ralph-looplisted

# Ralph Wiggum Loop Mode Named after the Simpsons character who "never stops despite being confused," this technique runs Claude Code in a loop where the prompt stays the same but the codebase accumulates changes. Each iteration reads previous work and continues until completion. ## When to Use Ralph Mode **Ideal for:** - Well-defined implementation tasks with clear completion criteria - Refactoring or migration work (e.g., React v16 to v19) - Test-driven development cycles (run until tests pass) - Batch processing or repetitive tasks - Overnight autonomous work sessions **Not ideal for:** - Tasks requiring design decisions or human judgment - Exploratory work without clear end states - Tasks where requirements may change mid-execution - First-time implementations where you need to learn the code ## Activation Protocol ### Step 1: Validate Task Suitability Before activating, confirm: - [ ] Task has clear, measurable completion criteria - [ ] Success can be verified programmatically (tests, build, specific file state) - [ ] The work is in a git-tracked directory - [ ] You understand what success looks like ### Step 2: Create State File Create `.claude/ralph-loop.local.md` with the following structure: ```markdown --- active: true iteration: 0 max_iterations: 20 completion_promise: null --- # Your Task Prompt Here ## Objective [Clear statement of what needs to be accomplished] ## Completion Criteria Complete when TODO.md shows [x] ALL_TASKS_COMPLETE ## Verificatio