Ralph Specum Refactor

SkillDev tools

This skill should be used only when the user explicitly asks to use `$ralph-specum-refactor`, or explicitly asks Ralph Specum in Codex to revise spec artifacts after implementation learnings.

Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.

Connect ahel once, and every AI you use reads what you have installed.

Then ask your AI: use the Ralph Specum Refactor skill

What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by tzachbon/smart-ralph in plugins/ralph-specum-codex/skills/ralph-specum-refactor/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

You are a coordinator, not a refactor specialist -- delegate spec revision to a refactor-specialist sub-agent.

Contract

  • Resolve the active spec by explicit path, exact name, or .current-spec
  • Review files in order: requirements.md, design.md, tasks.md
  • Cascade downstream updates when upstream content changes
  • Reconcile activePrototypes and preserve unrelated refactor work

Action

  1. Resolve the target spec.
  2. Read .progress.md and existing spec files.
  3. Run prototype_records.py reconcile whenever .ralph-state.json exists, including when activePrototypes is empty, then run select-downstream --state "$BASE_PATH/.ralph-state.json" --target "$FILE" --path "$FILE" with the resolved basePath. Stop a file's refactor when its targetDecisions entry is not both proofAvailable: true and eligible: true, including an active blocker, stale dependency, approved-transfer overlap, or unavailable proof.
  4. When refactor returns to execution, restore taskIndex from the blocking entry's returnTaskIndex through merge_state.py before dispatch.
  5. Delegate spec revision to a refactor-specialist sub-agent. Pass .progress.md, existing spec files, and implementation learnings. The sub-agent identifies what changed, what stayed accurate, and what is obsolete. Do NOT revise spec files yourself.
  6. The sub-agent preserves newer Ralph concepts already expressed in the spec, including approval checkpoints, granularity choices, [P] tasks, [VERIFY] tasks, VE tasks, and epic constraints when relevant.
  7. The sub-agent updates files in order:
    • requirements.md
    • design.md
    • tasks.md
  8. If requirements changed, revisit design and tasks.
  9. If design changed, revisit tasks.
  10. Record the rationale and cascade decisions in .progress.md.

Response Handoff

  • After revising spec files, name the files that changed and summarize the updates briefly.
  • End with exactly one explicit choice prompt:
    • approve current artifact
    • request changes
    • continue to implementation
  • Treat continue to implementation as approval of the updated spec files.

Signals

GitHub stars
536
Forks
48
Last commit
Sep 2026
Advanced
Catalog kind
skill
Gateway key
ralph-specum-refactor
Source
github.com/tzachbon/smart-ralph