fix: preserve option-like feature descriptions

extensions/catalog.json

@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
     "git": {
       "name": "Git Branching Workflow",
       "id": "git",
-      "version": "1.0.1",
+      "version": "1.0.2",
       "description": "Feature branch creation, numbering (sequential/timestamp), validation, and Git remote detection",
       "author": "spec-kit-core",
       "repository": "https://github.com/github/spec-kit",

extensions/git/extension.yml

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ schema_version: "1.0"
 extension:
   id: git
   name: "Git Branching Workflow"
-  version: "1.0.1"
+  version: "1.0.2"
   description: "Feature branch creation, numbering (sequential/timestamp), templating, validation, and Git remote detection"
   author: spec-kit-core
   repository: https://github.com/github/spec-kit

extensions/git/scripts/bash/create-new-feature-branch.sh

@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ if [ -z "$FEATURE_DESCRIPTION" ]; then
 fi
 
 # Trim whitespace and validate description is not empty
-FEATURE_DESCRIPTION=$(echo "$FEATURE_DESCRIPTION" | sed -E 's/^[[:space:]]+|[[:space:]]+$//g')
+FEATURE_DESCRIPTION=$(printf '%s\n' "$FEATURE_DESCRIPTION" | sed -E 's/^[[:space:]]+|[[:space:]]+$//g')
 if [ -z "$FEATURE_DESCRIPTION" ]; then
     echo "Error: Feature description cannot be empty or contain only whitespace" >&2
     exit 1

scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh

@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ if [ -z "$FEATURE_DESCRIPTION" ]; then
 fi
 
 # Trim whitespace and validate description is not empty (e.g., user passed only whitespace)
-FEATURE_DESCRIPTION=$(echo "$FEATURE_DESCRIPTION" | sed -E 's/^[[:space:]]+|[[:space:]]+$//g')
+FEATURE_DESCRIPTION=$(printf '%s\n' "$FEATURE_DESCRIPTION" | sed -E 's/^[[:space:]]+|[[:space:]]+$//g')
 if [ -z "$FEATURE_DESCRIPTION" ]; then
     echo "Error: Feature description cannot be empty or contain only whitespace" >&2
     exit 1

tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension.py

@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ def test_manifest_validates(self):
 
         m = ExtensionManifest(EXT_DIR / "extension.yml")
         assert m.id == "git"
-        assert m.version == "1.0.1"
+        assert m.version == "1.0.2"
 
     def test_manifest_commands(self):
         """Manifest declares expected commands."""

tests/extensions/git/test_git_extension_python_parity.py

@@ -88,6 +88,15 @@ def _twin_projects(tmp_path: Path, *, git: bool = True) -> tuple[Path, Path]:
     return bash_proj, py_proj
 
 
+def _branch_state(project: Path) -> tuple[str, str]:
+    return tuple(
+        subprocess.run(
+            ["git", *args], cwd=project, check=True, capture_output=True, text=True,
+        ).stdout.strip()
+        for args in (("symbolic-ref", "--short", "HEAD"), ("for-each-ref",))
+    )
+
+
 def _assert_parity(
     bash_result: subprocess.CompletedProcess,
     py_result: subprocess.CompletedProcess,
@@ -120,6 +129,77 @@ def _without_persist_hint(stderr: str) -> str:
 
 @requires_bash
 class TestCreateFeatureBranchParity:
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("dry_run", [False, True], ids=["create", "dry_run"])
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "description,short_name,expected",
+        [
+            ("-n", None, "001-n"),
+            ("-e", None, "001-e"),
+            ("-E", None, "001-e"),
+            ("-neE", None, "001-nee"),
+            ("Add user authentication", None, "001-user-authentication"),
+            (" \tAdd user authentication\t ", None, "001-user-authentication"),
+            ("Add user authentication", "custom-name", "001-custom-name"),
+            ("-n", "custom-name", "001-custom-name"),
+        ],
+        ids=["n", "e", "E", "neE", "ordinary", "padded", "short_name", "literal_short_name"],
+    )
+    def test_literal_description(
+        self, tmp_path: Path, dry_run: bool, description: str,
+        short_name: str | None, expected: str,
+    ):
+        """Option-like descriptions survive trimming without --short-name (#5096)."""
+        projects = _twin_projects(tmp_path)
+        before = [_branch_state(project) for project in projects]
+        args = ["--json"]
+        if dry_run:
+            args.append("--dry-run")
+        if short_name is not None:
+            args.extend(["--short-name", short_name])
+        args.append(description)
+        b = _run_bash("create-new-feature-branch.sh", projects[0], *args)
+        p = _run_py("create-new-feature-branch", projects[1], *args)
+        _assert_parity(b, p)
+
+        for result, project, initial_state in zip((b, p), projects, before):
+            assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+            expected_data = {"BRANCH_NAME": expected, "FEATURE_NUM": "001"}
+            if dry_run:
+                expected_data["DRY_RUN"] = True
+                assert _branch_state(project) == initial_state
+            else:
+                assert _branch_state(project)[0] == expected
+            assert json.loads(result.stdout) == expected_data
+            assert not (project / "specs").exists()
+            assert not (project / ".specify" / "feature.json").exists()
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("dry_run", [False, True], ids=["create", "dry_run"])
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("description", ["   ", " \t\t "], ids=["spaces", "tabs"])
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("short_name", [None, "custom-name"], ids=["default", "short_name"])
+    def test_whitespace_description(
+        self, tmp_path: Path, dry_run: bool, description: str, short_name: str | None,
+    ):
+        projects = _twin_projects(tmp_path)
+        before = [_branch_state(project) for project in projects]
+        args = ["--json"]
+        if dry_run:
+            args.append("--dry-run")
+        if short_name is not None:
+            args.extend(["--short-name", short_name])
+        args.append(description)
+        b = _run_bash("create-new-feature-branch.sh", projects[0], *args)
+        p = _run_py("create-new-feature-branch", projects[1], *args)
+
+        assert b.returncode == p.returncode == 1
+        assert b.stdout == p.stdout == ""
+        assert b.stderr == p.stderr == (
+            "Error: Feature description cannot be empty or contain only whitespace\n"
+        )
+        for project, initial_state in zip(projects, before):
+            assert _branch_state(project) == initial_state
+            assert not (project / "specs").exists()
+            assert not (project / ".specify" / "feature.json").exists()
+
     def test_sequential_branch_json(self, tmp_path: Path):
         bash_proj, py_proj = _twin_projects(tmp_path)
         b = _run_bash("create-new-feature-branch.sh", bash_proj, "--json", "Add user authentication")

tests/test_create_new_feature_python_parity.py

@@ -1612,6 +1612,93 @@ def test_python_dash_prefixed_short_name_matches_bash(
     assert json_stdout(bash)["BRANCH_NAME"] == expected
 
 
+@requires_bash
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("dry_run", [False, True], ids=["create", "dry_run"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "description,short_name,expected",
+    [
+        ("-n", None, "001-n"),
+        ("-e", None, "001-e"),
+        ("-E", None, "001-e"),
+        ("-neE", None, "001-nee"),
+        ("Add user authentication", None, "001-user-authentication"),
+        (" \tAdd user authentication\t ", None, "001-user-authentication"),
+        ("-n", "custom-name", "001-custom-name"),
+    ],
+    ids=["n", "e", "E", "neE", "ordinary", "padded", "explicit_short_name"],
+)
+def test_python_literal_description_matches_bash(
+    repo_pair: tuple[Path, Path],
+    dry_run: bool,
+    description: str,
+    short_name: str | None,
+    expected: str,
+) -> None:
+    """Descriptions resembling echo options must survive trimming (#5096)."""
+    repo_a, repo_b = repo_pair
+    args = ["--json"]
+    if dry_run:
+        args.append("--dry-run")
+    if short_name is not None:
+        args.extend(["--short-name", short_name])
+    args.append(description)
+    py = run(py_cmd(repo_b, SCRIPT, *args), repo_b)
+    bash = run(bash_cmd(repo_a, SCRIPT, *args), repo_a)
+
+    for result, current in ((py, repo_b), (bash, repo_a)):
+        assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+        output = json_stdout(result)
+        spec = current / "specs" / expected / "spec.md"
+        expected_output = {
+            "BRANCH_NAME": expected,
+            "SPEC_FILE": str(spec),
+            "FEATURE_NUM": "001",
+        }
+        state = current / ".specify" / "feature.json"
+        if dry_run:
+            expected_output["DRY_RUN"] = True
+            assert not (current / "specs").exists()
+            assert not state.exists()
+        else:
+            assert spec.read_bytes() == (
+                current / ".specify" / "templates" / "spec-template.md"
+            ).read_bytes()
+            assert state.read_bytes() == (
+                f'{{"feature_directory":"specs/{expected}"}}\n'.encode("utf-8")
+            )
+        assert output == expected_output
+    assert normalize_repo_paths(py.stdout, repo_b) == normalize_repo_paths(
+        bash.stdout, repo_a
+    )
+    assert normalize_repo_paths(py.stderr, repo_b) == normalize_repo_paths(
+        bash.stderr, repo_a
+    )
+
+
+@requires_bash
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("dry_run", [False, True], ids=["create", "dry_run"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("description", ["   ", " \t\t "], ids=["spaces", "tabs"])
+def test_python_whitespace_description_matches_bash(
+    repo_pair: tuple[Path, Path], dry_run: bool, description: str
+) -> None:
+    repo_a, repo_b = repo_pair
+    args = ["--json"]
+    if dry_run:
+        args.append("--dry-run")
+    args.append(description)
+    bash = run(bash_cmd(repo_a, SCRIPT, *args), repo_a)
+    py = run(py_cmd(repo_b, SCRIPT, *args), repo_b)
+
+    assert py.returncode == bash.returncode == 1
+    assert py.stdout == bash.stdout == ""
+    assert py.stderr == bash.stderr == (
+        "Error: Feature description cannot be empty or contain only whitespace\n"
+    )
+    for current in repo_pair:
+        assert not (current / "specs").exists()
+        assert not (current / ".specify" / "feature.json").exists()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.skipif(not HAS_POWERSHELL, reason="no PowerShell available")
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("description", "expected"),