLI tests for --force on existing dirs and git extension auto-install/registration.
tests/test_timestamp_branches.py	Adds tests for GIT_BRANCH_NAME override (bash + PS) and feature directory resolution behavior.
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Updates expectations for branch script output (no SPEC_FILE) and adjusts no-git behavior assertions.

Copilot's findings

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• Files reviewed: 10/10 changed files
• Comments generated: 1

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Stage 2 of the bundled extensions/git migration: adds an explicit GIT_BRANCH_NAME override for exact branch naming, fixes specify init <dir> --force to merge into existing directories, and expands test coverage around git extension auto-install and feature-directory resolution via SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY / .specify/feature.json.

Changes:

• Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME override support in git extension branch-creation scripts (Bash + PowerShell) and document it.
• Update specify init to allow --force merges into an existing target directory and auto-install the bundled git extension by default (opt-out via --no-git).
• Add/adjust tests for git extension auto-install, branch-name override behavior, and feature directory resolution priority.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/specify_cli/__init__.py	Implements --force merge behavior for existing dirs and installs bundled git extension during init.
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME exact-branch override + adjusts JSON output to branch-only fields.
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME exact-branch override + aligns behavior/output with Bash.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Documents override semantics and updated script output contract.
scripts/bash/common.sh	Resolves feature directory via SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY → .specify/feature.json → branch lookup fallback.
scripts/powershell/common.ps1	Mirrors feature directory resolution priority for PowerShell workflows.
templates/commands/specify.md	Moves spec dir/file creation responsibility to core workflow; treats git branch creation as hook-driven.
tests/integrations/test_cli.py	Adds coverage for --force merging and git extension auto-install/registration.
tests/test_timestamp_branches.py	Adds tests for GIT_BRANCH_NAME override and feature-directory resolution priority.
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Updates expectations to reflect “branch-only” behavior (no spec file creation in git extension).

Copilot's findings

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• Files reviewed: 10/10 changed files
• Comments generated: 1

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Stage 2 of the git-extension extraction: adds an exact branch-name override (GIT_BRANCH_NAME), fixes specify init <dir> --force behavior for existing directories, and expands tests around auto-install + feature directory resolution (SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY / .specify/feature.json).

Changes:

• Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME override support to the git extension’s branch creation scripts (Bash + PowerShell) and update related docs/templates.
• Allow specify init <dir> --force to merge into an existing directory (instead of erroring), with new integration tests.
• Add feature directory resolution logic to core common.sh / common.ps1 (env var → feature.json → branch fallback) with new tests.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/specify_cli/__init__.py	Implement --force merge into existing dirs; auto-install bundled git extension during init; expand chmod scanning to extensions.
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh	Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME override + byte-length validation; stop creating spec dirs/files; adjust JSON output.
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1	Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME override + UTF-8 byte-length validation; stop creating spec dirs/files; adjust JSON output.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Document override behavior and updated outputs (branch-only).
templates/commands/specify.md	Remove direct branch-creation scripts; document hook-based branching + feature dir persistence to .specify/feature.json.
scripts/bash/common.sh	Resolve feature directory via env var / feature.json before branch-based lookup.
scripts/powershell/common.ps1	Same feature directory resolution precedence as Bash.
tests/integrations/test_cli.py	Add tests for --force into existing dir and git extension auto-install (and --no-git skip).
tests/test_timestamp_branches.py	Add tests for GIT_BRANCH_NAME override (Bash + pwsh) and feature directory resolution order.
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Update expectations now that extension branch scripts no longer create spec files/dirs.

Copilot's findings

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• Files reviewed: 10/10 changed files
• Comments generated: 2

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Stage 2 of the git-extension extraction effort: adds an exact-branch override (GIT_BRANCH_NAME) for the git extension’s branch-creation scripts, fixes specify init <dir> --force to merge into existing directories, and expands test coverage for both git extension auto-install and feature directory resolution.

Changes:

• Add GIT_BRANCH_NAME env var override to extension branch-creation scripts (bash + PowerShell) and document it.
• Update specify init to allow --force when targeting an existing directory and to auto-install the bundled git extension (unless --no-git).
• Add/adjust tests for git extension auto-install and for feature directory resolution via SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY and .specify/feature.json.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/specify_cli/__init__.py	Implements --force merge behavior; adds bundled git extension auto-install during init; updates chmod scanning to include installed extensions.
extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh	Adds GIT_BRANCH_NAME override, removes spec dir/file creation responsibilities, updates JSON output to branch-only fields.
extensions/git/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1	Same as bash: GIT_BRANCH_NAME override and branch-only behavior/output.
extensions/git/commands/speckit.git.feature.md	Documents override semantics and updated script output/behavior.
templates/commands/specify.md	Shifts branch creation to hook-driven flow and documents persisting .specify/feature.json for feature dir discovery.
scripts/bash/common.sh	Adds feature dir resolution via SPECIFY_FEATURE_DIRECTORY and .specify/feature.json before branch-based fallback.
scripts/powershell/common.ps1	Mirrors feature dir resolution priority logic in PowerShell.
tests/integrations/test_cli.py	Adds tests for init --force merge behavior and git extension auto-install/registration.
tests/test_timestamp_branches.py	Adds tests for GIT_BRANCH_NAME override (bash + pwsh) and for feature directory resolution priority order.
tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py	Updates tests to reflect that extension branch scripts no longer create spec files/directories.

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Comments suppressed due to low confidence (2)

src/specify_cli/init.py:1205

• The git step is marked as complete even when init_git_repo() fails (only a string like init failed: ... is appended). This makes the step look successful in the UI despite a failure. Consider calling tracker.error("git", ...) (while still continuing init if git is optional) and/or surfacing the full error somewhere (panel/log) instead of truncating it into the success detail.

                    success, error_msg = init_git_repo(project_path, quiet=True)
                    if success:
                        git_messages.append("initialized")
                    else:
                        # Sanitize multi-line error_msg to single line for tracker
                        if error_msg:
                            sanitized = error_msg.replace('\n', ' ').strip()
                            git_messages.append(f"init failed: {sanitized[:120]}")
                        else:
                            git_messages.append("init failed")

src/specify_cli/init.py:1225

• Extension install failures are swallowed into git_messages and the step is still completed as done. If installation fails, this should be reflected as an error/warning state (e.g., tracker.error("git", ...)), otherwise users may miss that the bundled git extension is not installed and hooks won’t run.

                    else:
                        git_messages.append("bundled extension not found")
                except Exception as ext_err:
                    git_messages.append(f"extension install failed: {ext_err}")
                tracker.complete("git", "; ".join(git_messages))

• Files reviewed: 10/10 changed files
• Comments generated: 4

[Copilot]

The warning messages claim "bytes" but use ${#ORIGINAL_BRANCH_NAME} / ${#BRANCH_NAME} which is locale-dependent and not guaranteed to equal UTF-8 byte length. Since you already compute BRANCH_BYTE_LEN via _byte_length, use that (and _byte_length for the original/truncated strings) or change the wording to "characters" to avoid misleading output.

See below for a potential fix:

    ORIGINAL_BRANCH_BYTE_LEN=$(_byte_length "$ORIGINAL_BRANCH_NAME")
    TRUNCATED_BRANCH_BYTE_LEN=$(_byte_length "$BRANCH_NAME")

    >&2 echo "[specify] Warning: Branch name exceeded GitHub's 244-byte limit"
    >&2 echo "[specify] Original: $ORIGINAL_BRANCH_NAME (${ORIGINAL_BRANCH_BYTE_LEN} bytes)"
    >&2 echo "[specify] Truncated to: $BRANCH_NAME (${TRUNCATED_BRANCH_BYTE_LEN} bytes)"

[Copilot]

These warnings report "bytes" but use $originalBranchName.Length / $branchName.Length (character count). To match the stated 244-byte GitHub limit (UTF-8), compute byte counts with [Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetByteCount(...) for the warning output, or change the message to refer to characters instead of bytes.

See below for a potential fix:

    $originalBranchNameBytes = [Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetByteCount($originalBranchName)
    $branchNameBytes = [Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetByteCount($branchName)

    Write-Warning "[specify] Branch name exceeded GitHub's 244-byte limit"
    Write-Warning "[specify] Original: $originalBranchName ($originalBranchNameBytes bytes)"
    Write-Warning "[specify] Truncated to: $branchName ($branchNameBytes bytes)"

[Copilot]

Reading .specify/feature.json and blindly using feature_directory allows path traversal outside the repo (e.g. ../../..) once get_feature_paths is eval’d by other scripts that mkdir -p "$FEATURE_DIR" / write files there. Consider resolving the path and enforcing that the result stays under $repo_root (or rejecting/ignoring unsafe values) to avoid writing outside the project tree.

[Copilot]

feature.json can set feature_directory to a path that escapes the repo root (including .. segments or an absolute path), and downstream scripts will create/write files under that directory. Consider normalizing (Resolve-Path) and validating that the resolved directory is within $repoRoot before accepting it, otherwise ignore it and fall back to Get-FeatureDir / env override.