fix: normalize line endings in markdown parser to handle CRLF files (#79)

Fixes validation errors on Windows by normalizing CRLF/CR line endings
to LF before parsing sections. Adds comprehensive test coverage for
CRLF handling in both unit and integration tests.

Author: TabishB

openspec/changes/update-markdown-parser-crlf/tasks.md

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 ## 1. Guard the regression
-- [ ] 1.1 Add a unit test that feeds a CRLF change document into `MarkdownParser.parseChange` and asserts `Why`/`What Changes` are detected.
-- [ ] 1.2 Add a CLI spawn/e2e test that writes a CRLF change, runs `openspec validate`, and expects success.
+- [x] 1.1 Add a unit test that feeds a CRLF change document into `MarkdownParser.parseChange` and asserts `Why`/`What Changes` are detected.
+- [x] 1.2 Add a CLI spawn/e2e test that writes a CRLF change, runs `openspec validate`, and expects success.
 
 ## 2. Normalize parsing
-- [ ] 2.1 Normalize line endings when constructing `MarkdownParser` so headers and content comparisons ignore `\r`.
-- [ ] 2.2 Ensure all CLI entry points (validate, view, spec conversion) reuse the normalized parser path.
+- [x] 2.1 Normalize line endings when constructing `MarkdownParser` so headers and content comparisons ignore `\r`.
+- [x] 2.2 Ensure all CLI entry points (validate, view, spec conversion) reuse the normalized parser path.
 
 ## 3. Document and verify
-- [ ] 3.1 Update the `cli-validate` spec with a scenario covering CRLF line endings.
-- [ ] 3.2 Run the parser and CLI test suites (`pnpm test`, relevant spawn tests) to confirm the fix.
+- [x] 3.1 Update the `cli-validate` spec with a scenario covering CRLF line endings.
+- [x] 3.2 Run the parser and CLI test suites (`pnpm test`, relevant spawn tests) to confirm the fix.

src/core/parsers/change-parser.ts

@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export class ChangeParser extends MarkdownParser {
 
   private parseRenames(content: string): Array<{ from: string; to: string }> {
     const renames: Array<{ from: string; to: string }> = [];
-    const lines = content.split('\n');
+    const lines = ChangeParser.normalizeContent(content).split('\n');
 
     let currentRename: { from?: string; to?: string } = {};
 
@@ -177,7 +177,8 @@ export class ChangeParser extends MarkdownParser {
   }
 
   private parseSectionsFromContent(content: string): Section[] {
-    const lines = content.split('\n');
+    const normalizedContent = ChangeParser.normalizeContent(content);
+    const lines = normalizedContent.split('\n');
     const sections: Section[] = [];
     const stack: Section[] = [];
 

src/core/parsers/markdown-parser.ts

@@ -12,10 +12,15 @@ export class MarkdownParser {
   private currentLine: number;
 
   constructor(content: string) {
-    this.lines = content.split('\n');
+    const normalized = MarkdownParser.normalizeContent(content);
+    this.lines = normalized.split('\n');
     this.currentLine = 0;
   }
 
+  protected static normalizeContent(content: string): string {
+    return content.replace(/\r\n?/g, '\n');
+  }
+
   parseSpec(name: string): Spec {
     const sections = this.parseSections();
     const purpose = this.findSection(sections, 'Purpose')?.content || '';

src/core/parsers/requirement-blocks.ts

@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ const REQUIREMENT_HEADER_REGEX = /^###\s*Requirement:\s*(.+)\s*$/;
  * Extracts the Requirements section from a spec file and parses requirement blocks.
  */
 export function extractRequirementsSection(content: string): RequirementsSectionParts {
-  const lines = content.split('\n');
+  const normalized = normalizeLineEndings(content);
+  const lines = normalized.split('\n');
   const reqHeaderIndex = lines.findIndex(l => /^##\s+Requirements\s*$/i.test(l));
 
   if (reqHeaderIndex === -1) {
@@ -102,11 +103,16 @@ export interface DeltaPlan {
   renamed: Array<{ from: string; to: string }>;
 }
 
+function normalizeLineEndings(content: string): string {
+  return content.replace(/\r\n?/g, '\n');
+}
+
 /**
  * Parse a delta-formatted spec change file content into a DeltaPlan with raw blocks.
  */
 export function parseDeltaSpec(content: string): DeltaPlan {
-  const sections = splitTopLevelSections(content);
+  const normalized = normalizeLineEndings(content);
+  const sections = splitTopLevelSections(normalized);
   const added = parseRequirementBlocksFromSection(sections['ADDED Requirements'] || '');
   const modified = parseRequirementBlocksFromSection(sections['MODIFIED Requirements'] || '');
   const removedNames = parseRemovedNames(sections['REMOVED Requirements'] || '');
@@ -136,7 +142,7 @@ function splitTopLevelSections(content: string): Record<string, string> {
 
 function parseRequirementBlocksFromSection(sectionBody: string): RequirementBlock[] {
   if (!sectionBody) return [];
-  const lines = sectionBody.split('\n');
+  const lines = normalizeLineEndings(sectionBody).split('\n');
   const blocks: RequirementBlock[] = [];
   let i = 0;
   while (i < lines.length) {
@@ -161,7 +167,7 @@ function parseRequirementBlocksFromSection(sectionBody: string): RequirementBloc
 function parseRemovedNames(sectionBody: string): string[] {
   if (!sectionBody) return [];
   const names: string[] = [];
-  const lines = sectionBody.split('\n');
+  const lines = normalizeLineEndings(sectionBody).split('\n');
   for (const line of lines) {
     const m = line.match(REQUIREMENT_HEADER_REGEX);
     if (m) {
@@ -180,7 +186,7 @@ function parseRemovedNames(sectionBody: string): string[] {
 function parseRenamedPairs(sectionBody: string): Array<{ from: string; to: string }> {
   if (!sectionBody) return [];
   const pairs: Array<{ from: string; to: string }> = [];
-  const lines = sectionBody.split('\n');
+  const lines = normalizeLineEndings(sectionBody).split('\n');
   let current: { from?: string; to?: string } = {};
   for (const line of lines) {
     const fromMatch = line.match(/^\s*-?\s*FROM:\s*`?###\s*Requirement:\s*(.+?)`?\s*$/);

test/commands/validate.test.ts

@@ -117,6 +117,46 @@ Given A\nWhen B\nThen C`;
       process.chdir(originalCwd);
     }
   });
+
+  it('accepts change proposals saved with CRLF line endings', async () => {
+    const changeId = 'crlf-change';
+    const toCrlf = (segments: string[]) => segments.join('\n').replace(/\n/g, '\r\n');
+
+    const crlfContent = toCrlf([
+      '# CRLF Proposal',
+      '',
+      '## Why',
+      'This change verifies validation works with Windows line endings.',
+      '',
+      '## What Changes',
+      '- **alpha:** Ensure validation passes on CRLF files',
+    ]);
+
+    await fs.mkdir(path.join(changesDir, changeId), { recursive: true });
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(changesDir, changeId, 'proposal.md'), crlfContent, 'utf-8');
+
+    const deltaContent = toCrlf([
+      '## ADDED Requirements',
+      '### Requirement: Parser SHALL accept CRLF change proposals',
+      'The parser SHALL accept CRLF change proposals without manual edits.',
+      '',
+      '#### Scenario: Validate CRLF change',
+      '- **WHEN** a developer runs openspec validate on the proposal',
+      '- **THEN** validation succeeds without section errors',
+    ]);
+
+    const deltaDir = path.join(changesDir, changeId, 'specs', 'alpha');
+    await fs.mkdir(deltaDir, { recursive: true });
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(deltaDir, 'spec.md'), deltaContent, 'utf-8');
+
+    const originalCwd = process.cwd();
+    try {
+      process.chdir(testDir);
+      expect(() => execSync(`node ${bin} validate ${changeId}`, { encoding: 'utf-8' })).not.toThrow();
+    } finally {
+      process.chdir(originalCwd);
+    }
+  });
 });
 
 

test/core/parsers/markdown-parser.test.ts

@@ -169,6 +169,25 @@ Some general description of changes without specific deltas`;
 
       expect(change.deltas).toHaveLength(0);
     });
+
+    it('parses change documents saved with CRLF line endings', () => {
+      const crlfContent = [
+        '# CRLF Change',
+        '',
+        '## Why',
+        'Reasons on Windows editors should parse like POSIX environments.',
+        '',
+        '## What Changes',
+        '- **alpha:** Add cross-platform parsing coverage',
+      ].join('\r\n');
+
+      const parser = new MarkdownParser(crlfContent);
+      const change = parser.parseChange('crlf-change');
+
+      expect(change.why).toContain('Windows editors should parse');
+      expect(change.deltas).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(change.deltas[0].spec).toBe('alpha');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('section parsing', () => {