Migrating from v1.1 to v1.2
This guide is for existing Bare users upgrading from v1.1. New users: start with Understanding the output.
What changed
v1.1 wrote a .ai/ canonical directory to your project on every run — the CLI then copied content from .ai/ into adapter-specific files. This intermediate directory cluttered projects with files that no IDE natively reads.
v1.2 removes .ai/ entirely. Rules, lifecycle files, and agent instructions are rendered in memory and written directly to each IDE's native paths. You see only the files your selected IDE actually reads.
Before (v1.1)
my-backend/
├── .ai/
│ ├── AGENT.md
│ ├── lifecycle/ ← 7 stage files
│ ├── rules/ ← 10 rule files
│ ├── skills/ ← standalone skill files
│ ├── context/
│ └── tracking/
├── .cursor/ ← adapter files (sourced from .ai/)
└── CLAUDE.md ← adapter file (sourced from .ai/)After (v1.2)
my-backend/
├── .cursor/rules/ ← 9 rule files, written directly
├── .cursor/skills/ ← 7 lifecycle stage files, written directly
├── CLAUDE.md ← pointer index, written directly
├── .claude/rules/ ← 9 rule files
├── .claude/commands/ ← 7 lifecycle commands
└── .github/copilot-instructions.md ← all merged, written directlyComplete output path table (v1.2)
| Adapter | Rules | Lifecycle |
|---|---|---|
| Cursor | .cursor/rules/<rule>.mdc (9 files) + .cursor/rules/index.mdc | .cursor/skills/<stage>/SKILL.md (7 files) |
| Claude Code | .claude/rules/<rule>.md (9 files) + CLAUDE.md pointer index | .claude/commands/<stage>.md (7 files) |
| VS Code Copilot | .github/copilot-instructions.md (all rules merged) | Same file — ## Lifecycle: <Stage> sections |
| Windsurf | .windsurf/rules/<rule>.md (9 files) + .windsurfrules | .windsurf/rules/lifecycle-<stage>.md (7 files) |
| Antigravity | Not supported | .agents/workflows/<stage>.md (7 files) |
The data-layer-migrations rule is included only when an ORM was selected (Prisma, TypeORM, Drizzle, MikroORM, or Knex).
Bare rule changes (v1.1 → v1.2)
Two rule pairs were folded and two were renamed. If you have referenced or customized any of these files in a consumer project, rename or merge them before re-running the CLI.
| v1.1 output filename | v1.2 output filename | Change |
|---|---|---|
errors-logging-security.mdc / .md | errors-logging-observability.mdc / .md | Rename — security scope moved to auth-security |
api-patterns.mdc + architecture.mdc / .md | architecture-api.mdc / .md | Fold 2→1 |
external-integrations.mdc + async-patterns.mdc / .md | integrations-async.mdc / .md | Fold 2→1 |
data-layer.mdc / .md | data-layer-migrations.mdc / .md | Rename — suffix added |
Write mode on re-run
Re-running the CLI on an existing project backs up your existing adapter files by default:
bare --output ./my-backend # backs up to <file>.bare-backup
bare --output ./my-backend --write-mode overwrite # overwrites without backup
bare --output ./my-backend --write-mode skip-existing # skips existing filesManual cleanup
After confirming v1.2 output is correct for your project:
rm -rf .ai/The .ai/ directory is no longer written by v1.2 — it is safe to delete. Your IDE adapter files are now the source of truth.
FAQ
Why is .ai/ no longer generated?
.ai/ was an internal intermediate artifact that no IDE natively reads. v1.2 generates files directly in the paths your IDE expects, eliminating the intermediate step and the clutter.
Where do my rules live now?
In your IDE's native location — see the output path table above. For Cursor: .cursor/rules/<rule>.mdc. For Claude Code: .claude/rules/<rule>.md. For VS Code Copilot: .github/copilot-instructions.md. For Windsurf: .windsurf/rules/<rule>.md.
Can I revert to v1.1 output?
Yes — install the previous version: npm install -g backend-ai-starter-recipes@1.1.0. v1.1 docs are available via the version switcher in the nav.
What happened to standalone skills?
Standalone skills (plan-review, code-review, etc.) are no longer generated. The 7 lifecycle stages (Think → Reflect) cover the same workflow phases and are invoked directly from your IDE — see Lifecycle in practice.
Where did errors-logging-security.mdc go?
It was renamed to errors-logging-observability.mdc in v1.2. Security concerns (authz, input validation) moved to the new auth-security rule; observability (logging, error handling, tracing hooks) is now the focus of the renamed file. Same scope, more precise boundary.