BMAD V6: Fix Incorrect Workflow Paths In Agents

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BMAD v6.0.0-alpha.12: Correcting Incorrect Workflow Paths in Agent YAML

Understanding the Bug: Incorrect Workflow Paths in BMAD Module Creation

Hey guys! Let's dive into a frustrating bug in the BMAD v6.0.0-alpha.12 release that's causing some headaches for developers. The core issue revolves around the create-module workflow, a critical tool for building custom modules within the BMAD framework. Specifically, when you use this workflow to generate a new module, the resulting agent YAML files contain incorrect paths to the associated workflows. This means your agents can't find the workflows they need to run, leading to failures and a lot of head-scratching. We'll break down the problem, how to reproduce it, and most importantly, how to fix it and make things work smoothly. This bug prevents your custom modules from functioning correctly right out of the box, making it crucial to understand and address.

When creating a custom module, the workflow typically stores the module files in a specific location within your project. The problem arises when the generated agent YAML files, which define how your agents interact with the workflows, don't reflect this correct location. This discrepancy is the root cause of the error. When an agent tries to execute a workflow, it follows the path specified in the YAML file. If that path is incorrect, the system can't locate the workflow file, resulting in an error. This is a common problem in software development. To solve this problem requires a deep understanding of file structure and path referencing within the BMAD ecosystem. This bug highlights the importance of precise configuration and accurate path management to build reliable and robust applications. Remember, getting the path right is key to getting the agents to work as expected, and it's a critical aspect of module development within BMAD.

Steps to Reproduce the Issue

Let's get practical and show you how to experience the bug firsthand. Here's a step-by-step guide to reproducing the problem. This will help you understand how it manifests and what you can do to avoid it until a permanent fix is available.

  1. Initialize a BMAD Project: First, you'll need to set up a BMAD project. If you haven't done this before, don't worry, it's pretty straightforward. Open your terminal or command prompt and run npx bmad-method@alpha init. This command will initialize a new BMAD project, creating the necessary directory structure and configuration files. It's the foundation upon which your custom modules will be built.

  2. Create a Custom Module Using BMAD Builder: With your project initialized, use the BMAD Builder tool to create a custom module. This is where the core issue arises. Execute the command /bmad:bmb:agents:bmad-builder *create-module. BMAD Builder will guide you through a series of prompts. You'll be asked to provide details such as the module's name, the agents it will contain, and the workflows associated with those agents. Let's name our module recipe-assistant and include agents and workflows. It's the moment the problem begins to surface.

  3. Inspect the Generated Agent YAML: After the module creation process is complete, you'll need to examine the generated agent YAML files. These files contain critical information about the agents and their workflows. The file we're interested in is located in .bmad/custom/modules/{module-name}/agents/. Use the cat command to view the content of your agent YAML file. This will display the configuration settings, including the workflow paths. The goal is to see the generated paths.

  4. Identify the Incorrect Workflow Paths: Carefully examine the workflow paths in the agent YAML file. You'll likely see that the paths are incorrect. Instead of pointing to the location where your workflows are actually stored, they reference a different directory. This is the crucial point where the bug manifests. It's the mismatch between the intended and actual locations. Compare the path in the YAML with where the actual workflow files are located on your system to see the difference.

  5. Attempt to Compile and Run the Agent: Compile the agent using the command npx bmad-method@alpha agent-install --path .bmad/custom/modules/recipe-assistant/agents/recipe-designer.agent.yaml. This step simulates how the agent will behave when it's deployed. When you try to run it, the agent will fail to load the workflows. This will highlight the impact of the incorrect path configuration.

  6. Encounter the Failure: Use the agent in your preferred tool, such as Claude Code, and attempt to trigger a workflow. The agent will fail, reporting that it cannot find the workflow file. The cause of the error is the incorrect path specified in the agent YAML file. It is a critical step in understanding the consequences of the bug.

The Root Cause and Where to Find the Fix

Understanding where the bug comes from and how to fix it is critical. The problem originates within the create-module workflow, specifically in how it constructs the file paths for the agent YAML files. The core issue seems to stem from how the workflow handles the custom_module_location setting in the BMAD configuration. The workflow correctly places the module files in the .bmad/custom/modules/ directory, which is configured in the .bmad/bmb/config.yaml file. However, when generating the agent YAML, it fails to incorporate the full path prefix. This creates a mismatch between where the modules are located physically and where the agent YAML files expect them to be. This means the agent YAML files don't know the exact location of the workflows, causing them to fail when you try to use them.

The fix most likely involves adjusting how the create-module workflow constructs these paths. Specifically, the workflow needs to be updated to include the full path when generating the agent YAML metadata and workflow references. If you are comfortable, you can fix this in .bmad/bmb/workflows/create-module/workflow.yaml. You will need to modify the templates used for generating the agent YAML files to include the custom_module_location prefix when specifying workflow paths. This simple change should resolve the pathing mismatch and allow your agents to correctly access the workflows within your custom modules. By making this change, the agent YAML files will include the correct paths to your workflows, solving the bug.

Workarounds and Long-Term Solutions

While we wait for a permanent fix, there are several workarounds you can use to address this issue. Let's cover the workarounds and then the long-term solution. First up, the manual fix, a good temporary solution.

The Manual Fix

After you create a module using create-module, you can manually move the module directory to align with the paths specified in the generated agent YAML files. You then need to recompile the agents with the correct paths.

  1. Move the Module: Use the mv command in your terminal to move the module from the incorrect location (e.g., .bmad/custom/modules/recipe-assistant) to the location specified in the YAML (e.g., .bmad/recipe-assistant).

  2. Remove Old Compiled Agents: Delete any existing compiled agent files to ensure a clean slate. You can use the rm -rf command to remove the compiled agents directory, this forces the system to recompile the agent files from scratch, resolving the path issues.

  3. Recompile Agents: Recompile the agents using the agent-install command, but this time, specify the correct paths.

Manual Path Editing

Another workaround is to manually edit the YAML files. After module creation, go through the generated YAML files and update the workflow paths to match the actual location of the workflow files. While this method is effective, it is time-consuming and prone to errors, especially when you have multiple agents and workflows.

Suggested Fix for the Future

The long-term fix involves modifying the create-module workflow to correctly handle the custom_module_location setting. The core issue lies in the way the workflow constructs file paths, and the solution is to ensure the complete path is passed when generating agent YAML metadata and workflow references.

The create-module workflow needs to be updated to include the full path when generating the agent YAML metadata and workflow references. If you're familiar with YAML and BMAD's internal structure, you could modify the appropriate template files, likely within the create-module workflow, to include the full path to the module when generating the agent YAML files. By implementing this fix, the agent YAML files will accurately reflect the location of your modules and workflows, resolving the bug and improving the module creation process.

Conclusion

This bug in BMAD v6.0.0-alpha.12 can be frustrating, but understanding the issue and knowing the workarounds is crucial. By following the steps outlined, you can either correct the issue manually or apply a long-term fix, allowing you to get back to building amazing custom modules. Keep in mind, community feedback and contributions are always welcome, so if you can fix the issue, don't hesitate to do it!