ralpi/README.md

Ralpi

Execute tasks from task files until done using DAG-based dependency resolution with persistent progress tracking.

pi install npm:@mikefreno/ralpi

Features

• Parallel batching: Independent tasks in each batch can run concurrently
• Persistent progress: Execution state saved to .ralpi/progress.json
• Reflection system: Each task produces a reflection for downstream tasks
• Retry with backoff: Failed tasks retry with exponential backoff
• Multiple formats: Supports simple checkboxes, and YAML
• Tool usage tracking: Detects and reports tool usage (read, write, edit, bash) from task execution
• Configurable timeouts: Task-level timeouts via meta blocks, with global fallback
• Session saving: Saves full task output for expandable session review
• Resume auto-discovery: Automatically finds and resumes interrupted execution

Usage

/ralpi [task-file]  # Execute all tasks
/ralpi plan         # Alias to /task-manager to plan new tasks
/ralpi resume       # Resume paused execution
/ralpi reset        # Reset progress and .ralpi directory - does not modify PRD

Highly recommended to use the task-manager prompt for prd construction, it's output pairs perfectly - /task-manager or /ralpi plan

Tasks

Simple Checkbox Format

- [ ] 01: Setup project structure
- [ ] 02: Implement auth
- [ ] 03: Build API

YAML Format

objective: Build a web application
tasks:
  - id: "01"
    title: Setup project structure
    file: tasks/01-setup.md
    dependencies: []
  - id: "02"
    title: Implement auth
    file: tasks/02-auth.md
    depends_on: ["01"]

Task IDs

Task IDs are zero-padded 2-digit strings (01, 02, ...) with an optional single lowercase letter suffix for sub-tasks inserted between two numbered steps (e.g. 02b, 02c). The parser normalizes 2b → 02b.

- [ ] 01 — Setup
- [ ] 02 — Fix bugs
- [ ] 02b — Sub-step of 02 (inserted after the fact)
- [ ] 02c — Another sub-step of 02
- [ ] 03 — Continue

Use lettered sub-tasks when you discover mid-stream that a step needs to be split. They let you preserve sibling numbering (01, 02, 03, ...) while adding granularity between two existing steps.

Dependencies

Arrow Notation (recommended)

1 -> 2,3,4 5 -> 6 This means: "Task 1 must complete before tasks 2, 3, and 4 can start."

Natural Language

13 depends on 17, 18, 19, 20 14 depends on 13, 15, 16

This means: "Task 13 depends on tasks 17, 18, 19, and 20."

Parallel Groups (informational only)

1, 2, 3, 4 can be done in parallel 5, 6, 7, 8 can be done in parallel

Note: These lines are ignored by the parser. Use explicit dependencies to control execution order.

Configuration

Task-Level Timeout

You can set a timeout for individual tasks using a meta block in the task file:

- [ ] 01: Setup project structure
  timeout: 10m

Supported formats: 10m (minutes), 600s (seconds), 3600000 (milliseconds)

Config files

Scope	Path
Global	~/.pi/ralpi/config.yaml
Project	./.ralpi/config.yaml

execution:
  maxParallel: 3          # ralpi-level concurrency only
  models:                 # round-robin in <provider>/<model> format
    - google/gemini-3.5-flash # 1st and 3rd task in parallel
    - openai/gpt-5.5 # 2nd task in parallel
  autoCommit: true        # commit changes after each task passes review (or when autoReview is off)
  autoReview: false        # review changes BEFORE commit; loop on fail, commit on pass
  implModel: ""           # model for task impl (sequential mode, empty = inherit parent)
  commitModel: ""         # model for commit sessions (empty = inherit task model)
  reviewModel: ""         # model for review sessions (empty = inherit task model)
  timeoutMs: 0            # per-task timeout in ms (0 = inherit Pi's defaults)
  commitTimeoutMs: 60000  # timeout for auto-commit agent sessions
  reviewTimeoutMs: 120000 # timeout for auto-review agent sessions
  loopTimeoutMs: 0        # max total loop duration in ms (0 = no limit)
prompts:
  projectContext: "Additional context for all tasks"

execution.models uses slot-aware round-robin: with 3 models and 2 concurrent tasks, only the first two models are used. The third model is only touched when a third concurrent task starts. Freed model slots are reused before new ones are allocated. Automatic failover: if a provider/API is unreachable (rate limit, 503, etc.), the task automatically cycles to the next model in the list without counting it as a task failure. Each model is tried once before the task is marked as failed. NOTE: this is only used in parallel execution, in sequential mode the parent pi session's model is used

Auto-review and Auto-commit

At loop startup the review question is asked FIRST, then the commit question. When autoReview is enabled, a review gate runs BEFORE the commit: each task's uncommitted changes are reviewed against the task description, and on a fail verdict the task is re-executed with the review feedback injected into the prompt (looping until the review passes or maxReviewRetries is exhausted). When autoCommit is also enabled, a follow-up agent stages and commits the changes once the review passes (or after retries exhaust); otherwise the changes are left uncommitted for manual inspection.

When autoReview is disabled, autoCommit runs a follow-up commit agent after each task with no review. Both options can be overridden at loop startup via a selection prompt (config YAML values are honored without prompting when set explicitly).

commitModel and reviewModel accept <provider>/<model> strings (e.g. anthropic/claude-sonnet-4) resolved via the model registry. When empty, the task's model is inherited. implModel sets the model for task implementation in sequential mode (overridden by execution.models round-robin in parallel mode).

State Files

• .ralpi/progress.json - Execution progress
• .ralpi/reflections/ - Per-task reflections
• .ralpi/prompts/ - Generated prompts
• .ralpi/sessions/ - Full task output for review