help

Devloop Help

Interactive guide to devloop.

Step 1: Choose Topic

If $ARGUMENTS specifies a topic, skip to that section. Otherwise:

AskUserQuestion:
  questions:
    - question: "What would you like to learn about?"
      header: "Topic"
      multiSelect: false
      options:
        - label: "Getting Started"
          description: "New to devloop? Start here"
        - label: "Commands"
          description: "What each command does"
        - label: "The Loop"
          description: "The plan -> run -> fresh cycle"
        - label: "Skills & Agents"
          description: "On-demand knowledge and parallel work"
        - label: "Superpowers"
          description: "How devloop works with superpowers plugin"

---

Topic: Getting Started

What is devloop?

Development workflow where Claude does the work directly. No routine agents. Just you, Claude, and the code.

Quick Start

/devloop:plan "How should we implement feature X?"  # Plan (or --deep for exploration)
/devloop:run                                        # Execute tasks
/devloop:fresh && /clear                           # Save state, clear context (every fresh_threshold tasks (default 10, configurable in .devloop/local.md))
/devloop:run                                        # Continue execution

First Session

1. Have a task? /devloop:plan [task] (or --deep for detailed exploration)
2. Claude explores, creates plan
3. You approve
4. /devloop:run to implement
5. Every fresh_threshold tasks (default 10, configurable in .devloop/local.md): /devloop:fresh then /clear then /devloop:run
6. Done? /devloop:ship

---

Topic: Commands

Decision Tree

Starting new work?
|-- Unclear requirements  -> /devloop:plan --deep
|-- Small, clear task     -> /devloop:plan --quick
|-- Normal feature        -> /devloop:plan
|-- Have a plan           -> /devloop:run

Mid-workflow?
|-- Context heavy         -> /devloop:fresh -> /clear -> /devloop:run
|-- Ready to commit       -> /devloop:ship
|-- Want review           -> /devloop:review

Returning?
|-- /devloop:run

Command Reference

Command	Purpose
/devloop	Start new workflow (smart entry point)
/devloop:plan	Autonomous planning (default mode)
/devloop:plan --deep	Comprehensive exploration with spike report
/devloop:plan --quick	Fast path for small, clear tasks
/devloop:plan --from-issue N	Start from GitHub issue #N
/devloop:run	Autonomous execution
/devloop:run --interactive	With checkpoints
/devloop:run --next-issue	Full issue-to-ship pipeline
/devloop:run-swarm	Swarm for 10+ tasks
/devloop:fresh	Save state for clear
/devloop:review	Code review
/devloop:ship	Commit & PR
/devloop:archive	Archive completed plan
/devloop:new	Create GitHub issue
/devloop:issues	List GitHub issues
/devloop:statusline	Configure statusline
/devloop:help	This guide

Migration from Old Commands

Old Command	New Command
/devloop:spike	/devloop:plan --deep
/devloop:quick	/devloop:plan --quick
/devloop:from-issue N	/devloop:plan --from-issue N
/devloop:continue	/devloop:run --interactive
/devloop:ralph	/devloop:run

---

Topic: The Loop

Pattern

/devloop:plan [topic]    ->  Creates plan
       |
/devloop:run             ->  Implements tasks
       |
After fresh_threshold tasks (default 10, configurable in .devloop/local.md)?
|-- Yes -> /devloop:fresh -> /clear -> /devloop:run
|-- No  -> Continue

Why It Works

• Fresh context = better reasoning
• Plan preserves progress
• Checkpoints keep control
• Sustainable pace

When to Fresh

• After fresh_threshold tasks (default 10, configurable in .devloop/local.md)
• When responses slow
• After long exploration
• Before taking a break

State Files

File	Purpose
.devloop/plan.md	Current plan (persists)
.devloop/next-action.json	Fresh state (consumed)
.devloop/worklog.md	Work history

---

Topic: Skills & Agents

Skills: On-Demand Knowledge

Load when needed: Skill: skill-name

Skill	Purpose
plan-management	Working with plan.md
go-patterns	Go idioms, testing
python-patterns	Python best practices
react-patterns	React/TypeScript
java-patterns	Java/Spring
git-workflows	Git operations
atomic-commits	Commit practices
testing-strategies	Test design
api-design	REST/GraphQL
database-patterns	SQL, schema
architecture-patterns	System design
security-checklist	Security review

Don't preload. Claude loads automatically when needed.

Agents: Parallel Work Only

Use for: parallel implementations, security scans, large exploration (50+ files) Don't use for: writing code, tests, git ops, single files, docs

Agent	Purpose
devloop:engineer	Exploration, architecture, code review
devloop:qa-engineer	Test generation
devloop:security-scanner	OWASP, secrets
devloop:doc-generator	READMEs, API docs
devloop:swarm-worker	Parallel task execution

---

Topic: Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Plan corrupted: rm .devloop/plan.md && /devloop Session ended: /devloop:run Abandon plan: /devloop:archive && /devloop Context heavy: /devloop:fresh && /clear && /devloop:run Skill not loading: Check exact name in skills/INDEX.md Progress not saving: Use [x] not [X] Statusline missing: /devloop:statusline, restart Claude Code

Reset Everything

rm -rf .devloop/ && /devloop

---

Topic: Automation

Autonomous Execution

/devloop:run                      # Up to 50 iterations
/devloop:run --max-iterations 100 # Custom limit
/devloop:run --interactive        # With checkpoints

How It Works

1. /devloop:run creates ralph-loop state
2. Claude works on tasks, marks [x]
3. When all done, outputs <promise>ALL PLAN TASKS COMPLETE</promise>
4. Loop terminates

Context Guard

Auto-exits at 70% context usage. Configure in .devloop/local.md:

context_threshold: 80

Stopping Early

• /cancel-ralph
• Max iterations reached
• Context guard triggered

---

---

Topic: Superpowers

Complement, Not Dependency

Devloop and superpowers are complementary plugins with distinct lanes:

• Devloop = Workflow orchestration (plan, run, fresh, ship)
• Superpowers = Quality practices (TDD, debugging, verification, code review)

Devloop works fully standalone. Superpowers is optional.

When to Use Which

Task	Use
Plan and implement a feature	/devloop:plan -> /devloop:run
Write tests first, then code	superpowers:test-driven-development
Debug a failing test	superpowers:systematic-debugging
Quick review of changes	/devloop:review
Thorough code review	superpowers:requesting-code-review
Commit and PR	/devloop:ship

Key Difference

• /devloop:plan creates workflow plans (task breakdown, phased execution)
• superpowers:writing-plans creates implementation plans (architecture, design decisions)

Both can coexist. Use devloop for the workflow, superpowers for quality gates within tasks.

---

Step 3: Offer More

AskUserQuestion:
  questions:
    - question: "Learn about another topic?"
      header: "More"
      multiSelect: false
      options:
        - label: "Yes, show topics"
          description: "Return to topic menu"
        - label: "No, I'm good"
          description: "Exit help"

If yes, return to Step 1. If no:

Ready to start? Try /devloop:plan [task] or /devloop:run if you have a plan.