memory-curator

# Memory Curator Skill

memory.jsonl is an append-only audit trail of durable engineering knowledge:

• Never edit or delete existing lines.
• Never write to the file manually—always use the script.
• Add a new entry to correct or supersede an older one.

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When to Use (Triage Test — all three are quick yes/no)

Create a memory entry only if at least one is true:

1. Will this decision meaningfully affect how we build other features?
2. Is this a pattern we’ll want to repeat across the codebase?
3. Does this prevent a category of future mistakes?

If no to all three → do not create an entry. Put implementation detail into the task context instead.

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Workflow (Authoritative)

Always use the helper script and never edit the file by hand.

python3 $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/skills/memory-curator/scripts/add_memory_entry.py \
  --summary "<see Summary Format below>" \
  --tags architecture,api,lessons-learned \
  --links "TASK-090 services/backend-api/src/plaid/plaid-service.ts"

The script will:

• Compute the next sequential ID (mem-0001, mem-0002, …)
• Add a UTC timestamp (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ)
• Append a single JSON object as one line to .meridian/memory.jsonl
• Echo the written entry for confirmation

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Summary Format (consistent & skimmable)

Write --summary as concise Markdown using these bolded labels in this order (one paragraph per label, short bullets allowed). This gives structure without changing the JSON schema.

**Decision:** <The decision or principle in a single sentence.>
**Problem:** <What made this necessary; symptoms, constraints, or failure mode.>
**Alternatives:** <Narrow list of serious options considered and why rejected.>
**Trade-offs:** <What we accept (complexity, perf, coupling) and why it’s OK.>
**Impact/Scope:** <Which services/modules/patterns this affects now and later.>
**Pattern:** <If reusable, name it; 1–2 rules of thumb to apply next time.>

Keep to ~6–10 lines total. If it doesn’t fit, it’s probably a design doc, not a memory entry—link to that doc and keep the summary short.

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Tags (small, useful taxonomy)

Use kebab‑case tags. Prefer a few broad tags over many hyper‑specific ones.

• Core: architecture, data-model, api, contracts, security, performance, reliability, observability, testing, tooling, build, release, i18n, a11y, cost
• Nature: decision, pattern, lesson, tradeoff, deprecation, migration
• Stack (when relevant): nextjs, react, node, prisma, postgres, redis, s3, graphql, openapi

Examples:

--tags architecture,pattern,nextjs
--tags api,contracts,lesson

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Links (make future retrieval easy)

Use --links for TASK IDs, critical file paths, PR URLs, or design docs. Examples:

--links "TASK-091 services/web/app/(auth)/route.ts https://github.com/org/repo/pull/1234"

• Prefer relative repo paths over vague descriptions.
• It’s fine to include multiple --links flags or a space/comma‑separated list.
• Do not put secrets or tokens in links.

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JSON Shape (what the script writes)

Typical entry:

{"id":"mem-0038","timestamp":"2025-11-12T05:55:31Z",
 "summary":"**Decision:** ...","tags":["architecture","pattern","nextjs"],
 "links":["TASK-090","services/backend-api/src/plaid/plaid-service.ts"]}

Your script may include additional fields; never rely on field order.

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Corrections, Supersession, and Deprecation

• Never edit old lines. Add a new entry that references the old one by ID in --summary or --links.

• Use tags like deprecation or lesson to signal context.

• Recommended summary line when superseding:

  • **Decision:** Supersedes mem-0021 — <new decision>. Why: <reason>.

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Good vs Bad Examples

Bad (too tactical): “Add a scroll indicator with 15 segments using requestAnimationFrame.” Why it’s bad: UI detail, not a reusable principle.

Good (durable pattern):

**Decision:** Collocate request orchestration in Next.js Route Handlers; keep helpers file‑local.
**Problem:** 3‑layer service indirection slowed iteration and hid data contracts.
**Alternatives:** Keep services layer (rejected: redundancy, test friction); global helpers (rejected: coupling).
**Trade-offs:** Slight duplication accepted to gain locality; extraction only after 3+ call sites.
**Impact/Scope:** All new routes in /app/*; refactors opportunistically in legacy pages.
**Pattern:** Orchestrator <120 LOC; helpers <30 LOC; schema at boundary.

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Common Queries (jq snippets)

# All architecture decisions
jq -s '.[] | select(.tags != null and (.tags | index("architecture"))) ' .meridian/memory.jsonl

# Entries mentioning a task
jq -s '.[] | select(.links != null and (.links | index("TASK-090")))' .meridian/memory.jsonl

# Most recent 5 entries
tail -5 .meridian/memory.jsonl | jq -s '.'

# Security-related
jq -s '.[] | select(.tags != null and (.tags | index("security")))' .meridian/memory.jsonl

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Guardrails

• No secrets/PII—ever.
• Keep entries short and pattern/decision oriented.
• Prefer one strong entry over several fragmented ones.
• If you’re unsure whether it belongs, add the insight to TASK-###-context.md and revisit later.