openspec-new-change

name	openspec-new-change
description	Scaffolds a new OpenSpec change directory and shows the first artifact's template without writing it. Use for "start a new change", "scaffold a change", "set up a change for X", or "what's the first artifact I need" — when the user wants the folder and the first template, not a drafted proposal. Creates the change directory and stops — it does not draft or write any artifact content, and it does not implement code.
compatibility	Requires the openspec CLI on PATH.

Start a new OpenSpec change

Scaffold a change directory and hand the caller the first artifact's template, then stop — drafting content is a separate turn.

Steps

1. Ensure the project schema is installed. Check whether openspec/config.yaml and openspec/schemas/rhdh-spec-driven/ already exist. Only if either is missing, invoke /rhdh-spec-driven-schema and run its project-install step. Then confirm with openspec schemas --json that rhdh-spec-driven is listed.

2. Get the change name. If the user's request already names it or describes what they want to build, derive a kebab-case name (e.g. "add user authentication" -> add-user-auth). Otherwise ask what they want to build or fix; do not proceed without knowing.

3. Pick the schema. Prefer rhdh-spec-driven (now on disk). Pass --schema rhdh-spec-driven, or omit --schema to take the configured default from openspec/config.yaml. If the user names another available schema from openspec schemas --json, use that instead.

4. Create the change directory:

   openspec new change "<name>" [--schema <name>]
   

   This scaffolds openspec/changes/<name>/ with the selected schema.

5. Show status:

   openspec status --change "<name>"
   

6. Get the first artifact's instructions. Find the first artifact with status: "ready" in the status output (schema-dependent — proposal for rhdh-spec-driven), then:

   openspec instructions <first-artifact-id> --change "<name>" --json
   

   Read /rhdh-spec-driven-schema for what the context, rules, and template fields in that response mean before summarizing them.

7. Stop and wait for user direction.

Output

Summarize: change name and location, schema and its artifact sequence (proposal -> {specs, design} -> tasks for rhdh-spec-driven — specs and design are siblings that each depend only on proposal), current status (0/N artifacts complete), and the template for the first artifact. Close with: "Ready to create the first artifact? Describe what this change is about and I'll draft it, or ask me to continue."

Guardrails

• Do not create any artifacts yet — only show the first artifact's template.
• Do not advance beyond the first artifact.
• If the name is not valid kebab-case, ask for a valid one.
• If a change with that name already exists, suggest continuing that change instead of creating a duplicate.

Completion

Complete when the change directory exists, its schema is confirmed, and the first artifact's template has been shown to the user — without any artifact file having been written yet.