ralph-claude-code/docs/user-guide
Test User dff2d358f6 docs: add user guide and example projects (#139)
New users were confused about which files they write vs. which Ralph
manages, and how PROMPT.md, specs/, and fix_plan.md relate to each other.

Added:
- docs/user-guide/ with quick start tutorial, file reference, and
  requirements writing guide
- examples/simple-cli-tool/ showing minimal Ralph configuration
- examples/rest-api/ demonstrating when to use specs/
- README section explaining Ralph files and their relationships

Also documents specs/stdlib/ purpose for reusable patterns.
2026-01-29 13:51:10 -07:00
..
01-quick-start.md docs: add user guide and example projects (#139) 2026-01-29 13:51:10 -07:00
02-understanding-ralph-files.md docs: add user guide and example projects (#139) 2026-01-29 13:51:10 -07:00
03-writing-requirements.md docs: add user guide and example projects (#139) 2026-01-29 13:51:10 -07:00
README.md docs: add user guide and example projects (#139) 2026-01-29 13:51:10 -07:00

Ralph User Guide

This guide helps you get started with Ralph and understand how to configure it effectively for your projects.

Guides

Quick Start: Your First Ralph Project

A hands-on tutorial that walks you through enabling Ralph on an existing project and running your first autonomous development loop. You'll build a simple CLI todo app from scratch.

Understanding Ralph Files

Learn which files Ralph creates, which ones you should customize, and how they work together. Includes a complete reference table and explanations of file relationships.

Writing Effective Requirements

Best practices for writing PROMPT.md, when to use specs/, and how fix_plan.md evolves during development. Includes good and bad examples.

Example Projects

Check out the examples/ directory for complete, realistic project configurations:

  • simple-cli-tool - Minimal example showing core Ralph files
  • rest-api - Medium complexity with specs/ directory usage

Quick Reference

I want to... Do this
Enable Ralph on an existing project ralph-enable
Import a PRD/requirements doc ralph-import requirements.md project-name
Create a new project from scratch ralph-setup my-project
Start Ralph with monitoring ralph --monitor
Check what Ralph is doing ralph --status

Need Help?