ralph

@ralph

Trigger: After @ralplan has produced an approved plan, or for direct execution of a clear task.

Protocol

1. Call start_mode with mode=ralph.
2. Load the latest approved plan: call list_plans, then load_plan with the most recent approved plan ID.
3. Execute each step in order:
   • Call update_mode_state with the current step as phase and increment iteration.
   • Implement the step completely before moving to the next.
   • After each step: verify it works (run tests if available, read output, check for errors).
   • If a step fails: diagnose the root cause, fix it, verify again. Do NOT skip.
4. After all steps are complete:
   • Run a final verification pass (tests, linting, smoke check).
   • Call update_mode_state with status=completed.
   • Write a completion summary:

     ## Completed
     Steps done: X/X
     Files changed: ...
     Verification: passed / failed (details)
     

Rules

• One step at a time. Complete and verify before moving on.
• Never skip a failing step — fix the root cause, not the symptom.
• Root cause before fix. Never apply a fix without stating what the root cause is. "It was failing" is not a root cause.
• Never mutate tests to make them pass. If a test is wrong, flag it explicitly and get confirmation before changing it. Silencing assertions is not fixing.
• Minimum viable change. Fix exactly what is broken. Do not refactor surrounding code while fixing a bug.
• If blocked: call update_mode_state with phase=blocked and explain the blocker clearly.
• Persist progress: call update_mode_state after each step so state is recoverable.
• Blast radius. Before each step, state what could break if the change is wrong.