Default issue sort to priority instead of requiring configuration

.gitignore

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 .aider.*
 .config/linear.toml
-
+.idea/
 src/__codegen__/
 npm

skills/linear-cli/references/issue.md

@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ Options:
   -s, --state      <state>         - Filter by issue state (can be repeated for multiple states)                      (Default: [ "unstarted" ], Values: "triage", "backlog",
                                                                                                                       "unstarted", "started", "completed", "canceled")       
   --all-states                     - Show issues from all states                                                                                                             
-  --sort           <sort>          - Sort order (can also be set via LINEAR_ISSUE_SORT)                               (Values: "manual", "priority")                         
+  --sort           <sort>          - Sort order (default: priority, can also be set via LINEAR_ISSUE_SORT)            (Values: "manual", "priority")                         
   --team           <team>          - Team to list issues for (if not your default team)                                                                                      
   --project        <project>       - Filter by project (UUID, slug ID, or name)                                                                                              
   --project-label  <projectLabel>  - Filter by project label name (shows issues from all projects with this label)                                                           

src/commands/issue/issue-mine.ts

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export const mineCommand = new Command()
   )
   .option(
     "--sort <sort:sort>",
-    "Sort order (can also be set via LINEAR_ISSUE_SORT)",
+    "Sort order (default: priority, can also be set via LINEAR_ISSUE_SORT)",
     {
       required: false,
     },
@@ -179,12 +179,8 @@ export const mineCommand = new Command()
         }
 
         const sort = sortFlag ||
-          getOption("issue_sort") as "manual" | "priority" | undefined
-        if (!sort) {
-          throw new ValidationError(
-            "Sort must be provided via command line flag, configuration file, or LINEAR_ISSUE_SORT environment variable",
-          )
-        }
+          (getOption("issue_sort") as "manual" | "priority" | undefined) ||
+          "priority"
         if (!SortType.values().includes(sort)) {
           throw new ValidationError(
             `Sort must be one of: ${SortType.values().join(", ")}`,

src/utils/linear.ts

@@ -593,17 +593,9 @@ export async function fetchIssuesForState(
   createdAfter?: string,
   updatedAfter?: string,
 ) {
-  const sort = sortParam ??
-    getOption("issue_sort") as "manual" | "priority" | undefined
-  if (!sort) {
-    throw new ValidationError(
-      "Sort must be provided",
-      {
-        suggestion:
-          "Use --sort parameter, set in configuration file, or set LINEAR_ISSUE_SORT environment variable",
-      },
-    )
-  }
+  const sort: "manual" | "priority" = sortParam ??
+    (getOption("issue_sort") as "manual" | "priority" | undefined) ??
+    "priority"
 
   const filter: IssueFilter = {
     team: { key: { eq: teamKey } },

test/commands/issue/__snapshots__/issue-list.test.ts.snap

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Options:
   -s, --state      <state>         - Filter by issue state (can be repeated for multiple states)                      (Default: [ \\x1b[32m"unstarted"\\x1b[39m ], Values: \\x1b[32m"triage"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"backlog"\\x1b[39m,
                                                                                                                       \\x1b[32m"unstarted"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"started"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"completed"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"canceled"\\x1b[39m)       
   --all-states                     - Show issues from all states                                                                                                             
-  --sort           <sort>          - Sort order (can also be set via LINEAR_ISSUE_SORT)                               (Values: \\x1b[32m"manual"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"priority"\\x1b[39m)                         
+  --sort           <sort>          - Sort order (default: priority, can also be set via LINEAR_ISSUE_SORT)            (Values: \\x1b[32m"manual"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"priority"\\x1b[39m)                         
   --team           <team>          - Team to list issues for (if not your default team)                                                                                      
   --project        <project>       - Filter by project (UUID, slug ID, or name)                                                                                              
   --project-label  <projectLabel>  - Filter by project label name (shows issues from all projects with this label)                                                           

test/commands/issue/__snapshots__/issue-mine.test.ts.snap

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Options:
   -s, --state      <state>         - Filter by issue state (can be repeated for multiple states)                      (Default: [ \\x1b[32m"unstarted"\\x1b[39m ], Values: \\x1b[32m"triage"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"backlog"\\x1b[39m,
                                                                                                                       \\x1b[32m"unstarted"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"started"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"completed"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"canceled"\\x1b[39m)       
   --all-states                     - Show issues from all states                                                                                                             
-  --sort           <sort>          - Sort order (can also be set via LINEAR_ISSUE_SORT)                               (Values: \\x1b[32m"manual"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"priority"\\x1b[39m)                         
+  --sort           <sort>          - Sort order (default: priority, can also be set via LINEAR_ISSUE_SORT)            (Values: \\x1b[32m"manual"\\x1b[39m, \\x1b[32m"priority"\\x1b[39m)                         
   --team           <team>          - Team to list issues for (if not your default team)                                                                                      
   --project        <project>       - Filter by project (UUID, slug ID, or name)                                                                                              
   --project-label  <projectLabel>  - Filter by project label name (shows issues from all projects with this label)                                                           

test/commands/issue/issue-mine.test.ts

@@ -120,6 +120,88 @@ Deno.test("Issue Mine Command - Filter By Label", async () => {
   }
 })
 
+Deno.test("Issue Mine Command - Defaults To Priority Sort When None Configured", async () => {
+  const fixedNow = new Date("2026-03-30T10:00:00.000Z")
+  const RealDate = Date
+  const originalColorEnabled = getColorEnabled()
+  class MockDate extends RealDate {
+    constructor(value?: string | number | Date) {
+      super(value == null ? fixedNow.toISOString() : value)
+    }
+
+    static override now(): number {
+      return fixedNow.getTime()
+    }
+  }
+  globalThis.Date = MockDate as DateConstructor
+  setColorEnabled(false)
+
+  // No LINEAR_ISSUE_SORT and no --sort flag: the request must still go out,
+  // sorted by priority. The mock only matches when sort is the priority
+  // payload, so a missing/incorrect default would fail to match.
+  const { cleanup } = await setupMockLinearServer([
+    {
+      queryName: "GetIssuesForState",
+      variables: {
+        sort: [
+          { workflowState: { order: "Descending" } },
+          { priority: { nulls: "last", order: "Descending" } },
+          { manual: { nulls: "last", order: "Ascending" } },
+        ],
+      },
+      response: {
+        data: {
+          issues: {
+            nodes: [
+              {
+                id: "issue-1",
+                identifier: "ENG-101",
+                title: "Fix login bug",
+                priority: 1,
+                estimate: 3,
+                assignee: { initials: "MC" },
+                state: {
+                  id: "state-1",
+                  name: "In Progress",
+                  color: "#f2c94c",
+                  type: "started",
+                },
+                labels: { nodes: [] },
+                cycle: null,
+                team: {
+                  id: "team-eng-id",
+                  key: "ENG",
+                  cyclesEnabled: false,
+                  activeCycle: null,
+                },
+                inverseRelations: { nodes: [] },
+                updatedAt: "2026-03-13T10:00:00.000Z",
+              },
+            ],
+            pageInfo: { hasNextPage: false, endCursor: null },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  ], { LINEAR_TEAM_ID: "ENG", NO_COLOR: "true" })
+
+  const logs: string[] = []
+  const logStub = stub(console, "log", (...args: unknown[]) => {
+    logs.push(args.map(String).join(" "))
+  })
+
+  try {
+    await mineCommand.parse(["--team", "ENG"])
+
+    assertEquals(logs.join("\n").includes("ENG-101"), true)
+  } finally {
+    logStub.restore()
+    globalThis.Date = RealDate
+    setColorEnabled(originalColorEnabled)
+    await cleanup()
+  }
+})
+
 Deno.test("Issue Mine Command - Shows Blocked Indicator", async () => {
   const fixedNow = new Date("2026-03-30T10:00:00.000Z")
   const RealDate = Date

test/commands/issue/issue-start.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { assertEquals } from "@std/assert"
+import { stub } from "@std/testing/mock"
+import { startCommand } from "../../../src/commands/issue/issue-start.ts"
+import { setupMockLinearServer } from "../../utils/test-helpers.ts"
+
+// `issue start` with no issue id lists unstarted issues via the shared
+// fetchIssuesForState helper without passing a sort, so it relies on that
+// helper defaulting to priority.
+Deno.test("Issue Start Command - Does Not Require Sort Config", async () => {
+  // Return no issues so the command stops at its empty-list check instead of
+  // opening the interactive prompt. Reaching that check confirms the request
+  // went out with the default priority sort.
+  const { cleanup } = await setupMockLinearServer([
+    {
+      queryName: "GetIssuesForState",
+      variables: {
+        sort: [
+          { workflowState: { order: "Descending" } },
+          { priority: { nulls: "last", order: "Descending" } },
+          { manual: { nulls: "last", order: "Ascending" } },
+        ],
+      },
+      response: {
+        data: {
+          issues: {
+            nodes: [],
+            pageInfo: { hasNextPage: false, endCursor: null },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  ], { LINEAR_TEAM_ID: "ENG", NO_COLOR: "true" })
+
+  const errorLogs: string[] = []
+  const errorStub = stub(console, "error", (...args: unknown[]) => {
+    errorLogs.push(args.map(String).join(" "))
+  })
+  const exitStub = stub(Deno, "exit", (_code?: number): never => {
+    throw new Error("EXIT")
+  })
+
+  try {
+    await startCommand.parse([])
+  } catch {
+    // expected: handleError calls the stubbed Deno.exit
+  } finally {
+    errorStub.restore()
+    exitStub.restore()
+    await cleanup()
+  }
+
+  const output = errorLogs.join("\n")
+  assertEquals(output.includes("Sort must be provided"), false)
+  assertEquals(output.includes("Unstarted issues not found"), true)
+})