Rename default PRD name from main to default

cmd/chief/commands/root.go

@@ -169,9 +169,11 @@ func runTUI(command *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 func runTUIWithOptions(prdPath string, provider loop.Provider) error {
 	// If no PRD specified, try to find one
 	if prdPath == "" {
-		mainPath := ".chief/prds/main/prd.md"
-		if _, err := os.Stat(mainPath); err == nil {
-			prdPath = mainPath
+		// Try "default" first, falling back to the legacy "main" name so
+		// existing projects created before the rename keep working.
+		defaultPath := fmt.Sprintf(".chief/prds/%s/prd.md", cmd.ResolveDefaultPRDName("."))
+		if _, err := os.Stat(defaultPath); err == nil {
+			prdPath = defaultPath
 		} else {
 			prdPath = findAvailablePRD()
 		}

docs/reference/cli.md

@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ chief new [name] [context]
 
 | Argument | Description |
 |----------|-------------|
-| `name` | PRD name (optional, defaults to `main`). Must contain only letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. |
+| `name` | PRD name (optional, defaults to `default`). Must contain only letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. |
 | `context` | Additional context to pass to the agent (optional). Included in the PRD creation prompt. |
 
 **How it works:**
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ chief new [name] [context]
 **Examples:**
 
 ```bash
-# Create a new PRD (defaults to name "main")
+# Create a new PRD (defaults to name "default")
 chief new
 
 # Create a named PRD

internal/cmd/edit.go

@@ -12,24 +12,24 @@ import (
 
 // EditOptions contains configuration for the edit command.
 type EditOptions struct {
-	Name     string        // PRD name (default: "main")
+	Name     string        // PRD name (default: "default")
 	BaseDir  string        // Base directory for .chief/prds/ (default: current directory)
 	Provider loop.Provider // Agent CLI provider (Claude or Codex)
 }
 
 // RunEdit edits an existing PRD by launching an interactive Claude session.
 func RunEdit(opts EditOptions) error {
 	// Set defaults
-	if opts.Name == "" {
-		opts.Name = "main"
-	}
 	if opts.BaseDir == "" {
 		cwd, err := os.Getwd()
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get current directory: %w", err)
 		}
 		opts.BaseDir = cwd
 	}
+	if opts.Name == "" {
+		opts.Name = ResolveDefaultPRDName(opts.BaseDir)
+	}
 
 	// Validate name
 	if !isValidPRDName(opts.Name) {

internal/cmd/edit_test.go

@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ func TestRunEditRejectsInvalidName(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestRunEditDefaultsToMain(t *testing.T) {
+func TestRunEditDefaultsToLegacyMainForBackwardCompat(t *testing.T) {
 	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
 
-	// Create main prd.md
+	// Create main prd.md (the pre-rename default location)
 	prdDir := filepath.Join(tmpDir, ".chief", "prds", "main")
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(prdDir, 0755); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to create directory: %v", err)
@@ -55,21 +55,25 @@ func TestRunEditDefaultsToMain(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to create prd.md: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	// Test with empty name (should default to main)
-	opts := EditOptions{
-		Name:    "", // Empty should default to "main"
-		BaseDir: tmpDir,
+	// Existing projects created before the "default" rename must keep
+	// resolving to their "main" PRD when no name is given.
+	resolved := ResolveDefaultPRDName(tmpDir)
+	if resolved != "main" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected empty name to resolve to legacy 'main', got %q", resolved)
 	}
 
-	// We can't fully test RunEdit without Claude, but we can verify
-	// the name defaulting logic by checking if it would find the file
-	if opts.Name == "" {
-		opts.Name = "main"
+	prdPath := filepath.Join(tmpDir, ".chief", "prds", resolved, "prd.md")
+	if _, err := os.Stat(prdPath); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		t.Error("Expected default name to resolve to existing prd.md")
 	}
+}
 
-	prdPath := filepath.Join(tmpDir, ".chief", "prds", opts.Name, "prd.md")
-	if _, err := os.Stat(prdPath); os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		t.Error("Expected default name 'main' to resolve to existing prd.md")
+func TestRunEditDefaultsToDefaultForNewProjects(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	resolved := ResolveDefaultPRDName(tmpDir)
+	if resolved != "default" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected empty name to resolve to 'default' when no PRD exists, got %q", resolved)
 	}
 }
 

internal/cmd/new.go

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 
 // NewOptions contains configuration for the new command.
 type NewOptions struct {
-	Name     string        // PRD name (default: "main")
+	Name     string        // PRD name (default: "default")
 	Context  string        // Optional context to pass to the agent
 	BaseDir  string        // Base directory for .chief/prds/ (default: current directory)
 	Provider loop.Provider // Agent CLI provider (Claude or Codex)
@@ -24,16 +24,16 @@ type NewOptions struct {
 // RunNew creates a new PRD by launching an interactive agent session.
 func RunNew(opts NewOptions) error {
 	// Set defaults
-	if opts.Name == "" {
-		opts.Name = "main"
-	}
 	if opts.BaseDir == "" {
 		cwd, err := os.Getwd()
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get current directory: %w", err)
 		}
 		opts.BaseDir = cwd
 	}
+	if opts.Name == "" {
+		opts.Name = ResolveDefaultPRDName(opts.BaseDir)
+	}
 
 	// Validate name (alphanumeric, -, _)
 	if !isValidPRDName(opts.Name) {
@@ -111,3 +111,29 @@ func isValidPRDName(name string) bool {
 	}
 	return true
 }
+
+// DefaultPRDName is the name used for the default PRD directory
+// (.chief/prds/default/) when no name is given.
+const DefaultPRDName = "default"
+
+// legacyDefaultPRDName is the default PRD directory name used before the
+// rename to "default" and is kept for backward compatibility.
+const legacyDefaultPRDName = "main"
+
+// ResolveDefaultPRDName determines which PRD name to use when the caller
+// didn't specify one. It prefers "default", the current convention, but
+// falls back to "main" when a PRD already exists there and no "default"
+// PRD has been created yet, so existing projects keep working unchanged.
+func ResolveDefaultPRDName(baseDir string) string {
+	defaultPath := filepath.Join(baseDir, ".chief", "prds", DefaultPRDName, "prd.md")
+	if _, err := os.Stat(defaultPath); err == nil {
+		return DefaultPRDName
+	}
+
+	legacyPath := filepath.Join(baseDir, ".chief", "prds", legacyDefaultPRDName, "prd.md")
+	if _, err := os.Stat(legacyPath); err == nil {
+		return legacyDefaultPRDName
+	}
+
+	return DefaultPRDName
+}

internal/cmd/new_test.go

@@ -36,6 +36,25 @@ func TestIsValidPRDName(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRunNewDefaultNameTargetsExistingLegacyMain(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	// A project created before the "default" rename has its PRD at "main".
+	prdDir := filepath.Join(tmpDir, ".chief", "prds", "main")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(prdDir, 0755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create directory: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(prdDir, "prd.md"), []byte("# Main PRD"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create prd.md: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	opts := NewOptions{BaseDir: tmpDir}
+	err := RunNew(opts)
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "already exists") {
+		t.Errorf("Expected 'chief new' with no name to resolve to the existing 'main' PRD and report it already exists, got: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRunNewCreatesDirectory(t *testing.T) {
 	// Create a temporary directory for testing
 	tmpDir := t.TempDir()

internal/cmd/status.go

@@ -10,24 +10,24 @@ import (
 
 // StatusOptions contains configuration for the status command.
 type StatusOptions struct {
-	Name    string // PRD name (default: "main")
+	Name    string // PRD name (default: "default")
 	BaseDir string // Base directory for .chief/prds/ (default: current directory)
 }
 
 // RunStatus prints progress for a PRD.
 // Returns nil on success, error otherwise. Exit code should be 0 on success.
 func RunStatus(opts StatusOptions) error {
 	// Set defaults
-	if opts.Name == "" {
-		opts.Name = "main"
-	}
 	if opts.BaseDir == "" {
 		cwd, err := os.Getwd()
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get current directory: %w", err)
 		}
 		opts.BaseDir = cwd
 	}
+	if opts.Name == "" {
+		opts.Name = ResolveDefaultPRDName(opts.BaseDir)
+	}
 
 	// Build PRD path
 	prdPath := filepath.Join(opts.BaseDir, ".chief", "prds", opts.Name, "prd.md")

internal/tui/first_time_setup.go

@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func NewFirstTimeSetup(baseDir string, showGitignore bool) *FirstTimeSetup {
 	ti.Placeholder = ""
 	ti.CharLimit = maxPRDNameLength
 	ti.Width = prdNameModalWidth(0) - 8
-	ti.SetValue("main")
+	ti.SetValue("default")
 	ti.CursorEnd()
 	ti.Focus()
 

internal/tui/first_time_setup_test.go

@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ func sendKey(t *testing.T, f FirstTimeSetup, msg tea.KeyMsg) FirstTimeSetup {
 
 func TestPRDName_InitialCursorAtEnd(t *testing.T) {
 	setup := NewFirstTimeSetup(t.TempDir(), false)
-	if got, want := setup.ti.Value(), "main"; got != want {
+	if got, want := setup.ti.Value(), "default"; got != want {
 		t.Fatalf("initial value: got %q, want %q", got, want)
 	}
-	if got, want := setup.ti.Position(), len("main"); got != want {
+	if got, want := setup.ti.Position(), len("default"); got != want {
 		t.Fatalf("initial cursor position: got %d, want %d", got, want)
 	}
 }