chore: Add local template package testing utility

[harikrishnan83]

Summary

Adds a local testing utility (test-local-init.py) and documentation to enable contributors to test template and script changes locally before submitting PRs, without having to manually copy files and configure directory structures.

Problem

When running uv run specify, the CLI downloads the latest release packages from GitHub, which means local changes to templates, scripts, or memory files are not included. Previously, contributors had to manually:

• Copy files to the correct locations
• Rename them with appropriate prefixes (.specify/, .claude/, etc.)
• Configure agent-specific directory structures

This manual process is tedious, error-prone, and discourages thorough local testing.

Solution

This PR introduces a streamlined local testing workflow:

1. test-local-init.py: A Python script that uses monkey patching to bypass GitHub downloads and load locally-built template packages from .genreleases/
2. Documentation: Comprehensive instructions in CONTRIBUTING.md explaining:
   • Prerequisites (bash 4+, zip)
   • How to build local packages using create-release-packages.sh
   • How to test with test-local-init.py
   • Optional environment variables to limit builds to specific agents/scripts

How It Works

The test-local-init.py script:

• Takes the same arguments as uv run specify (project path, AI agent, script type)
• Requires an additional --version parameter matching the locally-built package version
• Monkey patches specify_cli.download_template_from_github to return local ZIPs instead of downloading from GitHub
• Runs the real specify_cli.main() command with local packages

What's Included

New Files

• test-local-init.py (57 lines): Local testing utility script

Modified Files

• CONTRIBUTING.md (+63 lines): New section "Testing template and command changes locally" with complete workflow documentation

Test Plan

Contributors can now:

1. Make changes to templates/scripts/memory files
2. Build local packages: bash .github/workflows/scripts/create-release-packages.sh v0.0.70
3. Test locally: uv run test-local-init.py /path/to/project --ai claude --script sh --version v0.0.70
4. Verify changes work as expected before submitting PR

AI Assistance Disclosure

This PR was created with assistance from Claude Code (Anthropic). The solution was discussed, implemented, and tested with AI assistance for code generation and documentation. All changes have been reviewed and validated.

Fixes #729

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[Copilot]

Pull Request Overview

This PR introduces a local testing utility to enable contributors to test template and script changes without relying on GitHub releases. The solution includes a Python script that uses monkey patching to bypass GitHub downloads and comprehensive documentation for the testing workflow.

Key changes:

• Added test-local-init.py script for local testing with monkey patching
• Enhanced CONTRIBUTING.md with detailed instructions for building and testing local packages
• Streamlined the development workflow to reduce manual file copying and configuration

Reviewed Changes

Copilot reviewed 2 out of 2 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

File	Description
test-local-init.py	New utility script that monkey patches GitHub downloads to use local packages
CONTRIBUTING.md	Added comprehensive documentation for local testing workflow and prerequisites

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[localden]

Thank you for the contribution, @harikrishnan83, but at this time we will just keep this simple:

./.github/workflows/scripts/create-release-packages.sh v1.0.0
cp -r .genreleases/sdd-copilot-package-sh/. /mnt/c/Downloads/test-project-new5/

You can then just open the agent within that folder and test the implementation. I would rather not include too much testing logic in the CLI at this time.

[harikrishnan83]

Thank you for the contribution, @harikrishnan83, but at this time we will just keep this simple:

./.github/workflows/scripts/create-release-packages.sh v1.0.0
cp -r .genreleases/sdd-copilot-package-sh/. /mnt/c/Downloads/test-project-new5/

You can then just open the agent within that folder and test the implementation. I would rather not include too much testing logic in the CLI at this time.

Thanks, @localden. I agree on not including testing logic in CLI.
Based on your feedback, I have opened a PR #1002 to document the recommended local testing workflow.