Inconsistent backlog CLI UX: daily works from adapter defaults, delta status requires project-id and reports undocumented repo requirements

[danieldekay]

Summary

specfact backlog daily and specfact backlog delta status behave inconsistently for provider/config resolution and required options.

• backlog daily github works immediately.
• backlog delta status requires --project-id even when project config exists.
• after passing --project-id, runtime error asks for repo owner/name, but delta status -h exposes no repo flags.
• both snake_case and kebab-case repo flags are rejected as unknown.

Version / environment

• SpecFact CLI: v0.46.25
• OS: macOS

Config in repo

.specfact/backlog-config.yaml:

backlog_config:
  providers:
    github:
      adapter: github
      project_id: 'tangoatlas'
      settings:
        github_issue_types:
          type_ids: {}

Reproduction

1) Daily works with adapter argument

specfact backlog daily github

Result: succeeds and renders standup tables.

2) Delta status requires project-id

specfact backlog delta status

Result:

Missing option '--project-id'.

3) Passing positional adapter does not help

specfact backlog delta status github

Result:

Missing option '--project-id'.

4) Passing project-id triggers repo requirement

specfact backlog delta status --project-id tangoatlas

Result:

Error: repo_owner and repo_name required to fetch backlog items

5) repo flags are not available on command

specfact backlog delta status --project-id tangoatlas --repo-owner danieldekay --repo-name tangoatlas

Result:

No such option: --repo-owner

(and --repo_owner/--repo_name also fail)

Help output mismatch

specfact backlog delta status -h shows only:

• --project-id (required)
• --adapter (default github)
• --since
• --baseline-file
• --template

No repo owner/name options are exposed, but runtime still requires them.

Why this is a bug

The command contract is internally inconsistent:

1. runtime requires values that cannot be provided as flags on the command.
2. config/default resolution differs from backlog daily behavior, even under the same provider context.
3. error messages reference repo_owner/repo_name (snake_case) while CLI uses kebab-case naming elsewhere.

Expected behavior

Any of these would make behavior consistent and usable:

1. delta status should resolve repo/project from backlog config/provider defaults similarly to daily, OR
2. delta status should expose explicit --repo-owner and --repo-name options in help and accept them, OR
3. both.

Additionally, error text should use CLI-facing option names (kebab-case) and include exact remediation.

Reference

Backlog module docs page used for context:

• https://modules.specfact.io/bundles/backlog/overview/