Workspace Reset

Completely wipe the .aiwg/ directory to start fresh. Optionally backs up existing content and can reinitialize with fresh intake templates.

Parameters

Flag	Description
project-directory	Project root (default: .)
--backup	Create timestamped backup before wiping
--keep-intake	Preserve .aiwg/intake/ directory
--keep-team	Preserve .aiwg/team/ directory (team profile, assignments)
--reinitialize	Run intake wizard after reset
--force	Skip confirmation prompts
--dry-run	Preview what would be deleted

Use Cases

1. Project Pivot - Requirements changed significantly, need fresh start
2. Framework Upgrade - Clean slate for new AIWG version
3. Corrupted State - Artifacts became inconsistent
4. Learning Project - Experimented, ready to start properly
5. Handoff Cleanup - Removing trial work before official start

Execution Steps

Step 1: Analyze Current State

Inventory what will be deleted:

# Count files by category
echo "=== Workspace Contents ==="
for dir in .aiwg/*/; do
  count=$(find "$dir" -type f 2>/dev/null | wc -l)
  size=$(du -sh "$dir" 2>/dev/null | cut -f1)
  echo "$(basename "$dir"): $count files ($size)"
done

Report:

Workspace Reset Analysis
========================

Current .aiwg/ contents:
  intake/        3 files    (12 KB)
  requirements/ 15 files    (45 KB)
  architecture/ 12 files    (78 KB)
  planning/      8 files    (23 KB)
  risks/         4 files    (8 KB)
  testing/       7 files    (34 KB)
  security/      5 files    (15 KB)
  team/          2 files    (4 KB)
  working/       9 files    (28 KB)
  archive/      14 files    (56 KB)
  reports/       6 files    (19 KB)
  ─────────────────────────────────
  TOTAL:        85 files   (322 KB)

Git Status:
  Tracked:     45 files (committed)
  Untracked:   40 files (local only)

Step 2: Confirm Destruction

Unless --force is provided, require explicit confirmation:

╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║                    ⚠️  DESTRUCTIVE OPERATION ⚠️                  ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║                                                                ║
║  This will DELETE 85 files (322 KB) from .aiwg/               ║
║                                                                ║
║  Including:                                                   ║
║    - All requirements (15 files)                              ║
║    - All architecture documents (12 files)                    ║
║    - All planning artifacts (8 files)                         ║
║    - All test documentation (7 files)                         ║
║    - All security artifacts (5 files)                         ║
║    - All archived content (14 files)                          ║
║    - All reports (6 files)                                    ║
║                                                                ║
║  45 files are committed to git and can be recovered.          ║
║  40 files are NOT in git and will be PERMANENTLY LOST.        ║
║                                                                ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

Options:
  --backup    Create backup before deletion
  --keep-intake    Preserve intake forms
  --keep-team      Preserve team profile

Type 'RESET' to confirm deletion: _

Step 3: Create Backup (if requested)

If --backup flag:

# Create timestamped backup
backup_dir=".aiwg-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
cp -r .aiwg "$backup_dir"

# Create backup manifest
cat > "$backup_dir/BACKUP_MANIFEST.md" <<EOF
# .aiwg Backup

**Created:** $(date -Iseconds)
**Reason:** Workspace reset
**Commit:** $(git rev-parse HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo "N/A")

## Contents

$(find .aiwg -type f | wc -l) files backed up

## Restore Command

\`\`\`bash
rm -rf .aiwg && cp -r $backup_dir .aiwg
\`\`\`
EOF

echo "Backup created: $backup_dir"

Report:

Backup Created
==============
Location: .aiwg-backup-20251209-102345/
Files:    85
Size:     322 KB

To restore: rm -rf .aiwg && cp -r .aiwg-backup-20251209-102345 .aiwg

Step 4: Preserve Requested Content

If --keep-intake:

# Stash intake
mv .aiwg/intake /tmp/aiwg-intake-preserve

If --keep-team:

# Stash team
mv .aiwg/team /tmp/aiwg-team-preserve

Step 5: Execute Wipe

# Remove .aiwg directory
rm -rf .aiwg

# Report
echo "Removed: .aiwg/ (85 files, 322 KB)"

Step 6: Restore Preserved Content

# Recreate .aiwg
mkdir -p .aiwg

# Restore intake if preserved
if [ -d /tmp/aiwg-intake-preserve ]; then
  mv /tmp/aiwg-intake-preserve .aiwg/intake
  echo "Restored: .aiwg/intake/"
fi

# Restore team if preserved
if [ -d /tmp/aiwg-team-preserve ]; then
  mv /tmp/aiwg-team-preserve .aiwg/team
  echo "Restored: .aiwg/team/"
fi

Step 7: Reinitialize (if requested)

If --reinitialize flag:

Create minimal structure and offer intake wizard:

# Create standard directories
mkdir -p .aiwg/{intake,requirements,architecture,planning,risks,testing,security,working,archive,reports}

# Create README
cat > .aiwg/README.md <<'EOF'
# AIWG Workspace

This directory contains SDLC artifacts managed by the AI Writing Guide framework.

## Structure

| Directory | Purpose |
|-----------|---------|
| intake/ | Project intake forms |
| requirements/ | User stories, use cases, NFRs |
| architecture/ | SAD, ADRs, diagrams |
| planning/ | Phase and iteration plans |
| risks/ | Risk register and spikes |
| testing/ | Test strategy, plans, results |
| security/ | Threat models, security artifacts |
| working/ | Temporary multi-agent work |
| archive/ | Historical documents |
| reports/ | Generated reports |

## Getting Started

Run `/intake-wizard` to begin project intake.
EOF

Report:

Workspace Reinitialized
=======================

Created directories:
  .aiwg/intake/
  .aiwg/requirements/
  .aiwg/architecture/
  .aiwg/planning/
  .aiwg/risks/
  .aiwg/testing/
  .aiwg/security/
  .aiwg/working/
  .aiwg/archive/
  .aiwg/reports/

Created files:
  .aiwg/README.md

Run /intake-wizard to start fresh intake.

Step 8: Report Summary

Workspace Reset Complete
========================

Deleted:
  85 files (322 KB)

Backup:
  .aiwg-backup-20251209-102345/ (322 KB)

Preserved:
  .aiwg/intake/ (3 files)
  .aiwg/team/ (2 files)

Reinitialized:
  10 directories created
  .aiwg/README.md created

Next Steps:
  1. Run /intake-wizard to start fresh intake
  2. Or run /intake-from-codebase to analyze existing code
  3. Previous backup available at .aiwg-backup-20251209-102345/

CLI Usage (Outside Claude Session)

This command is also available via the aiwg CLI:

# Wipe working directory only
aiwg -wipe-working

# Full workspace reset with backup
aiwg -reset-workspace --backup

# Force reset without confirmation
aiwg -reset-workspace --force

# Reset but keep intake forms
aiwg -reset-workspace --keep-intake

# Reset and reinitialize
aiwg -reset-workspace --reinitialize

Examples

# Preview what would be deleted
/workspace-reset --dry-run

# Full wipe with backup
/workspace-reset --backup

# Keep intake and team, backup rest
/workspace-reset --backup --keep-intake --keep-team

# Force reset and reinitialize
/workspace-reset --force --reinitialize

# Clean slate with preserved intake
/workspace-reset --backup --keep-intake --reinitialize

Error Handling

Condition	Action
No .aiwg/ directory	Info: "No workspace to reset. Use /intake-wizard to create one."
Backup location exists	Append unique suffix
Permission denied	Abort with error
Git dirty with untracked	Warn about permanent loss of untracked files
Preserve dir missing	Skip preservation, warn

Safety Features

1. Confirmation Required - Must type 'RESET' unless --force
2. Backup Option - Always offered, strongly recommended
3. Git Warning - Warns about untracked files that will be permanently lost
4. Preserve Options - Can keep critical files (intake, team)
5. Dry Run - Preview before destructive action

Related Commands

• /workspace-realign - Sync docs with project state (non-destructive)
• /workspace-prune-working - Clean up working directory only
• /intake-wizard - Start fresh intake after reset