id: task-107 title: Add agents --update-instructions command status: Done assignee: [] created_date: '2025-07-03' updated_date: '2025-07-04' labels: [] dependencies: []

Description

Add a new command 'backlog agents --update-instructions' that updates the project's agent instruction files (.cursorrules, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, GEMINI.md, .github/copilot-instructions.md) with the latest versions embedded in the current Backlog CLI installation. This command follows the same pattern as 'backlog init' but only updates the agent-related files to ensure projects have up-to-date instructions for AI agents.

Acceptance Criteria

• [x] New 'agents' command group is created
• [x] --update-instructions flag updates agent instruction files (.cursorrules CLAUDE.md AGENTS.md GEMINI.md .github/copilot-instructions.md)
• [x] Command follows same pattern as 'backlog init' for file updates
• [x] Command handles cases where files don't exist
• [x] Command provides confirmation of successful update
• [x] Help text documents the new command
• [x] Tests verify the command works correctly

Implementation Notes

Approach taken:

• Added a new agents command group to the CLI with a --update-instructions flag
• Reused the existing addAgentInstructions function from agent-instructions.ts to maintain consistency with the backlog init command
• Used the same prompts pattern as the init command for file selection

Features implemented:

• backlog agents --update-instructions command that presents an interactive multiselect prompt
• Support for all agent instruction files: .cursorrules, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, GEMINI.md, .github/copilot-instructions.md
• Proper error handling for non-backlog projects
• Confirmation messages showing which files were updated
• Graceful handling when no files are selected

Technical decisions and trade-offs:

• Command structure: Used a flag-based approach (--update-instructions) rather than a subcommand to match the task requirements exactly
• File selection: Maintained the same interactive selection UI as the init command for consistency
• Error handling: Added validation to ensure the command only works in initialized backlog projects
• Reusability: Leveraged existing addAgentInstructions function to avoid code duplication

Modified files:

• src/cli.ts: Added new agents command group with --update-instructions flag
• src/test/cli-agents.test.ts: Created comprehensive test suite covering all command scenarios including help text, file selection, error cases, and multiple file updates