Feature/183 introduce a new root level release notemd that is separate from changelogmd (#188)

* feat(#183): introduce new Copilot instructions and update agent documentation

- Add repository-wide Copilot instructions for NovaModuleTools
- Update agent documentation to reflect new file structure and skills
- Ensure YAML frontmatter is included for valid Copilot profiles

* feat(#183): introduce RELEASE_NOTE.md for public-facing changes

- Added a root-level RELEASE_NOTE.md to summarize public cmdlet, CLI, configuration, and migration changes.
- Updated documentation to clarify the distinction between CHANGELOG.md and RELEASE_NOTE.md.
- Modified validation and publishing workflows to include RELEASE_NOTE.md.

Author: stiwicourage

.github/agents/architect.agent.md

@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+---
+name: architect
+description: Designs and scopes NovaModuleTools changes through a discussion-first flow before implementation starts
+---
+
 # NovaModuleTools architect agent
 
 ## Purpose
@@ -21,19 +26,21 @@ release automation.
 
 - `README.md`
 - `CONTRIBUTING.md`
+- `.github/copilot-instructions.md`
 - `.github/prompts/design-change.prompt.md`
-- `.github/instructions/*.md`
+- `.github/instructions/*.instructions.md`
 - `tests/ArchitectureGuardrails.Tests.ps1`
 - Relevant `src/public/` and `src/private/<domain>/` files
 - Relevant `.github/workflows/*.yml`
 
 ## Skills to use
 
-- `powershell-module-development.skill.md`
-- `github-actions.skill.md`
-- `release-and-changelog.skill.md`
-- `codescene-quality.skill.md`
-- `markdown-authoring.skill.md`
+- `/powershell-module-development`
+- `/github-actions`
+- `/release-and-changelog`
+- `/codescene-quality`
+- `/guiding-refactoring-with-code-health`
+- `/markdown-authoring`
 
 ## Constraints
 

.github/agents/docs-site.agent.md

@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+---
+name: docs-site
+description: Keeps NovaModuleTools website documentation accurate and clearly separated from cmdlet help and contributor docs
+---
+
 # NovaModuleTools docs site agent
 
 ## Purpose
@@ -23,10 +28,10 @@ cmdlet help and contributor documentation.
 
 ## Skills to use
 
-- `docs-site-html.skill.md`
-- `markdown-authoring.skill.md`
-- `powershell-module-development.skill.md`
-- `release-and-changelog.skill.md`
+- `/docs-site-html`
+- `/markdown-authoring`
+- `/powershell-module-development`
+- `/release-and-changelog`
 
 ## Constraints
 

.github/agents/powershell-developer.agent.md

@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+---
+name: powershell-developer
+description: Implements NovaModuleTools PowerShell and helper changes with matching tests and documentation
+---
+
 # NovaModuleTools PowerShell developer agent
 
 ## Purpose
@@ -19,9 +24,11 @@ Implement PowerShell command and helper changes in the NovaModuleTools style.
 
 ## Skills to use
 
-- `powershell-module-development.skill.md`
-- `pester-testing.skill.md`
-- `codescene-quality.skill.md`
+- `/powershell-module-development`
+- `/pester-testing`
+- `/codescene-quality`
+- `/guiding-refactoring-with-code-health`
+- `/safeguarding-ai-generated-code`
 
 ## Constraints
 

.github/agents/release-manager.agent.md

@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+---
+name: release-manager
+description: Handles NovaModuleTools versioning, changelog, release-note, and publish-flow changes safely
+---
+
 # NovaModuleTools release manager agent
 
 ## Purpose
@@ -23,19 +28,19 @@ Handle versioning, changelog shaping, release-flow documentation, and publish au
 
 ## Skills to use
 
-- `release-and-changelog.skill.md`
-- `markdown-authoring.skill.md`
-- `github-actions.skill.md`
-- `pester-testing.skill.md`
+- `/release-and-changelog`
+- `/markdown-authoring`
+- `/github-actions`
+- `/pester-testing`
 
 ## Constraints
 
 - Treat release automation as high-risk.
 - Keep Keep a Changelog structure intact.
 - Distinguish contributor docs from end-user docs.
 - Treat `.github/pull_request_template.md` as the authoritative format for structured release summaries.
-- When the release summary is returned as Markdown or copy-ready UI output, it must follow
-  `markdown-authoring.skill.md`.
+- When the release summary is returned as Markdown or copy-ready UI output, it must follow the `markdown-authoring`
+  skill (`.github/skills/markdown-authoring/SKILL.md`).
 
 ## Definition of done
 

.github/agents/reviewer.agent.md

@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+---
+name: reviewer
+description: Reviews NovaModuleTools changes for correctness, maintainability, validation, and documentation completeness
+---
+
 # NovaModuleTools reviewer agent
 
 ## Purpose
@@ -22,12 +27,13 @@ Review changes for correctness, maintainability, test coverage, workflow safety,
 
 ## Skills to use
 
-- `codescene-quality.skill.md`
-- `docs-site-html.skill.md`
-- `markdown-authoring.skill.md`
-- `pester-testing.skill.md`
-- `github-actions.skill.md`
-- `release-and-changelog.skill.md`
+- `/codescene-quality`
+- `/safeguarding-ai-generated-code`
+- `/docs-site-html`
+- `/markdown-authoring`
+- `/pester-testing`
+- `/github-actions`
+- `/release-and-changelog`
 
 ## Constraints
 

.github/agents/test-engineer.agent.md

@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+---
+name: test-engineer
+description: Improves NovaModuleTools Pester coverage, test structure, and CI coverage-gate behavior
+---
+
 # NovaModuleTools test engineer agent
 
 ## Purpose
@@ -20,9 +25,11 @@ Improve or maintain the repository's Pester coverage, coverage-gate behavior, an
 
 ## Skills to use
 
-- `pester-testing.skill.md`
-- `codescene-quality.skill.md`
-- `github-actions.skill.md`
+- `/pester-testing`
+- `/codescene-quality`
+- `/github-actions`
+- `/guiding-refactoring-with-code-health`
+- `/safeguarding-ai-generated-code`
 
 ## Constraints
 

…/instructions/repository-instructions.md .github/copilot-instructions.md.github/instructions/repository-instructions.md renamed to .github/copilot-instructions.md .github/instructions/repository-instructions.md renamed to .github/copilot-instructions.md

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-# NovaModuleTools repository instructions
+# NovaModuleTools Copilot instructions
 
 ## Purpose
 
-Use this file as the repository-local entry point for Copilot or other AI agents working in NovaModuleTools.
+Use this file as the repository-wide Copilot instruction entry point for NovaModuleTools.
 
 NovaModuleTools is not a generic PowerShell repo. It has a strong split between public commands, private helpers,
 Pester-heavy testing, GitHub Actions automation, CodeScene coverage gates, and Keep a Changelog / SemVer release flow.
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ Read these files before making non-trivial changes:
 2. `CONTRIBUTING.md`
 3. `.github/pull_request_template.md`
 4. The relevant file in `.github/instructions/`
-5. The relevant file in `.github/skills/`
+5. The relevant skill under `.github/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md`
+
+Prompt templates under `.github/prompts/*.prompt.md` are not auto-loaded. Reference them explicitly in chat when you
+want
+to use one of the repository's reusable task prompts.
 
 For new or not-yet-scoped work, start with `.github/agents/architect.agent.md` and
 `.github/prompts/design-change.prompt.md`. That flow should stay conversational first: analyze the request, ask
@@ -41,7 +45,7 @@ treated as final.
 - Keep changes small, reviewable, and easy to validate.
 - Do not invent behavior that is not visible in source, tests, docs, workflows, or issues.
 - Preserve the distinction between PowerShell cmdlet UX and `nova` CLI UX.
-- Review `README.md`, `CONTRIBUTING.md`, and `CHANGELOG.md` after every meaningful change.
+- Review `README.md`, `CONTRIBUTING.md`, `CHANGELOG.md`, and `RELEASE_NOTE.md` after every meaningful change.
 - Update tests when behavior changes.
 - Prefer existing helpers and support files over ad hoc duplication.
 - Treat Code Health as authoritative for maintainability in this repository.
@@ -70,7 +74,7 @@ treated as final.
 ## Markdown output guidance
 
 - When the output is intended to be copied as Markdown from the UI or written to a Markdown file, follow
-  `.github/skills/markdown-authoring.skill.md`.
+  the `markdown-authoring` skill (`.github/skills/markdown-authoring/SKILL.md`).
 - Apply that rule especially to release summaries, review summaries, contributor-facing Markdown docs, prompt output,
   and
   PR-template-shaped text.
@@ -89,6 +93,8 @@ When CodeScene tooling is available:
 - run the pre-commit safeguard on AI-touched changes before suggesting a commit
 - run a branch/change-set analysis before suggesting a PR or declaring a larger change ready
 - if CodeScene reports a regression, refactor instead of treating the work as done
+- use the `guiding-refactoring-with-code-health` skill for small, measured Code Health-driven refactors
+- use the `safeguarding-ai-generated-code` skill when deciding whether AI-touched work is ready for commit or PR handoff
 
 For documentation-only changes, executable validation may be skipped if no code path or workflow behavior changed.
 
@@ -107,8 +113,8 @@ For documentation-only changes, executable validation may be skipped if no code
 
 ## Related guidance
 
-- `.github/instructions/powershell-coding-standards.md`
-- `.github/instructions/testing-policy.md`
-- `.github/instructions/release-policy.md`
-- `.github/instructions/documentation-separation.md`
-- `.github/skills/markdown-authoring.skill.md`
+- `.github/instructions/powershell-coding-standards.instructions.md`
+- `.github/instructions/testing-policy.instructions.md`
+- `.github/instructions/release-policy.instructions.md`
+- `.github/instructions/documentation-separation.instructions.md`
+- `.github/skills/markdown-authoring/SKILL.md`

…instructions/documentation-separation.md …documentation-separation.instructions.md.github/instructions/documentation-separation.md renamed to .github/instructions/documentation-separation.instructions.md .github/instructions/documentation-separation.md renamed to .github/instructions/documentation-separation.instructions.md

@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+---
+applyTo: "docs/**/*.html,docs/assets/**/*.js,docs/NovaModuleTools/en-US/**/*.md,README.md,CONTRIBUTING.md,CHANGELOG.md,RELEASE_NOTE.md"
+---
+
 # NovaModuleTools documentation separation
 
 ## Purpose

…tructions/powershell-coding-standards.md …ershell-coding-standards.instructions.md.github/instructions/powershell-coding-standards.md renamed to .github/instructions/powershell-coding-standards.instructions.md .github/instructions/powershell-coding-standards.md renamed to .github/instructions/powershell-coding-standards.instructions.md

@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+---
+applyTo: "src/**/*.ps1,tests/**/*.ps1,scripts/**/*.ps1,run.ps1,reload.ps1"
+---
+
 # NovaModuleTools PowerShell coding standards
 
 ## Scope

.github/instructions/release-policy.md …tructions/release-policy.instructions.md.github/instructions/release-policy.md renamed to .github/instructions/release-policy.instructions.md .github/instructions/release-policy.md renamed to .github/instructions/release-policy.instructions.md

@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+---
+applyTo: "CHANGELOG.md,RELEASE_NOTE.md,project.json,.github/workflows/Publish.yml,.github/pull_request_template.md,src/public/InvokeNovaRelease.ps1,src/public/PublishNovaModule.ps1,src/public/UpdateNovaModuleVersion.ps1,tests/**/*Release*.ps1,tests/**/*Package*.ps1"
+---
+
 # NovaModuleTools release policy
 
 ## Scope
@@ -8,8 +12,13 @@ automation.
 ## Versioning rules
 
 - Follow Semantic Versioning intent.
-- Treat `CHANGELOG.md` as authoritative for release notes.
+- Treat `CHANGELOG.md` as the exhaustive release history.
+- Treat `RELEASE_NOTE.md` as the interface-focused summary for public cmdlet, CLI, configuration, and migration changes.
 - Keep `## [Unreleased]` valid and readable.
+- If `RELEASE_NOTE.md` has no public API or workflow changes under `## [Unreleased]`, keep the exact placeholder under
+  `### Added`: `No public API or workflow changes in this release. Internal maintenance only.`
+- If `RELEASE_NOTE.md` has real release-note entries, do not keep that placeholder.
+- Do not add compare-link footer URLs to `RELEASE_NOTE.md`.
 - For unreleased feature iterations, update the existing `Added` entry instead of adding an internal-history `Changed`
   entry.
 
@@ -23,7 +32,7 @@ automation.
 
 ## Documentation rules
 
-- Review `README.md`, `CONTRIBUTING.md`, and `CHANGELOG.md` for workflow or release changes.
+- Review `README.md`, `CONTRIBUTING.md`, `CHANGELOG.md`, and `RELEASE_NOTE.md` for workflow or release changes.
 - Update command help in `docs/NovaModuleTools/en-US/` when public command behavior changes.
 - Update `docs/*.html` only when end-user behavior or examples changed.
 - Use `.github/pull_request_template.md` as the authoritative structure when preparing a release summary for review.