bmad-method 6.0.0-alpha.1 → 6.0.0-alpha.11

package/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,26 +2,335 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
-### Codex Installer
+## [6.0.0-alpha.11]
 
-- Codex installer uses custom prompts in `.codex/prompts/`, instead of `AGENTS.md`
+**Release: November 18, 2025**
 
-## [6.0.0-alpha.0]
+This alpha release introduces a complete agent installation system with the new `bmad agent-install` command, vastly improves the BMB agent builder capabilities with comprehensive documentation and reference agents, and refines diagram distribution to better align with BMad Method's core principle: **BMad agents mirror real agile teams**.
 
-**Release: September 28, 2025**
+### 🎨 Diagram Capabilities Refined and Distributed
+
+**Excalidraw Integration Evolution:**
+
+Building on the excellent Excalidraw integration introduced with the Frame Expert agent, we've refined how diagram capabilities are distributed across the BMad Method ecosystem to better reflect real agile team dynamics.
+
+**The Refinement:**
+
+- The valuable Excalidraw diagramming capabilities have been distributed to the agents who naturally create these artifacts in real teams
+- **Architect**: System architecture diagrams, data flow visualizations
+- **Product Manager**: Process flowcharts and workflow diagrams
+- **UX Designer**: Wireframe creation capabilities
+- **Tech Writer**: All diagram types for documentation needs
+- **New CIS Agent**: presentation-master for specialized visual communication
+
+**Shared Infrastructure Enhancement:**
+
+- Excalidraw templates, component libraries, and validation patterns elevated to core resources
+- Available to both BMM agents AND CIS presentation specialists
+- Preserves all the excellent Excalidraw functionality while aligning with natural team roles
+
+### 🚀 New Agent Installation System
+
+**Agent Installation Infrastructure (NEW in alpha.11):**
+
+- `bmad agent-install` CLI command with interactive persona customization
+- **YAML → XML compilation engine** with smart handler injection
+- Supports Simple (single file), Expert (with sidecars), and Module agents
+- Handlebars-style template variable processing
+- Automatic manifest tracking and IDE integration
+- Source preservation in `_cfg/custom/agents/` for reinstallation
+
+**New Reference Agents Added:**
+
+- **commit-poet**: Poetic git commit message generator (Simple agent example)
+- **journal-keeper**: Daily journaling agent with templates (Expert agent example)
+- **security-engineer & trend-analyst**: Module agent examples with ecosystem integration
+
+**Critical Persona Field Guidance Added:**
+
+New documentation explaining how LLMs interpret persona fields for better agent quality:
+
+- **role** → "What knowledge, skills, and capabilities do I possess?"
+- **identity** → "What background, experience, and context shape my responses?"
+- **communication_style** → "What verbal patterns, word choice, and phrasing do I use?"
+- **principles** → "What beliefs and operating philosophy drive my choices?"
+
+Key insight: `communication_style` should ONLY describe HOW the agent talks, not WHAT they do
+
+**BMM Agent Voice Enhancement:**
+
+All 9 existing BMM agents enhanced with distinct, memorable communication voices:
+
+- **Mary (analyst)**: "Treats analysis like a treasure hunt - excited by every clue"
+- **John (PM)**: "Asks 'WHY?' relentlessly like a detective on a case"
+- **Winston (architect)**: "Champions boring technology that actually works"
+- **Amelia (dev)**: "Ultra-succinct. Speaks in file paths and AC IDs"
+- **Sally (UX)**: "Paints pictures with words, telling user stories that make you FEEL"
+
+### 🔧 Edit-Agent Workflow Comprehensive Enhancement
+
+**Expert Agent Sidecar Support (NEW):**
+
+- Automatically detects and handles Expert agents with multiple files
+- Loads and manages templates, data files, knowledge bases
+- Smart sidecar analysis: maps references, finds orphans, validates paths
+- 5 complete sidecar editing patterns with warm, educational feedback
+
+**7-Step Communication Style Refinement Pattern:**
+
+1. Diagnose current style with red flag word detection
+2. Extract non-style content to working copy
+3. Discover TRUE communication style through interview questions
+4. Craft pure style using presets and reference agents
+5. Show before/after transformation with full context
+6. Validate against standards (zero red flags)
+7. Confirm with user through dramatic reading
+
+**Unified Validation Checklist:**
+
+- Single source of truth: `agent-validation-checklist.md` (160 lines)
+- Shared between create-agent and edit-agent workflows
+- Comprehensive persona field separation validation
+- Expert agent sidecar validation (9 specific checks)
+- Common issues and fixes with real examples
+
+### 📚 BMB Agent Builder Enhancement
+
+**Vastly Improved Agent Creation & Editing Capabilities:**
+
+- Create-agent and edit-agent workflows now have accurate, comprehensive documentation
+- All context references updated and validated for consistency
+- Workflows can now properly guide users through complex agent design decisions
+
+**New Agent Documentation Suite:**
+
+- `understanding-agent-types.md` - Architecture vs capability distinction
+- `simple-agent-architecture.md` - Self-contained agents guide
+- `expert-agent-architecture.md` - Agents with sidecar files
+- `module-agent-architecture.md` - Workflow-integrated agents
+- `agent-compilation.md` - YAML → XML transformation process
+- `agent-menu-patterns.md` - Menu design patterns
+- `communication-presets.csv` - 60 pure communication styles for reference
+
+**New Reference Agents for Learning:**
+
+- Complete working examples of Simple, Expert, and Module agents
+- Can be installed directly via the new `bmad agent-install` command
+- Serve as both learning resources and ready-to-use agents
+
+### 🎯 Epic Creation Moved to Phase 3 (After Architecture)
+
+**Workflow Sequence Corrected:**
+
+```
+Phase 2: PRD → UX Design
+Phase 3: Architecture → Epics & Stories ← NOW HERE (technically informed)
+```
+
+**Why This Fundamental Change:**
+
+- Epics need architectural context: API contracts, data models, technical decisions
+- Stories can reference actual architectural patterns and constraints
+- Reduces rewrites when architecture reveals complexity
+- Better complexity-based estimation (not time-based)
+
+### 🖥️ New IDE Support
+
+**Google Antigravity IDE Installer:**
+
+- Flattened file naming for proper slash commands (bmad-module-agents-name.md)
+- Namespace isolation prevents module conflicts
+- Subagent installation support (project or user level)
+- Module-specific injection configuration
+
+**Codex CLI Enhancement:**
+
+- Now supports both global and project-specific installation
+- CODEX_HOME configuration for multi-project workflows
+- OS-specific setup instructions (Unix/Mac/Windows)
+
+### 🏗️ Reference Agents & Standards
+
+**New Reference Agents Provide Clear Examples:**
+
+- **commit-poet.agent.yaml**: Simple agent with pure communication style
+- **journal-keeper.agent.yaml**: Expert agent with sidecar file structure
+- **security-engineer.agent.yaml**: Module agent for ecosystem integration
+- **trend-analyst.agent.yaml**: Module agent with cross-workflow capabilities
+
+**Agent Type Clarification:**
 
-Initial alpha release of a major rewrite and overhaul improvement of past versions.
+- Clear documentation that agent types (Simple/Expert/Module) describe architecture, not capability
+- Module = designed for ecosystem integration, not limited in function
 
-### Major New Features
+### 🐛 Technical Improvements
 
-- **Lean Core**: The core of BMad is very simple - common tasks that apply to any future module or agents, along with common agents that will be added to any modules - bmad-web-orchestrator and bmad-master.
-- **BMad Method**: The new BMad Method (AKA bmm) is a complete overhaul of the v4 method, now a fully scale adaptive rewrite. The workflow now scales from small enhancements to massive undertakings across multiple services or architectures, supporting a new vast array of project type, including a full subclass of game development specifics.
-- **BoMB**: The BMad Builder (AKA BoMB) now is able to fully automate creation and conversion of expansion packs from v6 to modules in v6 along with the net new ideation and brainstorming through implementation and testing of net new Modules, Workflows (were tasks and templates), Module Agents, and Standalone Personal Agents
-- **CIS**: The Creative Intelligence Suite (AKA CIS)
+**Linting Compliance:**
 
-## [v6.0.0] - SKIPPED
+- Fixed all ESLint warnings across agent tooling
+- `'utf-8'` → `'utf8'` (unicorn/text-encoding-identifier-case)
+- `hasOwnProperty` → `Object.hasOwn` (unicorn/prefer-object-has-own)
+- `JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(...))` → `structuredClone(...)`
+
+**Agent Compilation Engine:**
+
+- Auto-injects frontmatter, activation, handlers, help/exit menu items
+- Smart handler inclusion (only includes handlers actually used)
+- Proper XML escaping and formatting
+- Persona name customization support
+
+### 📊 Impact Summary
+
+**New in alpha.11:**
+
+- **Agent installation system** with `bmad agent-install` CLI command
+- **4 new reference agents** (commit-poet, journal-keeper, security-engineer, trend-analyst)
+- **Complete agent documentation suite** with 7 new focused guides
+- **Expert agent sidecar support** in edit-agent workflow
+- **2 new IDE installers** (Google Antigravity, enhanced Codex)
+- **Unified validation checklist** (160 lines) for consistent quality standards
+- **60 pure communication style presets** for agent persona design
+
+**Enhanced from alpha.10:**
+
+- **BMB agent builder workflows** with accurate context and comprehensive guidance
+- **All 9 BMM agents** enhanced with distinct, memorable communication voices
+- **Excalidraw capabilities** refined and distributed to role-appropriate agents
+- **Epic creation** moved to Phase 3 (after Architecture) for technical context
+
+### ⚠️ Breaking Changes
+
+**Agent Changes:**
+
+- Frame Expert agent retired - diagram capabilities now available through role-appropriate agents:
+  - Architecture diagrams → `/architect`
+  - Process flows → `/pm`
+  - Wireframes → `/ux-designer`
+  - Documentation visuals → `/tech-writer`
+
+**Workflow Changes:**
+
+- Epic creation moved from Phase 2 to Phase 3 (after Architecture)
+- Excalidraw workflows redistributed to appropriate agents
+
+**Installation Changes:**
+
+- New `bmad agent-install` command replaces manual agent installation
+- Agent YAML files must be compiled to XML for use
+
+### 🔄 Migration Notes
+
+**For Existing Projects:**
+
+1. **Frame Expert Users:**
+   - Transition to role-appropriate agents for diagrams
+   - All Excalidraw functionality preserved and enhanced
+   - Shared templates now in core resources for wider access
+
+2. **Agent Installation:**
+   - Use `bmad agent-install` for all agent installations
+   - Existing manual installations still work but won't have customization
+
+3. **Epic Creation Timing:**
+   - Epics now created in Phase 3 after Architecture
+   - Update any automation expecting epics in Phase 2
+
+4. **Communication Styles:**
+   - Review agent communication_style fields
+   - Remove any role/identity/principle content
+   - Use communication-presets.csv for pure styles
+
+5. **Expert Agents:**
+   - Edit-agent workflow now fully supports sidecar files
+   - Organize templates and data files in agent folder
+
+## [6.0.0-alpha.10]
+
+**Release: November 16, 2025**
+
+- **🎯 Epics Generated AFTER Architecture**: Major milestone - epics/stories now created after architecture for technically-informed user stories with better acceptance criteria
+- **🎨 Frame Expert Agent**: New Excalidraw specialist with 4 diagram workflows (flowchart, diagram, dataflow, wireframe) for visual documentation
+- **⏰ Time Estimate Prohibition**: Critical warnings added across 33 workflows - acknowledges AI has fundamentally changed development speed
+- **🎯 Platform-Specific Commands**: New `ide-only`/`web-only` fields filter menu items based on environment (IDE vs web bundle)
+- **🔧 Agent Customization**: Enhanced memory/prompts merging via `*.customize.yaml` files for persistent agent personalization
+
+## [6.0.0-alpha.9]
+
+**Release: November 12, 2025**
+
+- **🚀 Intelligent File Discovery Protocol**: New `discover_inputs` with FULL_LOAD, SELECTIVE_LOAD, and INDEX_GUIDED strategies for automatic context loading
+- **📚 3-Track System**: Simplified from 5 levels to 3 intuitive tracks: quick-flow, bmad-method, and enterprise-bmad-method
+- **🌐 Web Bundles Guide**: Comprehensive documentation for Gemini Gems and Custom GPTs with 60-80% cost savings strategies
+- **🏗️ Unified Output Structure**: Eliminated `.ephemeral/` folders - all artifacts now in single configurable output folder
+- **🎮 BMGD Phase 4**: Added 10 game development workflows following BMM patterns with game-specific adaptations
+
+## [6.0.0-alpha.8]
+
+**Release: November 9, 2025**
+
+- **🎯 Configurable Installation**: Custom directories with `.bmad` hidden folder default for cleaner project structure
+- **🚀 Optimized Agent Loading**: CLI loads from installed files eliminating duplication and maintenance burden
+- **🌐 Party Mode Everywhere**: All web bundles include multi-agent collaboration with customizable party configurations
+- **🔧 Phase 4 Artifact Separation**: Stories, code reviews, sprint plans now configurable outside docs folder
+- **📦 Expanded Web Bundles**: All BMM, BMGD, and CIS agents bundled with advanced elicitation integration
+
+## [6.0.0-alpha.7]
+
+**Release: November 7, 2025**
+
+- **🌐 Workflow Vendoring**: Web bundler performs automatic workflow vendoring for cross-module dependencies
+- **🎮 BMGD Module Extraction**: Game development split into standalone module with 4-phase industry-standard structure
+- **🔧 Enhanced Dependency Resolution**: Better handling of `web_bundle: false` workflows with positive resolution messages
+- **📚 Advanced Elicitation Fix**: Added missing CSV files to workflow bundles fixing runtime failures
+- **🐛 Claude Code Fix**: Resolved README slash command installation regression
+
+## [6.0.0-alpha.6]
+
+**Release: November 4, 2025**
+
+- **🐛 Critical Installer Fixes**: Fixed manifestPath error and option display issues blocking installation
+- **📖 Conditional Docs Installation**: Optional documentation installation to reduce footprint in production
+- **🎨 Improved Installer UX**: Better formatting with descriptive labels and clearer feedback
+- **🧹 Issue Tracker Cleanup**: Closed 54 legacy v4 issues for focused v6 development
+- **📝 Contributing Updates**: Removed references to non-existent branches in documentation
+
+## [6.0.0-alpha.5]
+
+**Release: November 4, 2025**
+
+- **🎯 3-Track Scale System**: Revolutionary simplification from 5 confusing levels to 3 intuitive preference-driven tracks
+- **✨ Elicitation Modernization**: Replaced legacy XML tags with explicit `invoke-task` pattern at strategic decision points
+- **📚 PM/UX Evolution Section**: Added November 2025 industry research on AI Agent PMs and Full-Stack Product Leads
+- **🏗️ Brownfield Reality Check**: Rewrote Phase 0 with 4 real-world scenarios for messy existing codebases
+- **📖 Documentation Accuracy**: All agent capabilities now match YAML source of truth with zero hallucination risk
+
+## [6.0.0-alpha.4]
+
+**Release: November 2, 2025**
+
+- **📚 Documentation Hub**: Created 18 comprehensive guides (7000+ lines) with professional technical writing standards
+- **🤖 Paige Agent**: New technical documentation specialist available across all BMM phases
+- **🚀 Quick Spec Flow**: Intelligent Level 0-1 planning with auto-stack detection and brownfield analysis
+- **📦 Universal Shard-Doc**: Split large markdown documents into organized sections with dual-strategy loading
+- **🔧 Intent-Driven Planning**: PRD and Product Brief transformed from template-filling to natural conversation
+
+## [6.0.0-alpha.3]
+
+**Release: October 2025**
+
+- **Codex Installer**: Custom prompts in `.codex/prompts/` directory structure
+- **Bug Fixes**: Various installer and workflow improvements
+- **Documentation**: Initial documentation structure established
+
+## [6.0.0-alpha.0]
+
+**Release: September 28, 2025**
 
-**Note**: Version 5.0.0 was skipped due to NPX registry issues that corrupted the version. Development continues with v6.0.0-alpha.0.
+- **Lean Core**: Simple common tasks and agents (bmad-web-orchestrator, bmad-master)
+- **BMad Method (BMM)**: Complete scale-adaptive rewrite supporting projects from small enhancements to massive undertakings
+- **BoMB**: BMad Builder for creating and converting modules, workflows, and agents
+- **CIS**: Creative Intelligence Suite for ideation and creative workflows
+- **Game Development**: Full subclass of game-specific development patterns**Note**: Version 5.0.0 was skipped due to NPX registry issues that corrupted the version. Development continues with v6.0.0-alpha.0.
 
 ## [v4.43.0](https://github.com/bmad-code-org/BMAD-METHOD/releases/tag/v4.43.0)
 

package/CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -86,25 +86,13 @@ Please propose small, granular changes! For large or significant changes, discus
 
 ### Which Branch?
 
-**Submit to `next` branch** (most contributions):
-
-- ✨ New features or agents
-- 🎨 Enhancements to existing features
-- 📚 Documentation updates
-- ♻️ Code refactoring
-- ⚡ Performance improvements
-- 🧪 New tests
-- 🎁 New bmad modules
-
-**Submit to `main` branch** (critical only):
+**Submit PR's to `main` branch** (critical only):
 
 - 🚨 Critical bug fixes that break basic functionality
 - 🔒 Security patches
 - 📚 Fixing dangerously incorrect documentation
 - 🐛 Bugs preventing installation or basic usage
 
-**When in doubt, submit to `next`**. We'd rather test changes thoroughly before they hit stable.
-
 ### PR Size Guidelines
 
 - **Ideal PR size**: 200-400 lines of code changes