gh-reqvire-org-reqvire-reqvire-claude-plugin/commands/rename-element.md

allowed-tools: Read, Bash(reqvire:*) argument-hint: [current-name] [new-name] description: Rename an existing element while updating all relations that reference it model: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929

Rename Element

Rename an existing model element while automatically updating all relation references throughout the model.

Current Model Context

• Total elements: !reqvire search --json | jq -r '.global_counters.total_elements'

User Request

${1:+Current element name: $1} ${2:+New element name: $2} ${1:-The user will provide element names.}

Steps

1. Understand the context:

   • Identify the element to rename (current name)
   • Determine the new name
   • Verify element exists in the model

2. Preview the rename operation:

   reqvire rename "<current-name>" "<new-name>" --dry-run
   

   This shows:

   • Which files will be modified
   • What relations will be updated
   • The identifier change (old → new)

3. Apply the rename:

   reqvire rename "<current-name>" "<new-name>"
   

   The rename command automatically:

   • Updates the element's heading text in the markdown file
   • Updates the element identifier in the registry
   • Updates all forward relations (from the element to others)
   • Updates all backward relations (from other elements to this one)
   • Maintains model consistency

4. Verify the changes:

   reqvire validate
   

Important Notes

• Global uniqueness: Element names are globally unique in Reqvire, so you only need the element name (not the full file path identifier)
• Automatic relation updates: All relations throughout the model are automatically updated
• Identifier format: The element identifier changes from <file>#<old-name-slug> to <file>#<new-name-slug>
• Name slugification: Element names are converted to slugs (lowercase, spaces → hyphens) for identifiers

Error Cases

The rename operation will fail with a clear error if:

• The current element name does not exist
• The new name conflicts with an existing element
• Multiple elements have the same name (should not happen due to uniqueness constraint)

Examples

Rename a requirement:

reqvire rename "User Authentication" "User Login Authentication"

Preview before renaming:

reqvire rename "Data Storage" "Persistent Data Storage" --dry-run

Get JSON output:

reqvire rename "Old Feature" "New Feature" --json

When to Use Rename

Use rename when:

• A requirement or verification needs a better name
• Terminology changes in the project
• Consolidating or clarifying element names
• Refactoring the model structure

Note: Rename only changes the element name and heading. To move an element to a different file, use reqvire mv instead.

Related Commands

• Move element: reqvire mv <element-name> <target-file>
• Remove element: reqvire rm <element-name>
• Add element: reqvire add <file> < element.md