[Bug]: /speckit-implement counts checkbox markers inside fenced code blocks — example checkboxes can falsely block implementation
- Dominant language
- Python
- Stars
- 137k
- Forks
- 12.3k
- Avg merge
- 2d 12h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 159
Description
## Version
spec-kit v1.0.1 (`.claude/skills/speckit-implement/SKILL.md`, "Check checklists status")
## Description
The checklist scan counts every `- [ ]` / `- [x]` / `- [X]` line in every checklist file, including lines inside fenced code blocks. A checklist that *documents* the checkbox format with an example fence therefore reports phantom unchecked items, and implementation is blocked by checkboxes that aren't real work items.
The clarify command already handles this correctly — `.claude/skills/speckit-clarify/SKILL.md` specifies parsing Markdown outside code fences — so this is an internal inconsistency between the two commands' parsers as much as a bug.
## Expected behavior
Count checkbox markers only outside fenced code blocks (same contract as the clarify parser), keeping the existing per-checklist total/checked/unchecked reporting.
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start with `.claude/skills/speckit-implement/SKILL.md`, at the “Check checklists status” instructions, and compare its checklist parsing contract with `.claude/skills/speckit-clarify/SKILL.md`. Verify the behavior using a checklist containing checkbox examples inside a fenced code block and real checklist items outside it. Done means fenced examples are ignored while per-checklist total, checked, and unchecked counts remain correct.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- markdown
- Domain
- cli
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Estimated time
- 1-3 hours
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 84/100