journal-write

name	journal-write
description	Write a journal entry documenting what was done in this session. Records what changed, why, and next steps. Saves to both SQLite and a timestamped markdown file.
argument-hint	["optional summary of what was done"]
disable-model-invocation	true

Journal Write Skill

This skill writes a structured journal entry documenting the current session's work.

Instructions

1. If $ARGUMENTS is provided, use it as a starting point for the summary. Otherwise, reflect on what was done in the current conversation.

2. Compose a structured journal entry with these sections:

   • Summary: A one-line description of the session's work
   • What Was Done: Bullet points of actions taken
   • Why: The reasoning or motivation behind the changes
   • Files Changed: List of files modified with brief descriptions
   • Next Steps: Any follow-up work identified (if applicable)

3. Generate a timestamp using date -u '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S' for the entry, and date -u '+%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S' for the filename.

4. Insert the entry into SQLite using Bash:

TIMESTAMP=$(date -u '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
DB_PATH="$CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/journal/journal.db"

sqlite3 "$DB_PATH" "INSERT INTO entries (timestamp, type, summary, details, files_changed, next_steps) VALUES ('$TIMESTAMP', 'manual', '<SUMMARY>', '<DETAILS>', '<FILES_JSON>', '<NEXT_STEPS>');"

5. Also write a markdown file to $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/journal/entries/YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS.md with this format:

# Journal Entry: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

## Summary
<one line>

## What Was Done
- <bullet points>

## Why
<reasoning>

## Files Changed
- `path/to/file.ts` — description

## Next Steps
- <bullet points if any>

6. Confirm the entry was saved by showing the summary and file path.