ezos26/claude-skills/ralph-dry-run

Claude Code and agent skill by ezos26/claude-skills

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Ralph Dry Run — Simulate PRD implementation without writing code. 4 agents trace data flow, execution paths, system boundaries, and step completeness against the real codebase. Finds interpretation gaps between what the PRD says and what the code requires. Produces an amended PRD v2 ready for /ralph2 execution. Usage: /ralph-dry-run [prd-path]

Install

npx vskill@latest install ezos26/claude-skills/ralph-dry-run

SKILL.md

Ralph Dry Run — Interpretation Validation

Tabletop exercise for PRDs. Agents simulate implementing the plan against the real codebase — reading actual files, tracing actual paths — without writing code. They find every point where the PRD's assumptions don't match reality, then produce an amended PRD ready for execution.

When to Use

  • After writing a PRD, before running /ralph2
  • After /ralph-planning-audit passes structural validation
  • When a PRD touches many existing files and you're not sure it accounts for all the wiring
  • When onboarding to someone else's PRD

Pipeline Position

/ralph-planning-audit → structural validation (schema, deps, collisions)
/ralph-dry-run → interpretation validation (code reality check) → PRD v2
/ralph2 → execution from PRD v2

Trigger Phrases

  • /ralph-dry-run
  • /ralph-dry-run [prd-path]
  • /dry-run
  • "dry run the PRD"
  • "simulate the implementation"

Input Detection

Parse user input for:

  • PRD path: explicit path, or auto-detect by globbing docs/**/*PRD*, docs/**/*prd*, **/*plan*PRD*
  • Codebase map: if .ralph/codebase-map.md exists (from a prior /ralph2 Stage 0), reuse it

If no PRD found, ask the user.


Stage 0: Ground Truth

Before agents simulate anything, build a verified map of the codebase.

0A: Read Project Context

Read these files (skip if missing):

  1. CLAUDE.md — project constraints, dev commands
  2. AGENTS.md — patterns, conventions, tech stack
  3. package.json — dependencies, scripts
  4. The PRD file — full implementation plan
  5. frontend-api-contract.md or equivalent — API contract
  6. Any handoff doc referenced by the PRD

Construct a {context block} containing:

  • Tech stack, project structure, key conventions
  • Isolation rules, auth patterns, deployment constraints
  • API contract summary
  • Full PRD contents
0B: Codebase Scanner

If `.ralph/codebase-map.md` exists and is recent, reuse it. Otherwise generate it.

For every file referenced in the PRD:

  1. Verify it exists (glob for it)
  2. Read it — note key exports, function signatures, important line numbers
  3. Flag discrepancies: file moved, function renamed, structure different than PRD assumes

Write to .ralph/codebase-map.md:

markdown
# Codebase Map
Generated: {date}
PRD: {path}
## Files Referenced in PRD
| File | Exists | Key Exports / Relevant Code |
|------|--------|----------------------------|
| {path} | YES/NO | {exports, key functions, line numbers} |
## Discrepancies
-{PRD says X but code shows Y}
## Quality Gate Commands
-Typecheck: {command}
-Lint: {command or "none"}
-Test: {command or "none"}
0C: Extract Simulation Targets

From the PRD, extract a structured list of every change:

Phase {N}: {title}
Modify: {file} — {what the PRD says to change}
Modify: {file} — {what the PRD says to change}
Create: {file} — {what the PRD says to create}

This list feeds into all 4 agents. It ensures they trace the same set of changes.


Stage 1: Simulation Agents (4, parallel, read-only)

Launch ALL 4 agents simultaneously using run_in_background: true. All use subagent_type: "Explore". All are strictly read-only — they do NOT write code or modify files.

Every agent receives:

  • The full context block (Stage 0A)
  • The codebase map (Stage 0B)
  • The simulation targets list (Stage 0C)
  • The Agent Roster (so they can flag cross-cutting concerns)
## Agent Roster (you are Agent {N})
1. Data Tracer — traces every data field from origin to consumer
2. Execution Tracer — traces runtime paths step by step
3. Boundary Checker — checks API contracts, auth, isolation, external services
4. Step Completeness Checker — decomposes PRD instructions into actual code changes
If you find something outside your domain, note it as:
CROSS-REF [Agent N]: [what they should check]

Agent 1: Data Tracer

"Where does every piece of data come from, and where does it go?"

{context block}
{codebase map}
{simulation targets}
{agent roster}
## Your Focus: Data Flow Tracing (READ ONLY — do NOT modify any files)
For each new field, column, or data structure the PRD introduces:
1. **Trace upstream**: Where does this data originate?
- User input? AI output? Computed? Stripe metadata?
- Read the actual code where it would be created
2. **Trace downstream**: What consumes this data?
- API responses? PDF sections? Emails? Frontend?
- Read the actual consumer code to verify it can receive the data
3. **Check transformations**: Does the data change shape between layers?
- snake_case in DB, camelCase in API?
- Different field names in different layers?
- Read the actual serialization/query code
4. **Flag orphans**:
- Data written but never read
- Data expected by a consumer but never produced
- Fields in the PRD output schema that no code populates
5. **Produce hypothetical diffs**: For each gap, show the specific code change needed:
```
// file:line
+ the line that would need to be added
```
## OUTPUT FORMAT (MANDATORY)
DATA TRACE REPORT
=================
Fields Traced: {count}
Per Field:
FIELD: {name}
Origin: {where it comes from} — {file:line}
Storage: {where it's stored} — {file:line}
Consumers:
- {consumer} — {file:line} — {CONNECTED / GAP: description}
Transformations: {shape changes between layers}
Hypothetical Diff (if gap found):
```
// {file:line}
+ {what needs adding}
```
Orphan Fields:
- {field}: {written at file:line, never read} or {expected at file:line, never produced}
CROSS-REF:
- [Agent N]: [what they should check]

Agent 2: Execution Tracer

"If a user clicked 'Buy Now' right now, what happens at every step?"

{context block}
{codebase map}
{simulation targets}
{agent roster}
## Your Focus: Runtime Path Tracing (READ ONLY — do NOT modify any files)
For each phase, pick the primary user action (checkout, submit domains, view results)
and trace the ACTUAL runtime path through the code, function by function.
1. **Start at the entry point**: HTTP route, webhook handler, Trigger.dev task
- Read the actual handler code
- Note the exact line numbers
2. **Follow every function call**:
- What validates the input? (Zod schemas, middleware)
- What transforms the data?
- What stores the data?
- What dispatches to the next step?
3. **At each branching point**, check:
- Does the PRD account for this branch?
- Would the new product_type / tier take the right path?
- Is there validation or middleware that would strip/reject the new data?
4. **Check function signatures**: If the PRD says "add parameter X to function Y":
- Read function Y — what's its current signature?
- Find ALL callers of function Y — do they all need updating?
- Does the PRD mention updating the callers?
5. **Produce hypothetical diffs**: For each issue, show the specific change:
```
// file:line — current
- functionName(orderId, email)
+ functionName(orderId, email, productType)
```
## OUTPUT FORMAT (MANDATORY)
EXECUTION TRACE REPORT
======================
Paths Traced: {count}
Per Path:
PATH: {user action} → {endpoint}
Step 1: {description}
Code: {file:line}
Current behavior: {what happens now}
PRD expects: {what the PRD says should happen}
Status: OK / ISSUE
{if ISSUE: description + hypothetical diff}
Step 2: ...
Function Signature Changes Required:
- {function} at {file:line}: {current sig} → {needed sig}
Callers that need updating: {list with file:line}
PRD covers this: YES / NO
CROSS-REF:
- [Agent N]: [what they should check]

Agent 3: Boundary Checker

"What breaks at system edges?"

{context block}
{codebase map}
{simulation targets}
{agent roster}
## Your Focus: System Boundary Verification (READ ONLY — do NOT modify any files)
1. **API Contract Compliance**:
- Read frontend-api-contract.md (or equivalent)
- For every PRD change that touches an API endpoint:
- Does the change preserve the existing contract?
- Does the PRD update the contract doc?
- Would existing frontend code break?
- Check response shapes, field names (snake_case), status codes
2. **Worker Isolation**:
- For every change to worker/src/: verify no imports from src/lib/
- Check that duplicated values (tier prices, config) stay in sync
- Verify the Worker can access everything it needs via bindings/env
3. **Auth & Cookie Paths**:
- Read auth/cookie code — what paths are cookies set on?
- Will new route prefixes receive auth cookies?
- Does the auth parsing code recognize new path prefixes?
4. **External Service Compatibility**:
- Stripe: metadata limits, webhook signature handling
- Langfuse: prompt names, model config
- Postmark: email template compatibility
- R2: storage path conventions
- Trigger.dev: task registration, machine types
5. **Backward Compatibility**:
- Existing orders/data: affected by schema changes?
- Migration handles existing rows?
- Default values prevent null errors on old data?
## OUTPUT FORMAT (MANDATORY)
BOUNDARY CHECK REPORT
=====================
Boundaries Checked: {count}
API Contract:
- {endpoint}: {PRESERVED / AT RISK: description}
Hypothetical diff for contract doc:
```
+ {what to add to frontend-api-contract.md}
```
Worker Isolation:
- {check}: {PASS / VIOLATION: description}
Auth:
- Cookie path: {WORKS / ISSUE: description}
- Auth parsing: {WORKS / ISSUE: description}
External Services:
- {service}: {COMPATIBLE / ISSUE: description}
Backward Compatibility:
- {concern}: {SAFE / RISK: description}
CROSS-REF:
- [Agent N]: [what they should check]

Agent 4: Step Completeness Checker

"Does the PRD list every code change actually required?"

{context block}
{codebase map}
{simulation targets}
{agent roster}
## Your Focus: Step Completeness (READ ONLY — do NOT modify any files)
For EVERY instruction in the PRD, decompose it into the actual atomic code changes required. Then check if the PRD mentions all of them.
Example:
PRD says: "Add product_type column to reportOrders"
Actual steps required:
1. Add column definition in schema.ts
2. Run drizzle-kit generate
3. Run migration
4. Update all INSERT queries that write to reportOrders
5. Update all SELECT queries that read from reportOrders (if needed)
6. Update TypeScript types/interfaces that reference the table
7. Update any Zod schemas that validate order data
PRD covers: 1, 2, 3
PRD misses: 4, 5, 6, 7
For each phase:
1. **Read every PRD instruction**
2. **Read the actual code it references**
3. **List ALL atomic changes needed** to make that instruction work
4. **Diff against what the PRD says** — flag missing steps
5. **Check ripple effects**: if file A changes, what other files must change?
- Importers of changed exports
- Callers of changed functions
- Templates that reference changed data
- Tests that exercise changed code
## OUTPUT FORMAT (MANDATORY)
STEP COMPLETENESS REPORT
========================
Instructions Analyzed: {count}
Complete: {count}
Incomplete: {count}
Per Phase:
PHASE {N}: {title}
Instruction: "{PRD instruction text}"
Required steps:
1. {step} — PRD: COVERED / MISSING
2. {step} — PRD: COVERED / MISSING
3. {step} — PRD: COVERED / MISSING
Ripple effects:
- {file}: {what needs changing} — PRD: COVERED / MISSING
Instruction: "{next instruction}"
...
Missing Steps Summary (grouped by phase):
Phase {N}:
- {missing step description} — affects {file:line}
- {missing step description} — affects {file:line}
CROSS-REF:
- [Agent N]: [what they should check]

Stage 2: Cross-Examination

After all 4 agents complete:

This is the start of the file. Read the full SKILL.md on GitHub.

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