Ralph Mode QA
Ralph is App Factory's built-in AI quality assurance system. It reviews every build and enforces a 97% quality threshold before marking anything complete.
What is Ralph?
Ralph is a QA persona that runs automatically at the end of every build. Think of Ralph as a meticulous code reviewer who checks everything: functionality, code quality, documentation, and even the accuracy of market research.
Key point: You don't invoke Ralph manually. It runs automatically as part of every App Factory build. If your app doesn't pass Ralph, the build continues iterating until it does.
How Ralph Works
Ralph follows a systematic review process for every build.
Review
Ralph examines every file: source code, configuration, documentation, and generated assets. Nothing is skipped.
Score
Each aspect receives a quality score. Ralph calculates an overall percentage and documents specific issues found.
Fix
If the score is below 97%, Ralph identifies what needs to change and the build system makes corrections.
Iterate
The review-score-fix cycle repeats until the app meets the threshold or reaches a maximum iteration count.
Verdict
Once quality meets the threshold, Ralph writes a final verdict documenting what was checked and the final score.
The 97% Threshold
Ralph requires a minimum 97% quality score before approving a build. This threshold ensures apps are genuinely production-ready.
What Gets Checked
- Code completeness and functionality
- Navigation and screen flows
- Subscription and paywall setup
- Error handling and edge cases
- Documentation accuracy
- Market research validity
Why 97%?
The 97% threshold balances thoroughness with practicality. It catches significant issues while allowing for minor cosmetic variations that don't affect functionality.
Apps that pass Ralph are ready to run, test, and submit to app stores without major rework.
Ralph Reports
Ralph generates detailed reports documenting every review cycle and the final verdict.
ralph_report_[N].md
Generated after each review iteration. Contains the score, issues found, and fixes applied. Multiple reports may exist if the build required several iterations.
ralph_final_verdict.md
The final approval document. Contains the passing score, summary of all checks performed, and confirmation that the app meets quality standards.
What Ralph Blocks
Ralph is strict about quality. Here are examples of issues that will prevent a build from passing:
- Placeholder text like 'Lorem ipsum' or 'TODO: implement'
- Broken navigation or missing screens
- Incomplete subscription/paywall integration
- Missing error handling for critical flows
- Hardcoded test data in production code
- Accessibility violations (missing labels, poor contrast)
- Missing required app assets (icons, splash screens)
- Fake or fabricated market research data
No Placeholder Content
One of Ralph's strictest rules: no placeholder content. Every piece of text, every data point, every feature must be real and functional.
Market Research
Competitors must be real companies. Market sizes must be sourced. User personas must be based on actual user research patterns, not fabricated profiles.
App Content
No “Lorem ipsum” text. No “Coming soon” buttons. No screens that say “Feature not implemented.” If it's in the app, it works.
Documentation
README files must accurately describe what the app does. Setup instructions must work. API documentation must match the actual implementation.