Supported AI Assistants

Buildforce works with 11 AI coding assistants through slash command integration. During initialization, command files are installed into your chosen assistant's configuration folder.

Supported Assistants

How Configuration Works

Buildforce installs slash command files into your AI assistant's configuration folder during initialization:

Command Files Installed

.cursor/commands/          # Example with Cursor
├── buildforce.research.md
├── buildforce.spec.md
├── buildforce.build.md
├── buildforce.complete.md
└── buildforce.document.md

What These Files Contain

Each command file is a markdown template that:

• Defines the command syntax and behavior
• Provides usage instructions for the AI assistant
• Links to Buildforce scripts and templates
• Enables the / prefix command invocation

Installation

During Init

Choose your AI assistant during initialization:

buildforce init .

? Which AI assistant are you using?
❯ Claude Code
  Cursor
  GitHub Copilot
  Windsurf
  Gemini CLI
  ... (6 more)

Buildforce automatically:

1. Creates the configuration folder (e.g., .cursor/commands/)
2. Copies slash command files into it
3. Sets up .buildforce/ directory structure

Specify Assistant Flag

Or specify your assistant directly:

# Install for Cursor
buildforce init . --ai cursor

# Install for Claude Code
buildforce init . --ai claude

# Install for Windsurf
buildforce init . --ai windsurf

Switching Assistants

You can manually switch assistants by copying command files:

# Switch from Cursor to Claude Code
cp .cursor/commands/buildforce.*.md .claude/commands/

# Switch from Claude Code to Windsurf
cp .claude/commands/buildforce.*.md .windsurf/commands/

Or run init again with a different assistant:

buildforce init . --ai windsurf

Using Commands

Once installed, invoke commands directly in your AI assistant chat:

# Works in any supported assistant
/research authentication patterns in this codebase
/spec Add JWT authentication with token refresh
/build
/complete

The AI assistant recognizes the / prefix and executes the command using the installed markdown templates.

Configuration Folders Explained

Each AI assistant follows a specific folder convention:

Claude Code

.claude/
└── commands/
    └── buildforce.*.md

Cursor

.cursor/
└── commands/
    └── buildforce.*.md

GitHub Copilot

.github/
└── commands/
    └── buildforce.*.md

Windsurf

.windsurf/
└── commands/
    └── buildforce.*.md

What Gets Installed

Beyond command files, Buildforce installs:

project-root/
├── .buildforce/
│   ├── context/              # Context repository
│   ├── specs/                # Feature specs and plans
│   ├── templates/            # YAML templates
│   ├── scripts/              # Bash/PowerShell scripts
│   └── buildforce.json       # Configuration
└── .cursor/commands/         # Or your AI assistant folder
    ├── buildforce.research.md
    ├── buildforce.spec.md
    ├── buildforce.build.md
    ├── buildforce.complete.md
    └── buildforce.document.md

Troubleshooting

Commands Not Recognized

Problem: AI assistant doesn't recognize /research, /spec, etc.

Solutions:

1. Verify command files exist in correct folder
2. Check folder matches your AI assistant
3. Restart AI assistant to reload commands
4. Re-run buildforce init . --ai [your-assistant]

Wrong Assistant Folder

Problem: Used --ai cursor but files went to .claude/

Solutions:

1. Check buildforce.json for aiAssistant value
2. Manually copy files to correct folder
3. Delete .buildforce/ and re-init with correct flag

Multiple Assistants

Problem: Team uses different AI assistants

Solutions:

1. Copy commands to multiple folders:

cp .cursor/commands/buildforce.*.md .claude/commands/
cp .cursor/commands/buildforce.*.md .windsurf/commands/

2. Commit all folders:

git add .cursor/ .claude/ .windsurf/
git commit -m "Support multiple AI assistants"

Version Compatibility

Buildforce commands are compatible with:

• Claude Code - All versions
• Cursor - v0.40+
• GitHub Copilot - With custom commands enabled
• Windsurf - All versions
• Other assistants - Varies by slash command support

Check your AI assistant's documentation for slash command feature availability.

Next Steps

• Quick Start - Install and run your first workflow
• Commands Overview - Learn all slash commands
• Contributing - Add support for new AI assistants