feat: ask CLI respond in plain text rather than json

examples/README.md

@@ -80,7 +80,17 @@ Start from [`examples/simple-github.yaml`](simple-github.yaml) for GitHub,
 This repo uses `dataDir`, `worktreeDir`, and `projects`, and uses
 `worktreeDir` for bug-verification worktrees.
 
+## responder CLI mode
+
+Configure responders in plain-text mode. Do not add JSON/output-format flags in
+`responders[].args` (for example `--json`, `--json-output`, `--output-format`,
+or `-f json`), because `code_work_spawner` owns response-format handling.
+
+Prompts are passed through stdin via `stdinTemplate` (default: `{{prompt}}`).
+In most cases prompt flags are not needed in `responders[].args`, because the
+real prompt already comes from stdin. Only add a prompt flag if a specific CLI
+fails without it.
+
 ## tea + windows
 
 The `tea` CLI has known severe issues on Windows due to lipgloss/v2 query console color. We had bypass it by read config file of `tea` directly, but only token login is supported. And need to config a default login through `tea login default <LOGIN>`.
-

examples/simple-gitea.yaml

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ defaults:
     responders:
       - id: codex
         command: codex
-        args: ["exec", "--json"]
+        args: ["exec"]
         timeout: 10m
 
 projects:

examples/simple-github.yaml

@@ -25,15 +25,16 @@ defaults:
       # Replace this with a responder available on your machine.
       - id: codex
         command: codex
-        args: ["-s", "danger-full-access", "exec", "--json"]
+        args: ["-s", "danger-full-access", "exec"]
         timeout: 10m
       # - id: opencode
       #   command: opencode
-      #   args: ["run", "-f", "json"]
+      #   args: ["run"]
       #   timeout: 10m
       # - id: copilot-cli
       #   command: copilot
-      #   args: ["-p", "", "--allow-all", "--autopilot", "--silent"]
+      #   # Prompt text is sent through stdin, so prompt flags are usually unnecessary.
+      #   args: ["--allow-all", "--autopilot", "--silent"]
       #   timeout: 10m
     # notifications:
     #   # Optional Discord notifications for assistant activity.

examples/simple-gitlab.yaml

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ defaults:
     responders:
       - id: codex
         command: codex
-        args: ["exec", "--json"]
+        args: ["exec"]
         timeout: 10m
 
 projects:

examples/simple-openproject.yaml

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ defaults:
     responders:
       - id: codex
         command: codex
-        args: ["exec", "--json"]
+        args: ["exec"]
         timeout: 10m
 
 projects:

lib/src/config/config.dart

@@ -494,17 +494,24 @@ class CliResponderConfig {
     return CliResponderConfig(
       id: id,
       command: command,
-      args: _normalizeArgs(document.args ?? const <String>[]),
+      args: _validateArgs(id, document.args ?? const <String>[]),
       env: document.env ?? const <String, String>{},
       stdinTemplate: document.stdinTemplate ?? '{{prompt}}',
       timeout: _parseDuration(document.timeout ?? '10m'),
     );
   }
 
-  static List<String> _normalizeArgs(Iterable<String> args) {
+  static List<String> _validateArgs(String id, Iterable<String> args) {
-    return args
+    final normalized = args.toList(growable: false);
-        .map((arg) => arg == '--json-output' ? '--json' : arg)
+    for (final arg in normalized) {
-        .toList(growable: false);
+      if (arg.toLowerCase().contains('json')) {
+        throw FormatException(
+          'Responder "$id" has forbidden arg "$arg": '
+          'JSON/output-format args must not be configured in responders.args.',
+        );
+      }
+    }
+    return normalized;
   }
 }
 
@@ -1082,15 +1089,15 @@ ${_commentBlock(defaultIssueAssistantPrompt, indent: '    #   ')}
     # responders:
     #   - id: codex
     #     command: codex
-    #     args: ["exec", "--json"]
+    #     args: ["exec"]
     #     timeout: 10m
     #   - id: opencode
     #     command: opencode
-    #     args: ["run", "-f", "json"]
+    #     args: ["run"]
     #     timeout: 10m
     #   - id: copilot-cli
     #     command: copilot
-    #     args: ["-p", "", "--allow-all", "--autopilot", "--silent"]
+    #     args: ["--allow-all", "--autopilot", "--silent"]
     #     timeout: 10m
     # notifications:
     #   - type: discordWebhook

test/config/app_config_test.dart

@@ -241,13 +241,13 @@ projects:
     });
 
     /// ```gherkin
-    /// Scenario: Normalize legacy codex json flag
+    /// Scenario: Reject responder args that contain json output flags
-    ///   Given an orchestrator config that still uses the legacy codex --json-output flag
+    ///   Given an orchestrator config that configures a responder json output argument
     ///   When loading the app config from disk
-    ///   Then the responder args are normalized to the current codex --json flag
+    ///   Then loading fails with a format exception about forbidden args
     /// ```
-    test('Normalize legacy codex json flag', () async {
+    test('Reject responder args that contain json output flags', () async {
-      // Given an orchestrator config that still uses the legacy codex --json-output flag.
+      // Given an orchestrator config that configures a responder json output argument.
       final tempDir = await Directory.systemTemp.createTemp('cws-codex-args-');
       final configFile = File(p.join(tempDir.path, 'CWS_conf.yaml'));
       await configFile.writeAsString('''
@@ -263,13 +263,97 @@ projects:
     path: ${tempDir.path}
 ''');
 
+      // When loading the app config from disk.
+      final future = AppConfig.load(configFile.path);
+
+      // Then loading fails with a format exception about forbidden args.
+      await expectLater(
+        future,
+        throwsA(
+          isA<FormatException>().having(
+            (error) => error.message,
+            'message',
+            contains('forbidden arg "--json-output"'),
+          ),
+        ),
+      );
+    });
+
+    /// ```gherkin
+    /// Scenario: Reject responder args with mixed-case json tokens
+    ///   Given an orchestrator config that configures a responder argument containing Json in mixed case
+    ///   When loading the app config from disk
+    ///   Then loading fails with a format exception about forbidden args
+    /// ```
+    test('Reject responder args with mixed-case json tokens', () async {
+      // Given an orchestrator config that configures a responder argument containing Json in mixed case.
+      final tempDir = await Directory.systemTemp.createTemp(
+        'cws-codex-args-case-',
+      );
+      final configFile = File(p.join(tempDir.path, 'CWS_conf.yaml'));
+      await configFile.writeAsString('''
+defaults:
+  issueAssistant:
+    responders:
+      - id: codex
+        command: codex
+        args: ["exec", "--JsonOutput"]
+projects:
+  sample:
+    repo: owner/sample
+    path: ${tempDir.path}
+''');
+
+      // When loading the app config from disk.
+      final future = AppConfig.load(configFile.path);
+
+      // Then loading fails with a format exception about forbidden args.
+      await expectLater(
+        future,
+        throwsA(
+          isA<FormatException>().having(
+            (error) => error.message,
+            'message',
+            contains('forbidden arg "--JsonOutput"'),
+          ),
+        ),
+      );
+    });
+
+    /// ```gherkin
+    /// Scenario: Keep non-format responder args
+    ///   Given an orchestrator config that only sets non-format responder args
+    ///   When loading the app config from disk
+    ///   Then those args remain available to the responder
+    /// ```
+    test('Keep non-format responder args', () async {
+      // Given an orchestrator config that only sets non-format responder args.
+      final tempDir = await Directory.systemTemp.createTemp(
+        'cws-codex-args-keep-',
+      );
+      final configFile = File(p.join(tempDir.path, 'CWS_conf.yaml'));
+      await configFile.writeAsString('''
+defaults:
+  issueAssistant:
+    responders:
+      - id: codex
+        command: codex
+        args: ["-s", "danger-full-access", "exec", "--allow-all"]
+projects:
+  sample:
+    repo: owner/sample
+    path: ${tempDir.path}
+''');
+
       // When loading the app config from disk.
       final config = await AppConfig.load(configFile.path);
 
-      // Then the responder args are normalized to the current codex --json flag.
+      // Then those args remain available to the responder.
       expect(config.projects['sample']!.issueAssistant.responders.single.args, [
+        '-s',
+        'danger-full-access',
         'exec',
-        '--json',
+        '--allow-all',
       ]);
     });
 
@@ -1223,10 +1307,7 @@ projects:
           .replaceFirst('    # responders:', '    responders:')
           .replaceFirst('    #   - id: codex', '      - id: codex')
           .replaceFirst('    #     command: codex', '        command: codex')
-          .replaceFirst(
+          .replaceFirst('    #     args: ["exec"]', '        args: ["exec"]')
-            '    #     args: ["exec", "--json"]',
-            '        args: ["exec", "--json"]',
-          )
           .replaceFirst('    #     timeout: 10m', '        timeout: 10m')
           .replaceFirst('    # issueAssistant:', '    issueAssistant:')
           .replaceFirst('    #   enabled: true', '      enabled: true')

test/core/cli_responder_test.dart

@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ projects:
     test('Decode Copilot CLI JSONL assistant messages', () async {
       // Given a responder command that emits Copilot CLI JSONL events.
       final sandbox = await Directory.systemTemp.createTemp(
-        'cws-copilot-jsonl-',
+        'cws-copilot-events-',
       );
       final scriptFile = File(p.join(sandbox.path, 'responder.dart'));
       await scriptFile.writeAsString('''