|
| 1 | +# Ralph Agent Instructions |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +You are an autonomous coding agent working on a software project. |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +## Your Task |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +1. Read the PRD at `prd.json` (in the same directory as this file) |
| 8 | +2. Read the progress log at `progress.txt` (check Codebase Patterns section first) |
| 9 | +3. Check you're on the correct branch from PRD `branchName`. If not, check it out or create from main. |
| 10 | +4. Pick the **highest priority** user story where `passes: false` |
| 11 | +5. Implement that single user story |
| 12 | +6. Run quality checks (e.g., typecheck, lint, test - use whatever your project requires) |
| 13 | +7. Update CLAUDE.md files if you discover reusable patterns (see below) |
| 14 | +8. If checks pass, commit ALL changes with message: `feat: [Story ID] - [Story Title]` |
| 15 | +9. Update the PRD to set `passes: true` for the completed story |
| 16 | +10. Append your progress to `progress.txt` |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +## Progress Report Format |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +APPEND to progress.txt (never replace, always append): |
| 21 | +``` |
| 22 | +## [Date/Time] - [Story ID] |
| 23 | +- What was implemented |
| 24 | +- Files changed |
| 25 | +- **Learnings for future iterations:** |
| 26 | + - Patterns discovered (e.g., "this codebase uses X for Y") |
| 27 | + - Gotchas encountered (e.g., "don't forget to update Z when changing W") |
| 28 | + - Useful context (e.g., "the evaluation panel is in component X") |
| 29 | +--- |
| 30 | +``` |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +The learnings section is critical - it helps future iterations avoid repeating mistakes and understand the codebase better. |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +## Consolidate Patterns |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +If you discover a **reusable pattern** that future iterations should know, add it to the `## Codebase Patterns` section at the TOP of progress.txt (create it if it doesn't exist). This section should consolidate the most important learnings: |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +``` |
| 39 | +## Codebase Patterns |
| 40 | +- Example: Use `sql<number>` template for aggregations |
| 41 | +- Example: Always use `IF NOT EXISTS` for migrations |
| 42 | +- Example: Export types from actions.ts for UI components |
| 43 | +``` |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +Only add patterns that are **general and reusable**, not story-specific details. |
| 46 | + |
| 47 | +## Update CLAUDE.md Files |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +Before committing, check if any edited files have learnings worth preserving in nearby CLAUDE.md files: |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +1. **Identify directories with edited files** - Look at which directories you modified |
| 52 | +2. **Check for existing CLAUDE.md** - Look for CLAUDE.md in those directories or parent directories |
| 53 | +3. **Add valuable learnings** - If you discovered something future developers/agents should know: |
| 54 | + - API patterns or conventions specific to that module |
| 55 | + - Gotchas or non-obvious requirements |
| 56 | + - Dependencies between files |
| 57 | + - Testing approaches for that area |
| 58 | + - Configuration or environment requirements |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +**Examples of good CLAUDE.md additions:** |
| 61 | +- "When modifying X, also update Y to keep them in sync" |
| 62 | +- "This module uses pattern Z for all API calls" |
| 63 | +- "Tests require the dev server running on PORT 3000" |
| 64 | +- "Field names must match the template exactly" |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +**Do NOT add:** |
| 67 | +- Story-specific implementation details |
| 68 | +- Temporary debugging notes |
| 69 | +- Information already in progress.txt |
| 70 | + |
| 71 | +Only update CLAUDE.md if you have **genuinely reusable knowledge** that would help future work in that directory. |
| 72 | + |
| 73 | +## Quality Requirements |
| 74 | + |
| 75 | +- ALL commits must pass your project's quality checks (typecheck, lint, test) |
| 76 | +- Do NOT commit broken code |
| 77 | +- Keep changes focused and minimal |
| 78 | +- Follow existing code patterns |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +## Browser Testing (If Available) |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | +For any story that changes UI, verify it works in the browser if you have browser testing tools configured (e.g., via MCP): |
| 83 | + |
| 84 | +1. Navigate to the relevant page |
| 85 | +2. Verify the UI changes work as expected |
| 86 | +3. Take a screenshot if helpful for the progress log |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +If no browser tools are available, note in your progress report that manual browser verification is needed. |
| 89 | + |
| 90 | +## Stop Condition |
| 91 | + |
| 92 | +After completing a user story, check if ALL stories have `passes: true`. |
| 93 | + |
| 94 | +If ALL stories are complete and passing, reply with: |
| 95 | +<promise>COMPLETE</promise> |
| 96 | + |
| 97 | +If there are still stories with `passes: false`, end your response normally (another iteration will pick up the next story). |
| 98 | + |
| 99 | +## Important |
| 100 | + |
| 101 | +- Work on ONE story per iteration |
| 102 | +- Commit frequently |
| 103 | +- Keep CI green |
| 104 | +- Read the Codebase Patterns section in progress.txt before starting |
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