Ralph Development Cycle

This skill executes a single development cycle following the Ralph Wiggum Methodology: pick one task, implement it, verify it, commit it.

Prerequisites

Before starting a cycle:

• ✅ prd.json exists with backlog
• ✅ progress.md exists
• ✅ .windsurf/rules/tech-stack.md exists

Cycle Steps

Step 1: Smart Context Selection

Read prd.json and progress.md. Analyze the backlog to determine the most logical next step.

Selection Logic: Do not simply pick the first item. Select the task that:

• Is currently failing (passes: false)
• Is unblocked by other tasks (dependencies are met)
• Makes the most sense to implement given the current state of the code

Announce: "I have selected [task name] because [reason]."

Constraint: PICK ONLY ONE TASK AT A TIME! Do not skip tasks unless blocked. If blocked, document the blocking reason in progress.md.

Step 2: Planning & Journaling

Append a new entry to progress.md with the header "## Working on [Task Name]"

Write a brief plan of execution in the log including:

• What files will be modified/created
• What approach you'll take
• Any potential challenges
• How you'll verify completion

Constraint: Do not modify code yet.

Step 3: Implementation

Implement the feature described in the selected task using the smallest change that satisfies the acceptance criteria.

Constraints:

• Work ONLY on this specific task
• Do not refactor unrelated code
• Modify only files required for the selected task
• Adhere to the standards in .windsurf/rules/tech-stack.md
• Follow the acceptance criteria from prd.json

Step 4: Verification

Execute the verification command (e.g., npm test, pytest, etc.) relevant to this task.

Reference .windsurf/rules/tech-stack.md for the correct verification commands. If it does not list any, infer minimal verification and document it in progress.md.

Retry Logic:

If the command fails:

1. Read the error output
2. Attempt to fix the code
3. Re-run verification
4. Repeat up to 3 times

If it still fails after 3 tries, document the failure and next hypothesis in progress.md, then stop.

Step 5: Completion & Commit

If verification passes:

1. Update prd.json: set passes to true for this task
2. Update progress.md: Append "Result: Success"
3. Run git add .
4. Run git commit --no-gpg-sign -m "feat: [task description]"

Supporting Resources

Reference these files for guidance:

• cycle-checklist.md - Quick reference checklist
• verification-examples.md - Common verification patterns

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ Do not work on multiple tasks simultaneously ❌ Do not mark task as passing without running verification ❌ Do not commit code that fails tests ❌ Do not refactor unrelated code during implementation