new.md precedence

.doc/doki/doc/config.md

@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ All `config.yaml` files found are merged together. A project config only needs t
 
 Search order: user config dir (base) → `.doc/config.yaml` (project) → cwd (highest priority).
 
+### new.md (task template)
+
+`new.md` is searched in the same three locations but is **not merged** — the single highest-priority file found wins. If a project provides `.doc/new.md`, it completely replaces the user-level template. If no `new.md` is found anywhere, a built-in embedded template is used.
+
+Search order: user config dir → `.doc/new.md` (project) → cwd. Last match wins.
+
 ### workflow.yaml merging
 
 `workflow.yaml` is searched in all three locations. Files that exist are loaded and merged sequentially.

.doc/doki/doc/customization.md

@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ You can customize these to match your team's workflow. All filters and actions i
 ## Task Template
 
 When you create a new tiki — whether in the TUI or command line — field defaults come from a template file. 
-Place `new.md` in your user config directory to override the built-in defaults
+Place `new.md` in your config directory to override the built-in defaults
 The file uses YAML frontmatter for field defaults
 
 ### Built-in default

config/paths.go

@@ -327,6 +327,9 @@ func GetUserConfigWorkflowFile() string {
 // defaultWorkflowFilename is the default name for the workflow configuration file
 const defaultWorkflowFilename = "workflow.yaml"
 
+// templateFilename is the default name for the task template file
+const templateFilename = "new.md"
+
 // FindWorkflowFiles returns all workflow.yaml files that exist and have non-empty views.
 // Ordering: user config file first (base), then project config file (overrides), then cwd.
 // This lets LoadPlugins load the base and merge overrides on top.
@@ -397,9 +400,38 @@ func FindWorkflowFile() string {
 	return files[0]
 }
 
-// GetTemplateFile returns the path to the user's custom new.md template
-func GetTemplateFile() string {
-	return mustGetPathManager().TemplateFile()
+// FindTemplateFile returns the highest-priority new.md file that exists,
+// searching user config → .doc/ (project) → cwd. Returns empty string if
+// none found, in which case the caller should fall back to the embedded template.
+func FindTemplateFile() string {
+	pm := mustGetPathManager()
+
+	// candidate paths in discovery order: user config (base) → project → cwd (highest)
+	candidates := []string{
+		pm.TemplateFile(),
+		filepath.Join(pm.ProjectConfigDir(), templateFilename),
+		templateFilename,
+	}
+
+	var best string
+	seen := make(map[string]bool)
+
+	for _, path := range candidates {
+		abs, err := filepath.Abs(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			abs = path
+		}
+		if seen[abs] {
+			continue
+		}
+		if _, err := os.Stat(path); err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		seen[abs] = true
+		best = path
+	}
+
+	return best
 }
 
 // EnsureDirs creates all necessary directories with appropriate permissions

config/paths_test.go

@@ -293,7 +293,6 @@ func TestGlobalAccessorFunctions(t *testing.T) {
 		{"GetTaskDir", GetTaskDir},
 		{"GetDokiDir", GetDokiDir},
 		{"GetProjectConfigFile", GetProjectConfigFile},
-		{"GetTemplateFile", GetTemplateFile},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -344,6 +343,142 @@ func TestInitPaths(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestFindTemplateFile_CwdOverridesProject(t *testing.T) {
+	// user config with new.md
+	userDir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", userDir)
+	userTikiDir := filepath.Join(userDir, "tiki")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(userTikiDir, 0750); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(userTikiDir, "new.md"), []byte("---\npriority: 1\n---"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// project .doc/ with new.md
+	projectDir := t.TempDir()
+	docDir := filepath.Join(projectDir, ".doc")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(docDir, 0750); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(docDir, "new.md"), []byte("---\npriority: 2\n---"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// cwd with new.md (highest priority)
+	cwdDir := t.TempDir()
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(cwdDir, "new.md"), []byte("---\npriority: 3\n---"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	originalDir, _ := os.Getwd()
+	defer func() { _ = os.Chdir(originalDir) }()
+	_ = os.Chdir(cwdDir)
+
+	ResetPathManager()
+	pm := mustGetPathManager()
+	pm.projectRoot = projectDir
+
+	got := FindTemplateFile()
+	gotAbs, _ := filepath.Abs(got)
+	wantAbs, _ := filepath.Abs("new.md")
+	if gotAbs != wantAbs {
+		t.Errorf("FindTemplateFile() = %q, want cwd file %q", gotAbs, wantAbs)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFindTemplateFile_ProjectOverridesUser(t *testing.T) {
+	// user config with new.md
+	userDir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", userDir)
+	userTikiDir := filepath.Join(userDir, "tiki")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(userTikiDir, 0750); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(userTikiDir, "new.md"), []byte("---\npriority: 1\n---"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// project .doc/ with new.md
+	projectDir := t.TempDir()
+	docDir := filepath.Join(projectDir, ".doc")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(docDir, 0750); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(docDir, "new.md"), []byte("---\npriority: 2\n---"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// cwd with NO new.md
+	cwdDir := t.TempDir()
+	originalDir, _ := os.Getwd()
+	defer func() { _ = os.Chdir(originalDir) }()
+	_ = os.Chdir(cwdDir)
+
+	ResetPathManager()
+	pm := mustGetPathManager()
+	pm.projectRoot = projectDir
+
+	got := FindTemplateFile()
+	want := filepath.Join(docDir, "new.md")
+	if got != want {
+		t.Errorf("FindTemplateFile() = %q, want project file %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFindTemplateFile_UserOnlyFallback(t *testing.T) {
+	// user config with new.md
+	userDir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", userDir)
+	userTikiDir := filepath.Join(userDir, "tiki")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(userTikiDir, 0750); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(userTikiDir, "new.md"), []byte("---\npriority: 1\n---"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// no project .doc/, no cwd new.md
+	cwdDir := t.TempDir()
+	originalDir, _ := os.Getwd()
+	defer func() { _ = os.Chdir(originalDir) }()
+	_ = os.Chdir(cwdDir)
+
+	ResetPathManager()
+	pm := mustGetPathManager()
+	pm.projectRoot = cwdDir
+
+	got := FindTemplateFile()
+	want := filepath.Join(userTikiDir, "new.md")
+	if got != want {
+		t.Errorf("FindTemplateFile() = %q, want user config file %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFindTemplateFile_NoneFound(t *testing.T) {
+	// empty user config dir (no new.md)
+	userDir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", userDir)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(userDir, "tiki"), 0750); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// empty cwd
+	cwdDir := t.TempDir()
+	originalDir, _ := os.Getwd()
+	defer func() { _ = os.Chdir(originalDir) }()
+	_ = os.Chdir(cwdDir)
+
+	ResetPathManager()
+	pm := mustGetPathManager()
+	pm.projectRoot = cwdDir
+
+	got := FindTemplateFile()
+	if got != "" {
+		t.Errorf("FindTemplateFile() = %q, want empty string when no file exists", got)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestResetPathManager(t *testing.T) {
 	// Save original XDG
 	origXDG := os.Getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME")

store/tikistore/template.go

@@ -27,21 +27,23 @@ type templateFrontmatter struct {
 	Points     int      `yaml:"points"`
 }
 
-// loadTemplateTask reads new.md from user config directory, or falls back to embedded template.
+// loadTemplateTask reads new.md from the highest-priority location
+// (cwd > .doc/ > user config), or falls back to the embedded template.
 func loadTemplateTask() *taskpkg.Task {
-	// Try to load from user config directory first
-	templatePath := config.GetTemplateFile()
+	templatePath := config.FindTemplateFile()
+
+	if templatePath == "" {
+		slog.Debug("no new.md found in any search path, using embedded template")
+		return loadEmbeddedTemplate()
+	}
 
 	data, err := os.ReadFile(templatePath)
 	if err != nil {
-		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			slog.Debug("new.md not found in user config dir, using embedded template", "path", templatePath)
-			return loadEmbeddedTemplate()
-		}
 		slog.Warn("failed to read new.md template", "path", templatePath, "error", err)
 		return loadEmbeddedTemplate()
 	}
 
+	slog.Debug("loaded new.md template", "path", templatePath)
 	return parseTaskTemplate(data)
 }
 

store/tikistore/template_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+package tikistore
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/boolean-maybe/tiki/config"
+)
+
+func TestLoadTemplateTask_CwdWins(t *testing.T) {
+	// user config with priority 1
+	userDir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", userDir)
+	userTikiDir := filepath.Join(userDir, "tiki")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(userTikiDir, 0750); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(userTikiDir, "new.md"),
+		[]byte("---\ntitle: user\npriority: 1\ntype: story\nstatus: backlog\n---"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// cwd with priority 5 (should win)
+	cwdDir := t.TempDir()
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(cwdDir, "new.md"),
+		[]byte("---\ntitle: cwd\npriority: 5\ntype: bug\nstatus: backlog\n---"), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	originalDir, _ := os.Getwd()
+	defer func() { _ = os.Chdir(originalDir) }()
+	_ = os.Chdir(cwdDir)
+
+	config.ResetPathManager()
+
+	task := loadTemplateTask()
+	if task == nil {
+		t.Fatal("loadTemplateTask() returned nil")
+	}
+	if task.Title != "cwd" {
+		t.Errorf("title = %q, want \"cwd\"", task.Title)
+	}
+	if task.Priority != 5 {
+		t.Errorf("priority = %d, want 5", task.Priority)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoadTemplateTask_EmbeddedFallback(t *testing.T) {
+	// no new.md anywhere
+	userDir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", userDir)
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(userDir, "tiki"), 0750); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	cwdDir := t.TempDir()
+	originalDir, _ := os.Getwd()
+	defer func() { _ = os.Chdir(originalDir) }()
+	_ = os.Chdir(cwdDir)
+
+	config.ResetPathManager()
+
+	task := loadTemplateTask()
+	if task == nil {
+		t.Fatal("loadTemplateTask() returned nil, expected embedded template")
+	}
+	// embedded template has type: story and status: backlog
+	if task.Type != "story" {
+		t.Errorf("type = %q, want \"story\" from embedded template", task.Type)
+	}
+	if task.Status != "backlog" {
+		t.Errorf("status = %q, want \"backlog\" from embedded template", task.Status)
+	}
+}