Specwright Constitution: Principles Editor

Interactive editor for the project's development constitution — the non-negotiable principles that guide all development.

Arguments

Parse $ARGUMENTS:

•Empty or "view": Display current constitution
•"add": Add a new principle
•"edit": Edit an existing principle
•"remove": Remove a principle

Step 1: Load Constitution

Read .specwright/memory/constitution.md. If file doesn't exist: STOP with "No constitution found. Run /specwright:init first."

Parse principles:

•Extract each ## Principle section
•Count total principles
•Extract statement, testable criteria, and anti-patterns for each

Step 2: Execute Command

View Mode (default)

Display all principles in a summary table:

code

=== Project Constitution ===

Principle I: {statement summary}
  Criteria: {count} testable items
  Anti-patterns: {count}

Principle II: {statement summary}
  ...

Total: {N} principles
Last modified: {date}

Add Mode

Guide user through adding a new principle using AskUserQuestion:

Question 1: "What is the principle statement? (e.g., 'All public APIs must have integration tests')"

•Free text via "Other" option
•Provide example options: ["Tests prove behavior", "Security by default", "Documentation required"]

Question 2: "What are the testable criteria? (How do we verify compliance?)"

•Free text

Question 3: "What are the anti-patterns to avoid?"

•Free text

Format the new principle:

markdown

## Principle {N+1}: {Statement}

**Statement:** {Full statement}

**Testable Criteria:**
- [ ] {Criterion 1}
- [ ] {Criterion 2}

**Anti-Patterns:**
- {Anti-pattern 1}
- {Anti-pattern 2}

Show the formatted principle and ask for confirmation:

•"Add this principle to the constitution?"
•Options: "Yes, add it", "Edit before adding", "Cancel"

If confirmed: append to constitution.md

Edit Mode

Show numbered list of principles. Ask which to edit using AskUserQuestion.

Read the selected principle. Present current content.

Ask what to change:

•Options: "Statement", "Testable criteria", "Anti-patterns", "All of the above"

Collect edits and show diff before applying:

code

BEFORE: {old text}
AFTER: {new text}

Confirm with user before writing.

Remove Mode

Show numbered list of principles. Ask which to remove.

Safety check: Require confirmation:

•"Are you sure you want to remove Principle {N}: '{statement}'?"
•Options: "Yes, remove it", "Cancel"

If confirmed: remove the principle section from constitution.md. Renumber remaining principles.

Step 3: Update Amendment History

After any add/edit/remove, append to the Amendment History table at the bottom of constitution.md:

markdown

| {version} | {date} | {Added/Edited/Removed} Principle {N}: {summary} | User requested |

Increment version number (patch for edits, minor for adds/removes).

Step 4: Summary

Output what changed:

code

Constitution updated:
- {Action}: Principle {N} — "{statement}"
- Version: {old} -> {new}
- Total principles: {count}