[BUG] compile --help and unknown-target error omit the accepted `intellij` target (advertised != accepted)

[danielmeppiel]

Describe the bug

The intellij target is accepted by apm compile (it runs, exits 0, and generates output) but is omitted from that command's own help text and from its unknown-target error listing. So the set of targets APM advertises for compile is narrower than the set it accepts. install --help lists intellij (4 mentions); compile --help and the compile unknown-target error list it 0 times.

To Reproduce

Baseline SHA: 26d8cee8a4079bb3d31956f1b57d343654835fc8.

1. apm compile --help -> count occurrences of intellij -> 0.
2. apm install --help -> count occurrences of intellij -> 4 (present).
3. apm compile --target bogus (invalid) -> error lists valid targets, but the listing omits intellij.
4. apm compile --target intellij in a project with a compilable primitive -> exit 0, generates output (e.g. AGENTS.md). So the target is real and accepted, just undocumented at this entry point.

Expected behavior

The advertised target set (help text + invalid-target error listing) must equal the accepted target set for every command that takes --target. If compile accepts intellij, its help and error listings must include it; conversely a target that is not accepted must not be advertised.

Environment

• OS: macOS
• APM Version: 0.24.1 (26d8cee8a)

Root-cause (architecture)

Architecture cluster r2-target-capability-catalog-drift (recommendation: canonical-owner refactor). Target identity is spread across sibling constants/paths (e.g. src/apm_cli/core/target_detection.py: VALID_TARGET_VALUES, KNOWN_TARGETS, RUNTIME_TO_CANONICAL_TARGET, plus per-command help strings). Each command surface reads a different subset, so help/error/acceptance drift apart. Recommended: a single target-capability catalog that every command's acceptance, help rendering, and invalid-target error derive from, so "accepted" and "advertised" cannot diverge. Vendor-neutral, native target names only, no translation layer.

Additional context

Authorized first-party reliability/regression validation (red-team Round 2). Independently reproduced twice (finder != confirmer) with control and cleanup verification. Same catalog surface previously touched by #1957/#2041 (intellij validation); this finding is the help/error advertisement gap, distinct from acceptance.

[github-actions]

Triage Panel Verdict

Issue: [BUG] compile --help and unknown-target error omit the accepted intellij target (advertised != accepted)
Mode: OPT_IN_RETRIAGE (triggered by status/needs-triage)

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Panel findings

DevX UX Expert

Confirmed bug. The help text and invalid-target error message for apm compile are authoritative developer-facing surfaces -- when they disagree with actual runtime behavior, users lose trust in the tool's self-documentation. The reproduction steps are explicit and unambiguous: compile --target intellij exits 0 and produces output, but compile --help and the invalid-target error listing both omit intellij. This violates the basic principle that advertised == accepted for every command that takes --target.

The bounded fix is clear: ensure intellij appears in compile's help string and invalid-target error listing alongside all other accepted targets. The architectural root cause (target identity spread across VALID_TARGET_VALUES, KNOWN_TARGETS, RUNTIME_TO_CANONICAL_TARGET, plus per-command help strings) is a known drift surface and the recommended canonical-target-catalog refactor is the right long-term fix -- but it need not block the immediate documentation gap.

Supply Chain Security Expert

No security surface involved. This is a pure CLI self-documentation inconsistency. Pass-through.

APM CEO Arbiter

Confirmed, well-scoped, actionable. This is the advertisement gap introduced when #1957/#2041 landed intellij acceptance in compile without updating all help/error advertisement surfaces -- a classic "feature lands in runtime, misses help strings" regression. The r2-target-capability-catalog-drift root-cause cluster cited in the report is accurate; a canonical target-capability catalog that every command's acceptance, help rendering, and error path derives from is the right architectural answer. That refactor is a separate, larger effort; the immediate fix (add intellij to compile's advertisement layer) is bounded and should be done quickly.

priority/high is appropriate: this actively misleads users exploring compile targets and erodes trust in the tool's self-documentation. The bug is real, not cosmetic.

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Decision

Dimension	Decision	Rationale
Type	type/bug (confirmed)	Advertised != accepted invariant violated
Area	area/cli, area/multi-target (confirmed)	CLI help surface + multi-target catalog
Priority	priority/high	User-visible, actively misleading self-documentation
Theme	none	CLI self-documentation bug; no governance/portability/security angle
Milestone	defer to maintainer	No milestone currently set; maintainer to place in next planned patch

Suggested next action

1. Immediate: Update compile --help and the invalid-target error listing to include intellij alongside all other accepted targets. The acceptance path already works (compile --target intellij exits 0).
2. Follow-up (separate issue/PR): Canonical target-capability catalog refactor -- single source of truth for target names, capabilities, and descriptions that every command's acceptance logic, help rendering, and error path derives from. This prevents future advertised != accepted drift across all target-aware commands.

Related: #1957, #2041.

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Triage status: agentic proposal pending human ratification.
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Posted by the Triage Panel workflow. See .apm/skills/apm-triage-panel for the panel skill.

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