compare

name	compare
description	Compare duplicate research directories to determine which is superseded.
disable-model-invocation	true
argument-hint	[dir1] [dir2]
allowed-tools	["Read","Glob","Grep"]

Compare Ralph Projects

Compare multiple Ralph loop directories that cover the same topic to determine which is superseded and whether anything needs porting.

Usage

• /ralph:compare <dir1> <dir2> - Compare two directories
• /ralph:compare <dir1> <dir2> <dir3> - Compare three directories
• /ralph:compare - Will prompt for directories to compare

Reference Files (conditional — read in step 3)

• comparison-checklist.md - Aspects to compare and signs of supersession

Instructions

1. Get directories to compare:

   • If $ARGUMENTS provided, parse as space-separated directory paths
   • Otherwise, ask: "Which directories would you like to compare? (e.g., docs/staged-learnings/tmp-feature docs/staged-learnings/feature)"
   • Verify each directory exists locally

2. Resolve content from local files or research branches:

   • For each directory, list files on the local filesystem first
   • If a directory appears empty or has only boilerplate (just spec.md + progress.md with no completed tasks): check for a research/<basename> branch via git branch -a --list *research/<basename>*
   • If a research branch exists, read files via git show <branch>:<path> and list files via git ls-tree --name-only <branch> <path>/
   • Note to the operator which source is being used: local filesystem vs research branch
   • Ralph loops push research to research/<topic> branches — the local directory may only have initialization boilerplate while the branch has the full output

3. Read key files from each project (from whichever source resolved in step 2):

   • Read: spec.md, progress.md, info.md, assumptions-and-questions.md
   • Note which files are unique to each project

4. Build comparison table: Using the checklist in comparison-checklist.md, compare:

   | Aspect | Dir A | Dir B |
   |--------|-------|-------|
   | Total files | X | Y |
   | Iterations tracked | N | M |
   | Research lines (info.md) | ~200 | ~500 |
   | Implementation phases | 6 | 10 |
   | Has assumptions doc | No | Yes |
   | Has iteration logs | No | Yes |
   | Spec version | v1 | v2 |
   

5. Identify superseded directory: Check for signs of supersession:

   • Minimal progress.md (just completion marker vs structured tracking)
   • Significantly shorter research (fewer lines in info.md)
   • Less structured spec (informal vs proper Ralph loop format)
   • No iteration logs (single incomplete run vs multiple iterations)
   • Missing documentation (no assumptions, codebase analysis, or Q&A)

6. Check for unique content to port:

   • Read unique files in the superseded directory
   • Search for sections not covered in the newer version
   • If found, list specific sections that should be ported

7. Present recommendation:

   ## Comparison Summary
   
   | Aspect | <dir1> | <dir2> |
   |--------|--------|--------|
   | ... | ... | ... |
   
   ## Recommendation
   
   **Superseded**: <directory> is superseded by <directory>
   
   **Porting needed**: <Yes/No>
   <If yes, list specific sections>
   
   **Action**: `rm -rf <superseded-directory>`
   

8. If consolidation needed instead (directories have complementary content):

   ## Recommendation
   
   **Neither is fully superseded** - directories have complementary content.
   
   **Consolidation approach**:
   - Keep <directory> as target
   - Port from <directory>:
     - <file or section 1>
     - <file or section 2>
   - Delete <directory> after porting
   

Example

User: /ralph:compare docs/staged-learnings/tmp-monte-carlo docs/staged-learnings/monte-carlo-simulation

Claude: Comparing directories...

## Comparison Summary

| Aspect | tmp-monte-carlo | monte-carlo-simulation |
|--------|-----------------|------------------------|
| Total files | 3 | 8 |
| Iterations tracked | 2 | 7 |
| Research lines (info.md) | ~150 | ~480 |
| Implementation phases | 4 | 8 |
| Has assumptions doc | No | Yes |
| Has iteration logs | No | Yes |
| Spec version | v1 | v2 |

## Recommendation

**Superseded**: tmp-monte-carlo is superseded by monte-carlo-simulation

**Porting needed**: No - monte-carlo-simulation covers all topics with more depth

**Action**: `rm -rf docs/staged-learnings/tmp-monte-carlo`

Important Notes

• Always read files before making recommendations - don't assume based on names
• Some directories may need consolidation rather than deletion
• The "better" directory isn't always the one with more files - quality matters
• Check for unique deep research files that may exist only in the "older" directory