feat(presets): resolve constitution templates at command time

presets/ARCHITECTURE.md

@@ -59,6 +59,19 @@ Content resolution functions for composition:
 - **Bash**: `resolve_template_content()` in `scripts/bash/common.sh` (templates only; command/script composition is handled by the Python resolver)
 - **PowerShell**: `Resolve-TemplateContent` in `scripts/powershell/common.ps1` (templates only; command/script composition is handled by the Python resolver)
 
+### Constitution lifecycle
+
+Initialization resolves `constitution-template` through the full stack and seeds
+`.specify/memory/constitution.md` once. Existing files are preserved byte-for-byte. On subsequent
+`/constitution` runs, the command resolves the current composed template at runtime and uses the live
+constitution as the source of project-specific values and amendments.
+
+Preset installation, removal, enablement, disablement, and priority changes do not materialize
+`constitution-template` by default. When the enabled preset registry contains `constitution-sync`,
+those operations may reconcile the live file, but only if its provenance hash proves it is still
+generated content. Missing files may be seeded when the preset is installed; authored or edited
+constitutions are never overwritten.
+
 ## Command Registration
 
 When a preset is installed with `type: "command"` entries, the `PresetManager` registers them into all detected agent directories using the shared `CommandRegistrar` from `src/specify_cli/agents.py`.

presets/README.md

@@ -15,6 +15,16 @@ If no preset is installed, core templates are used — exactly the same behavior
 
 Template resolution happens **at runtime** — although preset files are copied into `.specify/presets/<id>/` during installation, Spec Kit walks the resolution stack on every template lookup rather than merging templates into a single location.
 
+`constitution-template` follows the same runtime model. Project initialization seeds
+`.specify/memory/constitution.md` once so downstream commands always have a constitution to read.
+After that, installing, removing, enabling, disabling, or reprioritizing presets does not rewrite the
+live constitution. Each `/constitution` run resolves the current composed `constitution-template`,
+then applies existing project values and amendments to that scaffold.
+
+Teams that intentionally want preset stack changes to refresh an unchanged generated constitution can
+install the bundled `constitution-sync` preset. It restores guarded install-time materialization in
+addition to its command-time propagation behavior; authored constitutions remain protected.
+
 For detailed resolution and command registration flows, see [ARCHITECTURE.md](ARCHITECTURE.md).
 
 ## Command Overrides

presets/catalog.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "schema_version": "1.0",
-  "updated_at": "2026-04-24T00:00:00Z",
+  "updated_at": "2026-08-04T00:00:00Z",
   "catalog_url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/github/spec-kit/main/presets/catalog.json",
   "presets": {
     "lean": {
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
       "name": "Constitution Template Sync",
       "id": "constitution-sync",
       "version": "1.0.0",
-      "description": "Opt-in: restores /constitution propagation of amended guidance into plan/spec/tasks templates and installed command files, for teams that treat materialized templates as reviewed artifacts.",
+      "description": "Opt-in: restores guarded install-time constitution seeding and /constitution propagation for teams that treat materialized templates as reviewed artifacts.",
       "author": "github",
       "repository": "https://github.com/github/spec-kit",
       "license": "MIT",

presets/constitution-sync/README.md

@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 # Constitution Template Sync
 
-An **opt-in** preset that restores `/constitution`'s ability to propagate amended guidance into your
-project's own templates and command files. After you update the constitution, it aligns
-`plan-template.md`, `spec-template.md`, `tasks-template.md`, project-local command files, and
+An **opt-in** preset that restores materialized constitution workflows. It refreshes an unchanged
+generated `.specify/memory/constitution.md` when constitution-providing presets are installed,
+removed, enabled, disabled, or reprioritized. After `/constitution` updates the live file, it also
+aligns `plan-template.md`, `spec-template.md`, `tasks-template.md`, project-local command files, and
 guidance docs so they reflect the current principles.
 
 This propagation used to be built into `/constitution`; it was dropped when the command moved to the
-preset model. Installing this preset opts you back into it: you get the guidance materialized into
-reviewed, committed artifacts instead of relying on runtime resolution alone.
+preset model. Installing this preset opts you back into materialization: preset stack changes refresh
+the generated constitution, and `/constitution` propagates its guidance into reviewed, committed
+artifacts instead of relying on runtime resolution alone.
 
 > **What you're opting into.** Propagation was removed deliberately — it duplicates the constitution
 > as the source of truth and can fight the composition stack (materialized edits get shadowed or
@@ -28,7 +30,12 @@ versioned preset a core team maintains.
 
 ## What it does
 
-Ships a single `wrap`-strategy override of `speckit.constitution`. It composes on top of the
+Its presence enables core's guarded install-time constitution reconciliation. Installing the preset
+materializes the currently resolved `constitution-template`; later stack changes re-materialize it
+only while the live file still matches its recorded generated-content hash. Human edits disable
+automatic replacement.
+
+It also ships a single `wrap`-strategy override of `speckit.constitution`. It composes on top of the
 current core command (via `{CORE_TEMPLATE}`), so it stays forward-compatible with core changes, and
 appends a propagation pass that, after the constitution is written:
 
@@ -43,6 +50,8 @@ appends a propagation pass that, after the constitution is written:
 - It does **not** disable runtime resolution. `plan`, `tasks`, and `analyze` still read the live
   constitution every run; this preset adds materialized copies on top — it does not replace the
   source of truth.
+- It does **not** overwrite an authored or edited constitution. Install-time reconciliation only
+  replaces content whose provenance proves it is an unchanged generated file.
 - It does **not** edit versioned, package-owned files — templates or command files provided or
   wrapped by another preset or extension. Those are recomposed from the resolution stack, so it
   only ever writes into your project's own `.specify/templates/` scaffolds and command files that

presets/constitution-sync/preset.yml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ preset:
   id: "constitution-sync"
   name: "Constitution Template Sync"
   version: "1.0.0"
-  description: "Opt-in: restores /constitution propagation of amended guidance into plan/spec/tasks templates and installed command files, for teams that treat materialized templates as reviewed artifacts."
+  description: "Opt-in: restores guarded install-time constitution seeding and /constitution propagation for teams that treat materialized templates as reviewed artifacts."
   author: "github"
   repository: "https://github.com/github/spec-kit"
   license: "MIT"

scripts/bash/check-prerequisites.sh

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #   --require-tasks     Require tasks.md to exist (for implementation phase)
 #   --include-tasks     Include tasks.md in AVAILABLE_DOCS list
 #   --paths-only        Only output path variables (no validation)
+#   --template NAME     Include composed template content in JSON output
 #   --help, -h          Show help message
 #
 # OUTPUTS:
@@ -26,9 +27,10 @@ JSON_MODE=false
 REQUIRE_TASKS=false
 INCLUDE_TASKS=false
 PATHS_ONLY=false
+TEMPLATE_NAME=""
 
-for arg in "$@"; do
-    case "$arg" in
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+    case "$1" in
         --json)
             JSON_MODE=true
             ;;
@@ -41,6 +43,14 @@ for arg in "$@"; do
         --paths-only)
             PATHS_ONLY=true
             ;;
+        --template)
+            shift
+            if [[ $# -eq 0 ]]; then
+                echo "ERROR: --template requires a template name" >&2
+                exit 1
+            fi
+            TEMPLATE_NAME="$1"
+            ;;
         --help|-h)
             cat << 'EOF'
 Usage: check-prerequisites.sh [OPTIONS]
@@ -52,6 +62,7 @@ OPTIONS:
   --require-tasks     Require tasks.md to exist (for implementation phase)
   --include-tasks     Include tasks.md in AVAILABLE_DOCS list
   --paths-only        Only output path variables (no prerequisite validation)
+  --template NAME     Include composed template content in JSON output
   --help, -h          Show this help message
 
 EXAMPLES:
@@ -68,10 +79,11 @@ EOF
             exit 0
             ;;
         *)
-            echo "ERROR: Unknown option '$arg'. Use --help for usage information." >&2
+            echo "ERROR: Unknown option '$1'. Use --help for usage information." >&2
             exit 1
             ;;
     esac
+    shift
 done
 
 # Source common functions
@@ -156,6 +168,16 @@ if $INCLUDE_TASKS && [[ -f "$TASKS" ]]; then
     docs+=("tasks.md")
 fi
 
+TEMPLATE_CONTENT=""
+if [[ -n "$TEMPLATE_NAME" ]]; then
+    if TEMPLATE_CONTENT=$(resolve_template_content "$TEMPLATE_NAME" "$REPO_ROOT"; status=$?; printf x; exit "$status"); then
+        TEMPLATE_CONTENT="${TEMPLATE_CONTENT%x}"
+    else
+        echo "ERROR: Could not resolve required $TEMPLATE_NAME from the template override stack for $REPO_ROOT" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
 # Output results
 if $JSON_MODE; then
     # Build JSON array of documents
@@ -165,18 +187,31 @@ if $JSON_MODE; then
         else
             json_docs=$(printf '%s\n' "${docs[@]}" | jq -R . | jq -s .)
         fi
-        jq -cn \
-            --arg feature_dir "$FEATURE_DIR" \
-            --argjson docs "$json_docs" \
-            '{FEATURE_DIR:$feature_dir,AVAILABLE_DOCS:$docs}'
+        if [[ -n "$TEMPLATE_NAME" ]]; then
+            jq -cn \
+                --arg feature_dir "$FEATURE_DIR" \
+                --argjson docs "$json_docs" \
+                --arg template_content "$TEMPLATE_CONTENT" \
+                '{FEATURE_DIR:$feature_dir,AVAILABLE_DOCS:$docs,TEMPLATE_CONTENT:$template_content}'
+        else
+            jq -cn \
+                --arg feature_dir "$FEATURE_DIR" \
+                --argjson docs "$json_docs" \
+                '{FEATURE_DIR:$feature_dir,AVAILABLE_DOCS:$docs}'
+        fi
     else
         if [[ ${#docs[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
             json_docs="[]"
         else
             json_docs=$(for d in "${docs[@]}"; do printf '"%s",' "$(json_escape "$d")"; done)
             json_docs="[${json_docs%,}]"
         fi
-        printf '{"FEATURE_DIR":"%s","AVAILABLE_DOCS":%s}\n' "$(json_escape "$FEATURE_DIR")" "$json_docs"
+        if [[ -n "$TEMPLATE_NAME" ]]; then
+            printf '{"FEATURE_DIR":"%s","AVAILABLE_DOCS":%s,"TEMPLATE_CONTENT":"%s"}\n' \
+                "$(json_escape "$FEATURE_DIR")" "$json_docs" "$(json_escape "$TEMPLATE_CONTENT")"
+        else
+            printf '{"FEATURE_DIR":"%s","AVAILABLE_DOCS":%s}\n' "$(json_escape "$FEATURE_DIR")" "$json_docs"
+        fi
     fi
 else
     # Text output