id: task-224 title: Add non-interactive flags to init command for automation support status: Done assignee:

• '@claude' created_date: '2025-08-04 16:54' updated_date: '2025-08-04 17:07' labels:
• cli
• enhancement dependencies: []

Description

Support non-interactive initialization for automation tools like terminal-bench where interactive prompts are not possible. The command should accept all configuration options as CLI flags to enable seamless integration with CI/CD pipelines and automated workflows.

Acceptance Criteria

• [x] All interactive prompts can be bypassed with CLI flags
• [x] A --defaults flag uses sensible defaults for all options
• [x] Existing interactive behavior remains unchanged when no flags are provided
• [x] Help text documents all new flags clearly
• [x] Non-interactive mode works correctly in CI/CD environments

Implementation Plan

1. Add --agent-files option to init command with comma-separated values support
2. Skip agent files prompt when --agent-files is provided
3. Parse and validate the provided agent file names
4. Use defaults for all other prompts when --agent-files is used
5. Ensure backward compatibility - interactive prompts work when no flags provided
6. Add proper help text documenting the new flag
7. Test with 'backlog init "Test Project" --agent-files CLAUDE.md'

Implementation Notes

Implemented comprehensive non-interactive support for the init command with the following features:

Core Implementation:

• Added 11 new CLI flags covering all interactive prompts: --agent-instructions, --check-branches, --include-remote, --branch-days, --bypass-git-hooks, --zero-padded-ids, --default-editor, --web-port, --auto-open-browser, --install-claude-agent, and --defaults
• Created helper functions parseBoolean() and parseNumber() for robust flag parsing
• Non-interactive mode automatically activates when any flag is provided

Key Features:

• --agent-instructions supports friendly names (claude, cursor, copilot) that map to actual filenames (CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, etc.)
• --defaults flag bypasses all prompts using sensible defaults
• All flags support both explicit values and fallback to existing config or defaults
• Boolean flags accept 'true'/'false' or '1'/'0' values
• Maintains full backward compatibility - interactive mode unchanged when no flags provided

Usage Examples:

• backlog init "Project" --defaults - Uses all defaults
• backlog init "Project" --agent-instructions claude --web-port 8080 - Specific options
• backlog init "Project" --install-claude-agent true --bypass-git-hooks true - Multiple flags

Files Modified:

• src/cli.ts: Added all CLI options and updated prompt logic for non-interactive mode