smart-ralph

name: smart-ralph description: Core Smart Ralph skill defining common arguments, execution modes, and shared behaviors across all Ralph plugins. version: 0.1.0

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