memory-tasks

# Memory Tasks Manage work-in-progress using Basic Memory's schema system. Tasks are just notes with `type: Task` — they live in the knowledge graph, validate against a schema, and survive context compaction. ## When to Use - **Starting multi-step work** (3+ steps, or anything that might outlast the context window) - **After compaction/restart** — search for active tasks to resume - **Pre-compaction flush** — update all active tasks with current state - **On demand** — user asks to create, check, or manage tasks ## Task Schema Tasks use the BM schema system (SPEC-SCHEMA). The schema note lives at `memory/schema/Task.md`: ```yaml --- title: Task type: schema entity: Task version: 1 schema: description: string, what needs to be done status?(enum): [active, blocked, done, abandoned], current state assigned_to?: string, who is working on this steps?(array): string, ordered steps to complete current_step?: integer, which step number we're on (1-indexed) context?: string, key context needed to resume after memory loss started?: string, when work began completed?: string, when work finished blockers?(array): string, what's preventing progress parent_task?: Task, parent task if this is a subtask settings: validation: warn --- ``` ## Creating a Task When work qualifies, create a note in `memory/tasks/YYYY-MM-DD-short-name.md`: ```markdown --- title: Descriptive task name type: Task status: active created: YYYY-MM-DD current_step: 1 --- # Descriptive task name ## Observations - [description] What needs to be done, concisely - [status] active - [assigned_to] claude - [started] YYYY-MM-DD - [current_step] 1 ## Steps 1. [ ] First concrete step 2. [ ] Second concrete step 3. [ ] Third concrete step ## Context What future-you needs to pick up this work. Include: - Key file paths and repos involved - Decisions already made and why - What was tried and what worked/didn't - Where to look for related context ``` ### Key Principles - **Steps are concrete and checkable** — "Implement X in file Y", not "figure out stuff" - **Context is for post-amnesia resumption** — Write it as if explaining to a smart person who knows nothing about what you've been doing - **Use observations for BM-queryable fields** — `[status]`, `[description]`, `[assigned_to]` etc. become searchable in the knowledge graph - **Relations link to other entities** — `parent_task [[Other Task]]`, `related_to [[Some Note]]` ## Resuming After Compaction On session start or after compaction: 1. **Search for active tasks:** - Via BM: `search_notes("type:Task status:active")` or `search_notes("[status] active")` - Via memory_search: query "active tasks" (composited search includes task scanning) 2. **Read the task note** to get full context 3. **Resume from `current_step`** using the `context` field 4. **Update as you progress** — increment `current_step`, update context, check off steps ## Updating Tasks As work progresses, update the task note: ```markdown ## Steps 1. [x] First step — done, resulted in X 2. [x] Second step — done, changed approach because Y 3. [ ] Third step — next up ## Context Updated context reflecting current state... ``` Update frontmatter too: ```yaml current_step: 3 ``` ## Completing Tasks When done: ```yaml status: done completed: YYYY-MM-DD ``` Add a brief summary of what was accomplished and any follow-up needed. ## Pre-Compaction Flush When a compaction event is imminent: 1. Find all active tasks: `search_notes("type:Task status:active")` 2. For each, update: - `current_step` to reflect actual progress - `context` with everything needed to resume - Step checkboxes to show what's done 3. This is **critical** — context not written down is context lost ## Querying Tasks With BM's schema system, tasks are fully queryable: | Query | What it finds | |-------|--------------| | `search_notes("type:Task")` | All tasks | | `search_notes("[status] active")` | Active tasks | | `search_notes("[status] blocked")` | Blocked tasks | | `search_notes("[assigned_to] claude")` | My tasks | | `search_notes("type:Task [blockers]")` | Tasks with blockers | | `schema_validate(noteType="Task")` | Validate all tasks against schema | | `schema_diff(noteType="Task")` | Detect drift between schema and actual task notes | ## Guidelines - **One task per unit of work** — Don't cram multiple projects into one task - **Externalize early** — If you think "I should remember this", write it down NOW - **Context > steps** — Steps tell you what to do; context tells you why and how - **Close finished tasks** — Don't leave completed work as `active` - **Link related tasks** — Use `parent_task [[X]]` or relations to connect related work - **Schema validation is your friend** — Run `bm schema validate Task` periodically to catch incomplete tasks