Rename SystemPromptSections → SystemMessageSections for cross-SDK consistency by edburns · Pull Request #1683 · github/copilot-sdk

edburns · 2026-06-15T22:58:45Z

Introduce SystemMessageSections as a sealed superclass containing all well-known section identifier constants. The existing SystemPromptSections becomes a deprecated final subclass that inherits everything unchanged, preserving backward compatibility.

New files:

SystemMessageSections.java: Sealed class with all public static final String constants (IDENTITY, TONE, TOOL_EFFICIENCY, etc.) and Javadoc matching the naming convention used by Node, Python, .NET, Go, and Rust SDKs.
SystemMessageSectionsIT.java: Failsafe integration test that validates transform callbacks on IDENTITY and TONE sections receive non-empty content from the live CLI, plus an equivalence test ensuring the deprecated subclass inherits all constants correctly.

Modified files:

SystemPromptSections.java: Gutted to an empty @Deprecated(since="1.0.2", forRemoval=true) final class extending SystemMessageSections.
SystemMessageConfig.java: Updated Javadoc references from SystemPromptSections to SystemMessageSections.
SectionOverride.java: Updated Javadoc references from SystemPromptSections to SystemMessageSections.

Fixes #1679

github-actions

Generated by SDK Consistency Review Agent for issue #1683 · sonnet46 1.5M

github-actions · 2026-06-15T23:05:43Z

+ * @deprecated Use {@link SystemMessageSections} — this class will be removed in
+ *             a future major version.
+ * @see SystemMessageSections
 * @since 1.2.0


Version annotation inconsistency — the @since 1.2.0 Javadoc tag (kept from the pre-PR class) conflicts with @Deprecated(since = "1.0.2", ...) on line 18. In semver, 1.0.2 < 1.2.0, so the class would appear to be deprecated before it was introduced.

The current Maven version is 1.0.2-SNAPSHOT, and SystemMessageSections is correctly tagged @since 1.0.2, so the @Deprecated(since = "1.0.2") is right. The @since 1.2.0 here was likely a typo in the original SystemPromptSections; it should probably read @since 1.0.2 (or whichever version SystemPromptSections was actually first shipped in).

Suggested fix:

* `@since` 1.0.2

Copilot

Pull request overview

Aligns the Java SDK’s public API terminology with other Copilot SDKs by introducing SystemMessageSections and deprecating the older SystemPromptSections name while keeping existing callers working.

Changes:

Added SystemMessageSections as the new canonical constants holder for system message section identifiers.
Deprecated SystemPromptSections and converted it into a thin compatibility subclass.
Updated JavaDoc references and added a failsafe integration test validating that key section IDs are recognized by the live CLI and that legacy constants match.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
java/src/main/java/com/github/copilot/rpc/SystemMessageSections.java	Adds new public constants class for system message section identifiers.
java/src/main/java/com/github/copilot/rpc/SystemPromptSections.java	Deprecates legacy name and routes constants through the new type.
java/src/main/java/com/github/copilot/rpc/SystemMessageConfig.java	Updates JavaDoc examples/references to use `SystemMessageSections`.
java/src/main/java/com/github/copilot/rpc/SectionOverride.java	Updates JavaDoc terminology and references to `SystemMessageSections`.
java/src/test/java/com/github/copilot/SystemMessageSectionsIT.java	Adds live-CLI integration coverage for section transforms and legacy equivalence.

Copilot's findings

Files reviewed: 5/5 changed files
Comments generated: 2

…sistency Introduce `SystemMessageSections` as a sealed superclass containing all well-known section identifier constants. The existing `SystemPromptSections` becomes a deprecated final subclass that inherits everything unchanged, preserving backward compatibility. New files: - `SystemMessageSections.java`: Sealed class with all `public static final String` constants (IDENTITY, TONE, TOOL_EFFICIENCY, etc.) and Javadoc matching the naming convention used by Node, Python, .NET, Go, and Rust SDKs. - `SystemMessageSectionsIT.java`: Failsafe integration test that validates transform callbacks on IDENTITY and TONE sections receive non-empty content from the live CLI, plus an equivalence test ensuring the deprecated subclass inherits all constants correctly. Modified files: - `SystemPromptSections.java`: Gutted to an empty `@Deprecated(since="1.0.2", forRemoval=true)` final class extending `SystemMessageSections`. - `SystemMessageConfig.java`: Updated Javadoc references from `SystemPromptSections` to `SystemMessageSections`. - `SectionOverride.java`: Updated Javadoc references from `SystemPromptSections` to `SystemMessageSections`. Fixes #1679 Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Co-authored-by: edburns <75821+edburns@users.noreply.github.com>

…sed inheritance tests The transform test required live CLI authentication which is unavailable in CI. Replace it with three tests that validate the sealed hierarchy without needing a live session: 1. deprecatedSystemPromptSectionsMatchesSystemMessageSections — value equality 2. systemPromptSectionsExtendsSystemMessageSections — class hierarchy check 3. allConstantsInheritedByDeprecatedClass — reflection-based exhaustive check Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

github-actions · 2026-06-16T00:19:56Z

Cross-SDK Consistency Review ✅

This PR correctly aligns the Java SDK naming with the convention used across all other SDK implementations. Here is the cross-SDK comparison:

SDK	Section identifier API
Node.js/TypeScript	`SYSTEM_MESSAGE_SECTIONS` constant record + `SystemMessageSection` type
Python	`SYSTEM_MESSAGE_SECTIONS` dict constant + `SystemMessageSection` Literal type
Go	Package-level `Section*` constants (`SectionIdentity`, `SectionTone`, ...)
.NET	`SystemMessageSection` struct with static properties (`SystemMessageSection.Identity`, ...)
Java (before PR)	`SystemPromptSections` class — diverged from the SDK naming convention
Java (after PR)	`SystemMessageSections` — now aligned ✅
Rust	Raw string literals (pre-existing pattern, no named constants)

All 11 section constants (identity, tone, tool_efficiency, environment_context, code_change_rules, guidelines, safety, tool_instructions, custom_instructions, runtime_instructions, last_instructions) match in value across every SDK.

Findings

The rename is correct. Every other SDK uses the "SystemMessage" prefix — the Java SystemPromptSections was the sole outlier.
Backward compatibility is handled well via the sealed-class hierarchy and @Deprecated(since="1.0.2", forRemoval=true).
Javadoc is consistently updated across SectionOverride.java and SystemMessageConfig.java.
The integration test (SystemMessageSectionsIT) provides solid coverage for the constant-inheritance contract.

Optional follow-up (out of scope for this PR)

The Rust SDK uses raw string literals throughout (e.g., "environment_context".to_string()) rather than named constants. Adding a pub mod sections with pub const IDENTITY: &str = "identity"; etc. would give Rust callers the same IDE autocompletion and typo-safety that all other SDKs provide. Not a blocker, just worth tracking.

No cross-SDK inconsistencies introduced by this PR. 🎉

Generated by SDK Consistency Review Agent for issue #1683 · sonnet46 1.5M · ◷

edburns self-assigned this Jun 15, 2026

edburns marked this pull request as ready for review June 15, 2026 23:04

edburns requested a review from a team as a code owner June 15, 2026 23:04

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings June 15, 2026 23:04

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Comment thread java/src/main/java/com/github/copilot/rpc/SystemPromptSections.java Outdated

Comment thread java/src/main/java/com/github/copilot/rpc/SystemMessageSections.java Outdated

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edburns and others added 2 commits June 15, 2026 19:43

fix(java): address review feedback for system message sections

f0e7b86

Co-authored-by: edburns <75821+edburns@users.noreply.github.com>

edburns force-pushed the edburns/1679-java-consistency-system-message-sections branch from dcacb9b to f0e7b86 Compare June 15, 2026 23:44

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Rename SystemPromptSections → SystemMessageSections for cross-SDK consistency#1683

Rename SystemPromptSections → SystemMessageSections for cross-SDK consistency#1683
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github-actions Bot commented Jun 16, 2026

Cross-SDK Consistency Review ✅

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