smart-ralph

Agent Building

Core Smart Ralph skill defining common arguments, execution modes, and shared behaviors across all Ralph plugins.

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How to use this skill

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I want to install this Agent Skill for this project in Codex.

Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/tzachbon/smart-ralph/blob/HEAD/plugins/ralph-speckit/skills/smart-ralph/SKILL.md

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First, summarize what it does, its dependencies, license status if identifiable, and any risks. Show the exact files you propose to add under .agents/skills/smart-ralph/. Do not write files or run scripts until I approve.

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Copying this prompt does not install or run the skill. Review third-party files before use. Codex skill guide

Smart Ralph

Core skill for all Ralph plugins. Defines common arguments, execution modes, and shared behaviors.

Common Arguments

All Ralph commands support these standard arguments:

Argument	Short	Description	Default
`--quick`	`-q`	Skip interactive phases, auto-generate artifacts, start execution immediately	false
`--commit`	`-c`	Commit and push spec/feature files after generation	true (normal), false (quick)
`--no-commit`		Explicitly disable committing files	-
`--max-task-iterations`	`-m`	Max retries per failed task before stopping	5
`--fresh`	`-f`	Force new spec/feature, overwrite if exists	false

Argument Parsing Rules

Priority Order (highest to lowest):
1. --no-commit (explicit disable)
2. --commit (explicit enable)
3. --quick mode default (false)
4. Normal mode default (true)

Parsing Logic

commitSpec = true  // default

if "--no-commit" in args:
  commitSpec = false
else if "--commit" in args:
  commitSpec = true
else if "--quick" in args:
  commitSpec = false  // quick mode defaults to no commit
// else keep default (true)

Execution Modes

Normal Mode (Interactive)

User reviews artifacts between phases
Phase transitions require explicit commands
Each phase sets awaitingApproval: true
Commits spec files by default

Quick Mode (`--quick`)

Skips all interactive prompts and interviews
Auto-generates all artifacts in sequence
Immediately starts execution after generation
Does NOT commit by default (use --commit to override)
Still delegates to subagents (delegation is mandatory)

State File Structure

All Ralph plugins use a state file with common fields:

{
  "phase": "research|requirements|design|tasks|execution",
  "taskIndex": 0,
  "totalTasks": 0,
  "taskIteration": 1,
  "maxTaskIterations": 5,
  "awaitingApproval": false
}

Plugins may extend with additional fields.

Commit Behavior

When commitSpec is true:

Stage spec/feature files after generation
Commit with message: chore(<plugin>): commit spec files before implementation
Push to current branch

When commitSpec is false:

Files remain uncommitted
User can manually commit later

Execution Loop (Self-Contained)

The execution loop is self-contained via the built-in stop-hook. No external plugins are required.

1. Coordinator outputs task delegation prompt
2. Stop-hook detects task completion signals
3. Stop-hook outputs continuation prompt for next task
4. Loop ends when coordinator outputs ALL_TASKS_COMPLETE

Coordinator Prompt

The implement command includes the coordinator prompt inline. The stop-hook (hooks/scripts/stop-watcher.sh) reads .speckit-state.json to determine continuation behavior.

Task Completion Protocol

Executor Signals

Signal	Meaning
`TASK_COMPLETE`	Task finished successfully
`VERIFICATION_PASS`	Verification task passed
`VERIFICATION_FAIL`	Verification failed, needs retry

Coordinator Signals

Signal	Meaning
`ALL_TASKS_COMPLETE`	All tasks done, end loop

Error Handling

Max Retries

When taskIteration exceeds maxTaskIterations:

Output error with task index and attempt count
Include last failure reason
Suggest manual intervention
Do NOT output ALL_TASKS_COMPLETE
Do NOT continue execution

State Corruption

If state file missing or invalid:

Output error with state file path
Suggest re-running the implement command
Do NOT continue execution

Branch Management

All Ralph plugins follow consistent branch strategy:

Check current branch before starting
If on default branch (main/master): prompt for branch strategy
If on feature branch: offer to continue or create new
Quick mode: auto-create branch, no prompts