Ralph Wiggum Plugin Help (Windows)

Please explain the following to the user:

What is the Ralph Wiggum Technique?

The Ralph Wiggum technique is an iterative development methodology based on continuous AI loops, pioneered by Geoffrey Huntley.

Core concept:

while ($true) {
  Get-Content PROMPT.md | claude-code --continue
}

The 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.

Each iteration:

1. Claude receives the SAME prompt
2. Works on the task, modifying files
3. Tries to exit
4. Stop hook intercepts and feeds the same prompt again
5. Claude sees its previous work in the files
6. Iteratively improves until completion

Available Commands

/ralph-loop <PROMPT> [OPTIONS]

Start a Ralph loop in your current session.

Usage:

/ralph-loop "Refactor the cache layer" --max-iterations 20
/ralph-loop "Add tests" --completion-promise "TESTS COMPLETE"

Options:

• --max-iterations <n> - Max iterations before auto-stop
• --completion-promise <text> - Promise phrase to signal completion

How it works:

1. Creates .claude/.ralph-loop.local.md state file
2. You work on the task
3. When you try to exit, stop hook intercepts
4. Same prompt fed back
5. You see your previous work
6. Continues until promise detected or max iterations

---

/cancel-ralph

Cancel an active Ralph loop (removes the loop state file).

Usage:

/cancel-ralph

---

Windows-Specific Notes

This is a Windows-compatible fork that uses PowerShell instead of bash/jq:

• Stop hook: stop-hook.ps1 (PowerShell)
• Setup script: setup-ralph-loop.ps1 (PowerShell)
• No jq dependency: Uses ConvertFrom-Json
• No bash dependency: Pure PowerShell

Key Concepts

Completion Promises

To signal completion, Claude must output a <promise> tag:

<promise>TASK COMPLETE</promise>

The stop hook looks for this specific tag. Without it (or --max-iterations), Ralph runs infinitely.

Self-Reference Mechanism

The "loop" doesn't mean Claude talks to itself. It means:

• Same prompt repeated
• Claude's work persists in files
• Each iteration sees previous attempts
• Builds incrementally toward goal

When to Use Ralph

Good for:

• Well-defined tasks with clear success criteria
• Tasks requiring iteration and refinement
• Iterative development with self-correction
• Greenfield projects

Not good for:

• Tasks requiring human judgment or design decisions
• One-shot operations
• Tasks with unclear success criteria
• Debugging production issues

Learn More

• Original technique: https://ghuntley.com/ralph/
• Original plugin: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/tree/main/plugins/ralph-wiggum
• Windows issue: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/14817