Skip to main content

ralph-starter init

Initialize Ralph Playbook in an existing project.

Synopsis​

ralph-starter init [options]

Description​

The init command sets up Ralph Playbook files in the current directory. These files guide AI agents in understanding and building your project.

Options​

OptionDescription
-n, --name <name>Project name

Files Created​

FileDescription
AGENTS.mdAgent instructions and validation commands
PROMPT_plan.mdPlanning mode prompt template
PROMPT_build.mdBuilding mode prompt template
IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.mdTask list (initially empty)
specs/Directory for specification files

Examples​

# Initialize in current directory
ralph-starter init

# With project name
ralph-starter init --name my-awesome-app

# In a new project
mkdir my-project && cd my-project
git init
ralph-starter init --name my-project

Generated Files​

AGENTS.md​

# AGENTS.md

## Project: my-project

### Validation Commands
- test: npm test
- lint: npm run lint
- build: npm run build

### Agent Instructions
[Instructions for AI agents...]

PROMPT_plan.md​

# Planning Mode

Read the specs in `specs/` and create an implementation plan.

[Planning instructions...]

PROMPT_build.md​

# Building Mode

Execute tasks from IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md.

[Building instructions...]

When to Use​

Use ralph-starter init when:

  1. Starting a new project - Set up Ralph Playbook from scratch
  2. Adding to existing project - Integrate ralph-starter into current codebase
  3. Manual workflow - When not using the interactive wizard

Workflow​

After initialization:

  1. Write specs in specs/ directory
  2. Run ralph-starter plan to create implementation plan
  3. Run ralph-starter run to start building

See Also​