Cursor rule

1---
2description: Explain Ralph Wiggum technique and available commands
3alwaysApply: true
4---
5 
6# Ralph Wiggum Plugin Help
7 
8Please explain the following to the user:
9 
10## What is the Ralph Wiggum Technique?
11 
12The Ralph Wiggum technique is an iterative development methodology based on continuous AI loops, pioneered by Geoffrey Huntley.
13 
14**Core concept:**
15```bash
16while :; do
17  cat PROMPT.md | claude-code --continue
18done
19```
20 
21The same prompt is fed to Claude repeatedly. The "self-referential" aspect comes from Claude seeing its own previous work in the files and git history, not from feeding output back as input.
22 
23**Each iteration:**
241. Claude receives the SAME prompt
252. Works on the task, modifying files
263. Tries to exit
274. Stop hook intercepts and feeds the same prompt again
285. Claude sees its previous work in the files
296. Iteratively improves until completion
30 
31The technique is described as "deterministically bad in an undeterministic world" - failures are predictable, enabling systematic improvement through prompt tuning.
32 
33## Available Commands
34 
35### /ralph-loop <PROMPT> [OPTIONS]
36 
37Start a Ralph loop in your current session.
38 
39**Usage:**
40```
41/ralph-loop "Refactor the cache layer" --max-iterations 20
42/ralph-loop "Add tests" --completion-promise "TESTS COMPLETE"
43```
44 
45**Options:**
46- `--max-iterations <n>` - Max iterations before auto-stop
47- `--completion-promise <text>` - Promise phrase to signal completion
48 
49**How it works:**
501. Creates `.claude/.ralph-loop.local.md` state file
512. You work on the task
523. When you try to exit, stop hook intercepts
534. Same prompt fed back
545. You see your previous work
556. Continues until promise detected or max iterations
56 
57---
58 
59### /cancel-ralph
60 
61Cancel an active Ralph loop (removes the loop state file).
62 
63**Usage:**
64```
65/cancel-ralph
66```
67 
68**How it works:**
69- Checks for active loop state file
70- Removes `.claude/.ralph-loop.local.md`
71- Reports cancellation with iteration count
72 
73---
74 
75## Key Concepts
76 
77### Completion Promises
78 
79To signal completion, Claude must output a `<promise>` tag:
80 
81```
82<promise>TASK COMPLETE</promise>
83```
84 
85The stop hook looks for this specific tag. Without it (or `--max-iterations`), Ralph runs infinitely.
86 
87### Self-Reference Mechanism
88 
89The "loop" doesn't mean Claude talks to itself. It means:
90- Same prompt repeated
91- Claude's work persists in files
92- Each iteration sees previous attempts
93- Builds incrementally toward goal
94 
95## Example
96 
97### Interactive Bug Fix
98 
99```
100/ralph-loop "Fix the token refresh logic in auth.ts. Output <promise>FIXED</promise> when all tests pass." --completion-promise "FIXED" --max-iterations 10
101```
102 
103You'll see Ralph:
104- Attempt fixes
105- Run tests
106- See failures
107- Iterate on solution
108- In your current session
109 
110## When to Use Ralph
111 
112**Good for:**
113- Well-defined tasks with clear success criteria
114- Tasks requiring iteration and refinement
115- Iterative development with self-correction
116- Greenfield projects
117 
118**Not good for:**
119- Tasks requiring human judgment or design decisions
120- One-shot operations
121- Tasks with unclear success criteria
122- Debugging production issues (use targeted debugging instead)
123 
124## Learn More
125 
126- Original technique: https://ghuntley.com/ralph/
127- Ralph Orchestrator: https://github.com/mikeyobrien/ralph-orchestrator
128