Smart Ralph

Smart Ralph

*"Me fail specs? That's unpossible!"*

Spec-driven development for Claude Code and Codex.

Smart Ralph turns a feature request into a structured spec, then executes it one task at a time with fresh context. The execution loop is self-contained and has no external plugin dependencies.

How it works | Installation | Quick start | Commands | Troubleshooting

How it works

Smart Ralph creates research, requirements, design, and task files before implementation. Large goals can start with triage, which splits the work into dependency-aware specs.

The spec files stay in the project, so you can review or edit each phase before execution. Smart Ralph records progress between tasks and can resume after a stopped session.

An optional prototype can test one focused design question without turning disposable source into production code.

Installation

Claude Code

Restart Claude Code after installation.

Codex

Start a new Codex task after installation. Run /hooks, review the bundled Stop hook, and trust it if you want automatic task execution. Until then, run $ralph-specum-implement once per task.

The Codex installation guide covers updates, local development with codex plugin marketplace add ., and migration from the old platforms/codex/ skills.

For local Claude Code development, clone this repository and run claude --plugin-dir ./plugins/ralph-specum.

Quick start

Codex

Use $ralph-specum when you want Smart Ralph to choose the next action. Codex asks for approval after each spec artifact unless the command includes the exact --quick flag. Start with $ralph-specum-triage when a goal spans several features or systems.

Claude Code

Add --quick to generate the spec and start execution without stopping between phases. Run /ralph-specum:start without arguments to…