Index of repository-wide Copilot guidance for NovaModuleTools. This file is intentionally thin. Canonical rule text lives in .github/instructions/ (path-scoped, auto-loaded by Copilot) and how-to guidance lives in .github/skills/.
Start here:
- If the work is new or not yet scoped, use the
architectagent with.github/prompts/design-change.prompt.mdfirst. The architect flow is discussion-first: clarify the request, explore options, and only finalize a scoped solution or issue draft after the discussion is done. - Otherwise, identify your task type in the Task map below and follow only the prompt, agent, and instructions listed for that row.
- Use the reading order below only when no Task map row matches the work.
For any change that adds, removes, or modifies public commands, helper functions, tests, CI workflows, or documentation, read in this order:
README.mdCONTRIBUTING.md.github/pull_request_template.md.github/instructions/repository-conventions.instructions.md— cross-cutting rules- The topic-scoped instruction file(s) that match the paths you are touching
- The skill listed under that topic in the task map below
src/public/— public PowerShell commands; one top-level function per file, file name matches function namesrc/private/— domain-grouped helpers (build/,cli/,package/,quality/,release/,scaffold/,shared/,update/); one externally called helper per filetests/— Pester tests and shared test-support scripts; public command unit tests live undertests/public/<Command>.Tests.ps1and per-command build-validation integration tests live undertests/public/<Command>.Integration.Tests.ps1scripts/build/— local analyzer and build helpersscripts/build/ci/— CI coverage, CodeScene, and artifact helpers.github/workflows/— GitHub Actions CI, analyzer, dependency review, publish automation.github/actions/— reusable workflow actions used by release and coverage flowsdocs/NovaModuleTools/en-US/— PlatyPS command help sourcedocs/*.html— end-user GitHub Pages content.github/instructions/— canonical rules, path-scoped viaapplyTo:.github/skills/— how-to playbooks invoked through theskilltool.github/agents/— role definitions for specialized agents.github/prompts/— reusable task prompts (not auto-loaded; invoke explicitly with@.github/prompts/<name>.prompt.md)
The table below shows how to route work. Prompts are the task entry points; each prompt delegates to its agent, which uses the listed skills, which in turn enforce the listed instructions.
| Task | Prompt | Agent | Primary skills | Primary instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design or scope a change | design-change.prompt.md |
architect |
powershell-module-development, terminal-ux-design, github-actions, release-and-changelog, markdown-authoring |
repository-conventions, code-quality-matrix |
| Implement an issue | implement-issue.prompt.md |
powershell-developer |
powershell-module-development, terminal-ux-design, pester-testing, building-maintainable-code, codescene-quality, safeguarding-ai-generated-code |
repository-conventions, code-quality-matrix, psscriptanalyzer, powershell-coding-standards, platyps-help |
| Review a change | review-change.prompt.md |
reviewer |
terminal-ux-design, codescene-quality, safeguarding-ai-generated-code, building-maintainable-code, docs-site, markdown-authoring, pester-testing, release-and-changelog, github-actions |
All .github/instructions/*.instructions.md |
| Improve test coverage | improve-test-coverage.prompt.md |
test-engineer |
pester-testing, building-maintainable-code, codescene-quality, github-actions, guiding-refactoring-with-code-health, safeguarding-ai-generated-code |
testing-policy, psscriptanalyzer |
| Prepare a release | prepare-release.prompt.md |
release-manager |
release-and-changelog, markdown-authoring |
release-policy, repository-conventions |
| Fix a CI failure | fix-ci-failure.prompt.md |
powershell-developer when the failure is in source code or build scripts; test-engineer when the failure is in a Pester test file under tests/ |
github-actions, pester-testing |
testing-policy, psscriptanalyzer, repository-conventions |
| Update website docs | Invoke @docs-site directly and pass the target file path. No prompt file is required. |
docs-site |
docs-site, markdown-authoring |
documentation-separation |
If a change spans multiple task types, run each relevant flow sequentially in this order: design (if needed) → implement → test coverage → docs → release. Do not attempt to merge prompts.
- Skills referenced as
/skill-namein agent files map 1-to-1 to thename:field in.github/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md. The runtime invokes them through theskilltool with the bare name. - Prompts are referenced by path. Custom prompts are not auto-loaded by the Copilot CLI; invoke them explicitly with
@.github/prompts/<name>.prompt.md. - Instructions auto-load when their
applyTo:glob matches a file in the change set. - If an expected instruction file does not auto-load because no file in the change set matches its
applyTo:glob, explicitly load it with@.github/instructions/<name>.instructions.mdbefore proceeding.
- Cross-cutting rules:
.github/instructions/repository-conventions.instructions.md - Source code maintainability:
.github/instructions/code-quality-matrix.instructions.md+building-maintainable-codeskill - Testing:
.github/instructions/testing-policy.instructions.md+pester-testingskill - PSScriptAnalyzer workflow:
.github/instructions/psscriptanalyzer.instructions.md - PowerShell coding standards:
.github/instructions/powershell-coding-standards.instructions.md - PlatyPS help generation:
.github/instructions/platyps-help.instructions.md - Terminal UX:
.github/instructions/terminal-ux-design.instructions.md+terminal-ux-designskill - Release flow:
.github/instructions/release-policy.instructions.md+release-and-changelogskill - Documentation separation:
.github/instructions/documentation-separation.instructions.md+docs-siteskill