Ralph Plan Skill

Plan a Ralph session by creating or updating the .ralph/prd.json file with well-defined user stories.

Trigger

Use this skill when the user wants to:

• •Plan a new feature or project for Ralph to implement
• •Create user stories from a feature description
• •Set up a Ralph session

Workflow

1. Gather Context

If the user provides a feature description, proceed directly. Otherwise, ask:

• •What feature or project do you want to build?
• •Any specific constraints or requirements?

2. Analyze Codebase (if needed)

For features that integrate with existing code:

• •Review relevant existing files
• •Identify patterns and conventions to follow
• •Note dependencies and integration points

3. Generate User Stories

Break down the feature into atomic, implementable user stories. Each story should be:

• •Small enough to implement in a single focused session
• •Independent where possible
• •Testable with clear acceptance criteria

4. Create prd.json

Write to .ralph/prd.json using this format:

{
	"branchName": "ralph/<feature-name>",
	"userStories": [
		{
			"id": "US-001",
			"title": "Short descriptive title",
			"acceptanceCriteria": [
				"Specific testable criterion",
				"Another criterion",
				"typecheck passes"
			],
			"priority": 1,
			"passes": false,
			"notes": ""
		}
	]
}

Story Guidelines

• •IDs: Sequential format US-001, US-002, etc.
• •Titles: Action-oriented, e.g., "Add login form", "Create user API endpoint"
• •Acceptance Criteria:
  • •Specific, testable conditions
  • •Always include "typecheck passes" for TypeScript projects
  • •Include test requirements if applicable
• •Priority: Lower number = higher priority. Stories are picked by highest priority first.
• •passes: Always false initially (Ralph sets to true when complete)
• •notes: Leave empty initially; Ralph uses this for implementation notes

5. Initialize Progress File

If .ralph/progress.txt is empty, initialize it with:

# Ralph Progress Log
Started: <current-date>

## Codebase Patterns
- (To be filled as patterns are discovered)

## Key Files
- (List key files relevant to this feature)

---

Include any known patterns and key files discovered during codebase analysis.

6. Confirm with User

Present the generated stories and ask if any adjustments are needed before the Ralph session begins.

Output

After planning is complete, remind the user:

1. •Review the stories in .ralph/prd.json
2. •Create the feature branch: git checkout -b <branchName>
3. •Start Ralph with the prompt in .ralph/prompt.txt