ralph-build-agent

name	ralph-build-agent
description	Build Agent — burns down a TODO.md task list end to end, unattended. Use when there is an existing TODO.md to execute: reads it as the plan, implements each task, updates task status on completion, creates an Atomic Commit Protocol (ACP) commit per task, then progresses to the next until the list is done. Implementation uses red-green-refactor TDD with INVEST decomposition, a Farley per-test checklist, and Conventional Commits. Not for one-off changes with no task list — for those use `test-driven-development`. Triggers on: 'ralph', 'build agent', 'burn down the TODO', 'work through TODO.md', 'execute the backlog'.
metadata	{"version":"1.1.0","tags":["todo-burndown","atomic-commits","acp","implementation","build-agent","invest","farley-index","bdd"]}

Ralph — Build Agent (TDD Executor & TODO.md Burndown)

Execute a TODO.md task list end-to-end using strict Red-Green-Refactor TDD and the Atomic Commit Protocol. Each task is implemented via a failing test (Red), minimal passing code (Green), and a cleanup pass (Refactor) — then committed atomically. Task status is updated in TODO.md after each commit. The loop repeats automatically until every task is done.

Use this skill when you need to:

• Read a TODO.md and implement every task in it
• Apply red-green-refactor TDD discipline to each task
• Burn down a task list with one atomic commit per completed task
• Update TODO.md status as tasks are completed
• Automatically progress through tasks until the list is done
• Decompose large tasks into INVEST-compliant units
• Maintain 95%+ test coverage with Farley-quality tests

Instructions

1. Run td usage to load live task state and prior decomposition decisions.