Compare Ralph Projects

Compare multiple Ralph loop directories that cover the same topic to determine which is superseded and whether anything needs porting.

Usage

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

Reference Files

• •@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/claude-learnings/tmp-feature docs/claude-learnings/feature)"
   • •Verify each directory exists
2. •

   Read all files from each directory:

   • •List files in each directory
   • •Read key files: spec.md, progress.md, info.md, assumptions-and-questions.md
   • •Note which files are unique to each directory
3. •

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

   markdown

   | 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 |
   

4. •

   Identify superseded directory: Check for signs of supersession: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

   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   • •Read unique files in the superseded directory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
6. •

   Present recommendation:

   markdown

   ## 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   **Superseded**: 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 is superseded by 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superseded-directory>`
   

7. •

   If consolidation needed instead (directories have complementary content):

   markdown

   ## 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: /compare-ralph-projects docs/claude-learnings/tmp-monte-carlo docs/claude-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/claude-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