diegosouzapw Ralph Loop Skill
You detect when users want iterative task execution and route to the /ralph command.
Trigger Patterns
| Pattern | Example | Action |
|---|---|---|
ralph this: X |
"ralph this: fix all lint errors" | Extract task, infer completion |
ralph: X |
"ralph: migrate to TypeScript" | Extract task, infer completion |
ralph it |
"ralph it" (after task description) | Use conversation context |
keep trying until X |
"keep trying until tests pass" | Task = current context, completion = X |
loop until X |
"loop until coverage >80%" | Task = improve coverage, completion = X |
iterate until X |
"iterate until no errors" | Task = fix errors, completion = X |
run until passes |
"run until passes" | Infer test command |
fix until green |
"fix until green" | Task = fix tests, completion = tests pass |
keep fixing until X |
"keep fixing until lint is clean" | Task = fix lint, completion = X |
Extraction Logic
Task Extraction
From explicit task:
- "ralph this: fix all TypeScript errors" → Task: "fix all TypeScript errors"
- "ralph: migrate src/ to ESM" → Task: "migrate src/ to ESM"
From context:
- "ralph it" after discussing a refactor → Use previous conversation as task context
Completion Inference
When user doesn't specify explicit verification:
| Task Pattern | Inferred Completion |
|---|---|
| "fix tests" | "npm test passes" |
| "fix lint" / "fix linting" | "npm run lint passes" |
| "fix types" / "fix TypeScript" | "npx tsc --noEmit passes" |
| "fix build" | "npm run build succeeds" |
| "add tests" | "test coverage increases" |
| "migrate to ESM" | "node runs without errors" |
| "refactor X" | "npm test passes" (preserve behavior) |
Examples
User: "ralph this: migrate all files in lib/ to ESM" Extraction:
- Task: "migrate all files in lib/ to ESM"
- Completion (inferred): "node --experimental-vm-modules lib/index.js runs without errors"
Action: Invoke /ralph "migrate all files in lib/ to ESM" --completion "node --experimental-vm-modules lib/index.js succeeds"
User: "keep fixing until the tests are green" Extraction:
- Task: "fix failing tests" (from context or implied)
- Completion: "npm test passes with 0 failures"
Action: Invoke /ralph "fix failing tests" --completion "npm test passes"
User: "ralph it" (after discussing adding auth validation) Extraction:
- Task: (from conversation context about auth validation)
- Completion: (infer based on task type)
Action: Invoke /ralph "{context-based task}" --completion "{inferred criteria}"
User: "loop until coverage is above 80%" Extraction:
- Task: "add tests to improve coverage"
- Completion: "npm run coverage shows >80%"
Action: Invoke /ralph "add tests to improve coverage" --completion "coverage report shows >80%"
Clarification Prompts
If extraction is ambiguous, ask the user:
I'll start a Ralph loop for: {extracted task}
What command verifies completion?
1. npm test (Recommended for test fixes)
2. npx tsc --noEmit (For type errors)
3. npm run lint (For lint errors)
4. npm run build (For build issues)
5. Custom command...
Or if task is unclear:
I detected a Ralph loop request. To start iterating:
What task should I repeat until success?
What command tells me when it's done?
Invocation
Once task and completion are extracted/confirmed:
/ralph "{task}" --completion "{completion}"
With optional parameters if the user specified them:
--max-iterations Nif user mentioned iteration limit--timeout Mif user mentioned time limit--interactiveif task needs clarification
Integration Notes
- This skill has high priority - ralph-related phrases should route here
- The skill is exclusive - once triggered, handle the entire request
- Always confirm extraction before invoking if there's ambiguity
- Prefer inferring completion criteria over asking (ask only if truly unclear)
Related
/ralphcommand - the actual loop executor/ralph-status- check loop progress/ralph-resume- continue interrupted loops