ralph

name	ralph
description	Self-referential loop until task completion with architect verification

Ralph Skill

[RALPH + ULTRAWORK - ITERATION {{ITERATION}}/{{MAX}}]

Your previous attempt did not output the completion promise. Continue working on the task.

PRD MODE (OPTIONAL)

If the user provides the --prd flag, initialize a PRD (Product Requirements Document) BEFORE starting the ralph loop.

Detecting PRD Mode

Check if {{PROMPT}} contains the flag pattern: --prd or --PRD

PRD Initialization Workflow

When --prd flag detected:

1. Create PRD File Structure (.omd/prd.json and .omd/progress.txt)
2. Parse the task (everything after --prd flag)
3. Break down into user stories with this structure:

{
  "project": "[Project Name]",
  "branchName": "ralph/[feature-name]",
  "description": "[Feature description]",
  "userStories": [
    {
      "id": "US-001",
      "title": "[Short title]",
      "description": "As a [user], I want to [action] so that [benefit].",
      "acceptanceCriteria": ["Criterion 1", "Typecheck passes"],
      "priority": 1,
      "passes": false
    }
  ]
}

4. Create progress.txt:

# Ralph Progress Log
Started: [ISO timestamp]

## Codebase Patterns
(No patterns discovered yet)

---

5. Guidelines for PRD creation:

   • Right-sized stories: Each completable in one focused session
   • Verifiable criteria: Include "Typecheck passes", "Tests pass"
   • Independent stories: Minimize dependencies
   • Priority order: Foundational work (DB, types) before UI

6. After PRD created: Proceed to normal ralph loop execution using the user stories as your task list

Example Usage

User input: --prd build a todo app with React and TypeScript

Your workflow:

1. Detect --prd flag
2. Extract task: "build a todo app with React and TypeScript"
3. Create .omd/prd.json with user stories
4. Create .omd/progress.txt
5. Begin ralph loop using user stories as task breakdown

ULTRAWORK MODE (AUTO-ACTIVATED)

Ralph automatically activates Ultrawork for maximum parallel execution. You MUST follow these rules:

Parallel Execution Rules

• PARALLEL: Fire independent calls simultaneously - NEVER wait sequentially
• BACKGROUND FIRST: Use Task(run_in_background=true) for long operations (10+ concurrent)
• DELEGATE: Route tasks to specialist agents immediately

Smart Model Routing (SAVE TOKENS)

Task Complexity	Tier	Examples
Simple lookups	LOW (haiku)	"What does this function return?", "Find where X is defined"
Standard work	MEDIUM (sonnet)	"Add error handling", "Implement this feature"
Complex analysis	HIGH (opus)	"Debug this race condition", "Refactor auth module"

Available Agents by Tier

Domain	LOW (Haiku)	MEDIUM (Sonnet)	HIGH (Opus)
Analysis	architect-low	architect-medium	architect
Execution	executor-low	executor	executor-high
Search	explore	explore-medium	-
Research	researcher-low	researcher	-
Frontend	designer-low	designer	designer-high
Docs	writer	-	-
Visual	-	vision	-
Planning	-	-	planner
Critique	-	-	critic
Pre-Planning	-	-	analyst
Testing	-	qa-tester	-
Security	security-reviewer-low	-	security-reviewer
Build	build-fixer-low	build-fixer	-
TDD	tdd-guide-low	tdd-guide	-
Code Review	code-reviewer-low	-	code-reviewer

CRITICAL: Always pass model parameter explicitly!

Task(subagent_type="oh-my-droid:architect-low", model="claude-haiku-4-5-20251001", prompt="...")
Task(subagent_type="oh-my-droid:executor", model="claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929", prompt="...")
Task(subagent_type="oh-my-droid:architect", model="claude-opus-4-5-20251101", prompt="...")

Background Execution Rules

Run in Background (set run_in_background: true):

• Package installation: npm install, pip install, cargo build
• Build processes: npm run build, make, tsc
• Test suites: npm test, pytest, cargo test
• Docker operations: docker build, docker pull

Run Blocking (foreground):

• Quick status checks: git status, ls, pwd
• File reads, edits
• Simple commands

COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

Before claiming completion, you MUST:

1. Verify ALL requirements from the original task are met
2. Ensure no partial implementations
3. Check that code compiles/runs without errors
4. Verify tests pass (if applicable)
5. TODO LIST: Zero pending/in_progress tasks

VERIFICATION BEFORE COMPLETION (IRON LAW)

NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE

Before outputting the completion promise:

Steps (MANDATORY)

1. IDENTIFY: What command proves the task is complete?
2. RUN: Execute verification (test, build, lint)
3. READ: Check output - did it actually pass?
4. ONLY THEN: Proceed to Architect verification

Red Flags (STOP and verify)

• Using "should", "probably", "seems to"
• About to output completion without fresh evidence
• Expressing satisfaction before verification

Evidence Chain

1. Fresh test run output showing pass
2. Fresh build output showing success
3. lsp_diagnostics showing 0 errors
4. THEN Architect verification
5. THEN completion promise

Skipping verification = Task NOT complete

ARCHITECT VERIFICATION (MANDATORY)

When you believe the task is complete:

1. First, spawn Architect to verify your work (ALWAYS pass model explicitly!):

   Task(subagent_type="oh-my-droid:architect", model="claude-opus-4-5-20251101", prompt="Verify this implementation is complete: [describe what you did]")
   

2. Wait for Architect's assessment

3. If Architect approves: Run /cancel to cleanly exit ralph mode

4. If Architect finds issues: Fix them, then repeat verification

DO NOT exit without Architect verification.

ZERO TOLERANCE

• NO Scope Reduction - deliver FULL implementation
• NO Partial Completion - finish 100%
• NO Premature Stopping - ALL TODOs must be complete
• NO TEST DELETION - fix code, not tests

STATE CLEANUP ON COMPLETION

IMPORTANT: Use the cancel skill for proper state cleanup

When work is complete and Architect verification passes, run /cancel to cleanly exit ralph mode. This handles:

• Deletion of ralph state files (both local and global)
• Cleanup of linked ultrawork or ecomode state
• Proper termination of the ralph loop

This ensures clean state for future sessions without leaving stale state files behind.

INSTRUCTIONS

• Review your progress so far
• Continue from where you left off
• Use parallel execution and background tasks
• When FULLY complete AND Architect verified: Run /cancel to cleanly exit and clean up all state files
• Do not stop until the task is truly done

Original task: {{PROMPT}}