prd-converter

name	prd-converter
description	Convert PRDs to prd.yaml format for the Ralph autonomous agent system. Use when you have an existing PRD and need to convert it to Ralph's YAML format. Triggers on: convert this prd, turn this into ralph format, create prd.yaml from this, ralph yaml.

Ralph PRD Converter

Converts existing PRDs to the prd.yaml format that Ralph uses for autonomous execution.

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The Job

Take a PRD (markdown file or text) and convert it to .ralph/prd.yaml in your scripts directory.

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Output Format

project: "[Project Name]"
branchName: ralph/[feature-name-kebab-case]
description: "[Feature description from PRD title/intro]"
userStories:
- id: US-001
  title: "[Story title]"
  description: As a [user], I want [feature] so that [benefit]
  acceptanceCriteria:
  - Criterion 1
  - Criterion 2
  - Typecheck passes
  priority: 1
  passes: false
  notes: ''

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Story Size: The Number One Rule

Each story must be completable in ONE Ralph iteration (one context window).

Ralph spawns a fresh AI instance per iteration with no memory of previous work. If a story is too big, the LLM runs out of context before finishing and produces broken code.

Right-sized stories:

• Add a database column and migration
• Add a UI component to an existing page
• Update a server action with new logic
• Add a filter dropdown to a list

Too big (split these):

• "Build the entire dashboard" - Split into: schema, queries, UI components, filters
• "Add authentication" - Split into: schema, middleware, login UI, session handling
• "Refactor the API" - Split into one story per endpoint or pattern

Rule of thumb: If you cannot describe the change in 2-3 sentences, it is too big.

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Story Ordering: Dependencies First

Stories execute in priority order. Earlier stories must not depend on later ones.

Correct order:

1. Schema/database changes (migrations)
2. Server actions / backend logic
3. UI components that use the backend
4. Dashboard/summary views that aggregate data

Wrong order:

1. UI component (depends on schema that does not exist yet)
2. Schema change

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Acceptance Criteria: Must Be Verifiable

Each criterion must be something Ralph can CHECK, not something vague.

Good criteria (verifiable):

• "Add status column to tasks table with default 'pending'"
• "Filter dropdown has options: All, Active, Completed"
• "Clicking delete shows confirmation dialog"
• "Typecheck passes"
• "Tests pass"

Bad criteria (vague):

• "Works correctly"
• "User can do X easily"
• "Good UX"
• "Handles edge cases"

Always include as final criterion:

"Typecheck passes"

For stories with testable logic, also include:

"Tests pass"

For stories that change UI, also include:

"Verify in browser using playwright tests"

Frontend stories are NOT complete until visually verified. Ralph will use the playwright tests to navigate to the page, interact with the UI, and confirm changes work.

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Conversion Rules

1. Each user story becomes one yaml entry
2. IDs: Sequential (US-001, US-002, etc.)
3. Priority: Based on dependency order, then document order
4. All stories: passes: false and empty notes
5. branchName: Derive from feature name, kebab-case, prefixed with ralph/
6. Always add: "Typecheck passes" to every story's acceptance criteria
7. Always add: "Playwright tests pass" to story's acceptance criteria where UI changes are made.
8. Never add: User stories for testing, validation, or verification. Always include testing, validation, or verification in the acceptance criteria of the user story that made the change.

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Splitting Large PRDs

If a PRD has big features, split them:

Original:

"Add user notification system"

Split into:

1. US-001: Add notifications table to database
2. US-002: Create notification service for sending notifications
3. US-003: Add notification bell icon to header
4. US-004: Create notification dropdown panel
5. US-005: Add mark-as-read functionality
6. US-006: Add notification preferences page

Each is one focused change that can be completed and verified independently. Tests should be acceptance criteria and NOT user stories.

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Example

Input PRD:

# Task Status Feature

Add ability to mark tasks with different statuses.

## Requirements
- Toggle between pending/in-progress/done on task list
- Filter list by status
- Show status badge on each task
- Persist status in database

Output prd.yaml:

project: TaskApp
branchName: ralph/task-status
description: Task Status Feature - Track task progress with status indicators
userStories:
- id: US-001
  title: Add status field to tasks table
  description: As a developer, I need to store task status in the database.
  acceptanceCriteria:
  - 'Add status column: ''pending'' | ''in_progress'' | ''done'' (default ''pending'')'
  - Generate and run migration successfully
  - Typecheck passes
  priority: 1
  passes: false
  notes: ''
- id: US-002
  title: Display status badge on task cards
  description: As a user, I want to see task status at a glance.
  acceptanceCriteria:
  - Each task card shows colored status badge
  - 'Badge colors: gray=pending, blue=in_progress, green=done'
  - Typecheck passes
  - Verify in browser using playwright tests
  priority: 2
  passes: false
  notes: ''
- id: US-003
  title: Add status toggle to task list rows
  description: As a user, I want to change task status directly from the list.
  acceptanceCriteria:
  - Each row has status dropdown or toggle
  - Changing status saves immediately
  - UI updates without page refresh
  - Typecheck passes
  - Verify in browser using playwright tests
  priority: 3
  passes: false
  notes: ''
- id: US-004
  title: Filter tasks by status
  description: As a user, I want to filter the list to see only certain statuses.
  acceptanceCriteria:
  - 'Filter dropdown: All | Pending | In Progress | Done'
  - Filter persists in URL params
  - Typecheck passes
  - Verify in browser using playwright tests
  priority: 4
  passes: false
  notes: ''

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Archiving Previous Runs

Before writing a new prd.yaml, check if there is an existing one from a different feature:

1. Read the current .ralph/prd.yaml if it exists
2. Check if branchName differs from the new feature's branch name
3. If different AND progress.txt has content beyond the header:
   • Create archive folder: archive/YYYY-MM-DD-feature-name/
   • Copy current .ralph/prd.yaml and .ralph/progress.txt to archive
   • Reset progress.txt with fresh header

The ralph CLI script handles this automatically when you run it, but if you are manually updating prd.yaml between runs, archive first.

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Checklist Before Saving

Before writing prd.yaml, verify:

• Previous run archived (if prd.yaml exists with different branchName, archive it first)
• Each story is completable in one iteration (small enough)
• Stories are ordered by dependency (schema to backend to UI)
• Every story has "Typecheck passes" as criterion
• UI stories have "Verify in browser using playwright tests" as criterion
• Acceptance criteria are verifiable (not vague)
• No story depends on a later story