start

name	start
description	Start a coding session with full context compilation, GitHub sync, and memory loading. Triggers on session start, project status check, context restoration, memory layer loading, loop state recovery, GitHub issue synchronization, and feature priority review.
compatibility	Designed for Claude Code

Start - Session Initialization and Context Compilation

Run the initialization script and prepare for a new coding session.

Phase 0: Auto-Migration (Legacy Files)

Before anything else, check if legacy root-level harness files need migration:

1. Check if any of these files exist in the project root:

   • feature-list.json
   • feature-archive.json
   • claude-progress.json
   • working-context.json
   • agent-context.json
   • agent-memory.json
   • init.sh

2. If any legacy files exist AND .claude-harness/ directory does NOT exist:

   • Create .claude-harness/ directory
   • Move each file to .claude-harness/:
     • mv feature-list.json .claude-harness/
     • mv feature-archive.json .claude-harness/
     • mv claude-progress.json .claude-harness/
     • mv working-context.json .claude-harness/
     • mv agent-context.json .claude-harness/
     • mv agent-memory.json .claude-harness/
     • mv init.sh .claude-harness/
   • Report to user: "Migrated harness files to .claude-harness/ directory"

3. If .claude-harness/ already exists, check for feature file migration:

   • If feature-list.json OR feature-archive.json exist at root level:
     • Create .claude-harness/features/ directory if needed: mkdir -p .claude-harness/features/
     • Migrate files with renaming:
       • mv feature-list.json .claude-harness/features/active.json (if exists)
       • mv feature-archive.json .claude-harness/features/archive.json (if exists)
     • Also check for old files in .claude-harness/ root:
       • mv .claude-harness/feature-list.json .claude-harness/features/active.json (if exists)
       • mv .claude-harness/feature-archive.json .claude-harness/features/archive.json (if exists)
     • Report to user: "Migrated feature files to .claude-harness/features/ with updated names"

4. Create missing state files (for plugin updates):

   • Check if each required state file exists, create with defaults if missing:

   • .claude-harness/memory/learned/rules.json (if missing):

     • First create directory if needed: mkdir -p .claude-harness/memory/learned
     • Then create file with defaults:

     {
       "version": 3,
       "lastUpdated": "{ISO timestamp}",
       "metadata": {
         "totalRules": 0,
         "projectSpecific": 0,
         "general": 0,
         "lastReflection": null
       },
       "rules": []
     }
     

   • Report: "Created missing state file: {filename}"

   • .claude-harness/config.json verification block (if missing acceptance key):

     • Read existing config.json
     • If verification object exists but has no acceptance key:
       • Add "acceptance": "" to the verification object
       • Write updated config.json back
     • Report: "Added acceptance test config (verification.acceptance) -- configure with your E2E test command"

   Note: Loop state and working context are now session-scoped and created at runtime in .claude-harness/sessions/{session-id}/. Legacy files at .claude-harness/loop-state.json and .claude-harness/working-context.json are no longer created.

Phase 0.5: Set Paths

1. Set path variables:
   • FEATURES_FILE=".claude-harness/features/active.json"
   • ARCHIVE_FILE=".claude-harness/features/archive.json"
   • MEMORY_DIR=".claude-harness/memory/"
   • SESSION_DIR=".claude-harness/sessions/{session-id}/"

Important: All subsequent phases must use these path variables instead of hardcoded paths.

Phase 1: Context Compilation (Memory System)

Session ID: The SessionStart hook automatically generates a unique session ID and creates a session directory at .claude-harness/sessions/{session-id}/. All session-specific state files should use this directory. The session ID is provided in the hook output as sessionId and sessionDir.

OPTIMIZATION: Read all memory layers IN PARALLEL for faster startup.

1. Initialize session context:

   • Get session directory from SessionStart hook output (.claude-harness/sessions/{session-id}/)
   • Get cached GitHub owner/repo from SessionStart hook output (github.owner, github.repo)
   • Clear/initialize session context file: .claude-harness/sessions/{session-id}/context.json

2. Read all memory layers IN PARALLEL (single message with multiple Read tool calls):

   • ${FEATURES_FILE} (to identify active feature)
   • ${MEMORY_DIR}/procedural/failures.json
   • ${MEMORY_DIR}/procedural/successes.json
   • ${MEMORY_DIR}/episodic/decisions.json
   • ${MEMORY_DIR}/learned/rules.json

   IMPORTANT: Use parallel tool calls - do NOT read these files sequentially. This reduces context compilation time by 30-40%.

3. Process memory data (after all reads complete):

   • Failures to avoid:

     • If active feature exists, filter entries where feature matches or files overlap with relatedFiles
     • Extract top 5 most recent relevant failures
     • Add to relevantMemory.avoidApproaches

   • Successful approaches:

     • Filter entries for similar file patterns or feature types
     • Extract top 5 most relevant successes
     • Add to relevantMemory.projectPatterns

   • Recent decisions:

     • Get entries from last 7 days or last 20 entries (whichever is smaller)
     • Add to relevantMemory.recentDecisions

4. Write compiled context (to session-scoped path):

   • Update .claude-harness/sessions/{session-id}/context.json:

     {
       "version": 3,
       "computedAt": "{ISO timestamp}",
       "sessionId": "{unique-id}",
       "github": {
         "owner": "{from SessionStart hook}",
         "repo": "{from SessionStart hook}"
       },
       "activeFeature": "{feature-id or null}",
       "relevantMemory": {
         "recentDecisions": [{...}],
         "projectPatterns": [{...}],
         "avoidApproaches": [{...}]
       },
       "currentTask": {
         "description": "{feature description}",
         "files": ["{relatedFiles}"],
         "acceptanceCriteria": ["{verification}"]
       },
       "compilationLog": ["Loaded N failures", "Loaded N successes", ...]
     }
     

5. Display memory summary:

   MEMORY CONTEXT COMPILED
   Recent decisions: {N} loaded
   Success patterns: {N} loaded
   Approaches to AVOID: {N} loaded
   

   If avoidApproaches has entries, display prominently:

   APPROACHES TO AVOID (from past failures)
   - {failure.approach} - {failure.rootCause}
   - {failure.approach} - {failure.rootCause}
   

Phase 1.6: Load Learned Rules

6.5. Process learned rules (already read in parallel in step 2):

• Use data from ${MEMORY_DIR}/learned/rules.json (already loaded)

• If file exists and has active rules (rules array with active: true):

• Filter rules for current context:

  • If active feature exists, include rules where:
    • applicability.always is true, OR
    • applicability.features includes current feature, OR
    • applicability.filePatterns overlap with feature's relatedFiles
  • If no active feature, include all active rules

• Add rules to working context:

  • Update .claude-harness/sessions/{session-id}/context.json:

    {
      "relevantMemory": {
        "recentDecisions": [...],
        "projectPatterns": [...],
        "avoidApproaches": [...],
        "learnedRules": [
          {
            "id": "rule-001",
            "title": "Always use absolute imports",
            "description": "Use @/components/... not relative paths",
            "scope": "coding-style"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
    

• Display learned rules if any exist:

  LEARNED RULES (from your corrections)
  - {rule.title}
  - {rule.title}
  - {rule.title}
  {N} rules active (auto-captured at checkpoint)
  

• If no learned rules exist yet, skip this section (no output)

Phase 1.7: Refresh Session Briefing

6.7. Regenerate persistent session briefing at .claude-harness/session-briefing.md:

• This ensures the briefing stays fresh when /start is run manually
• Compile from current compiled context -- features, decisions, failures, rules, status:

# Session Briefing
Last updated: {ISO timestamp}

## Active Features
- {id}: {name} [{status}]
  {one-line description}
  Acceptance: {N} scenarios | Files: {relatedFiles summary}

## Recent Decisions (last 5)
- {decision} ({feature}, {date})

## Approaches to AVOID
- {approach} -> {rootCause} ({feature})

## Learned Rules
- {title}: {description}

## Current Status
Branch: {current branch}
Next steps: {recommended action}

• Keep under 120 lines (~1500 tokens)
• This file is read by the SessionStart hook and injected into Claude's context on every new session
• Report: "Session briefing refreshed (auto-injected on next session start)"

Phase 2: Local Status

7. Load working context (if exists):

   • Read .claude-harness/working-context.json (legacy) or use compiled context
   • If activeFeature is set, display prominently:

     === Resuming Work ===
     Feature: {activeFeature} - {summary}
     Working files: {list workingFiles with roles}
     Key decisions: {list decisions}
     Next steps: {list nextSteps}
     

   • This orients the session before other status info

8. Execute ./.claude-harness/init.sh to see environment status (if it exists)

9. Read .claude-harness/claude-progress.json for session context

10. Read ${FEATURES_FILE} to identify next priority

• If the file is too large to read (>25000 tokens), use: grep -A 5 "passes.*false" ${FEATURES_FILE} to see pending features
• Run /claude-harness:checkpoint to auto-archive completed features and reduce file size

11. Optionally check ${ARCHIVE_FILE} to see completed feature count/history

Phase 3: Loop & Orchestration State

12. Check active loop state (PRIORITY):

• Check for interrupt recovery (v6.3.0 -- highest priority):
  • Read .claude-harness/sessions/.recovery/interrupted.json
  • If marker file exists:

    INTERRUPTED SESSION DETECTED
    Feature: {feature}
    TDD Phase: {tddPhase}
    Attempt: {attemptAtInterrupt}/{maxAttempts}
    Recovery: Will use fresh approach on resume
    
    Resume: /claude-harness:flow {feature}
    (Recovery options will be presented on resume)
    

• Read session-scoped loop state: .claude-harness/sessions/{session-id}/loop-state.json
• If session file doesn't exist, check legacy paths: .claude-harness/loops/state.json or .claude-harness/loop-state.json
• Check type field to determine if this is a feature or fix
• If status is "in_progress" and type is "feature":

  ACTIVE AGENTIC LOOP
  Feature: {feature}
  Attempt: {attempt}/{maxAttempts}
  Last approach: {history[-1].approach}
  Last result: {history[-1].result}
  
  Resume: /claude-harness:flow {feature}
  

• If status is "in_progress" and type is "fix":

  ACTIVE FIX
  Fix: {feature}
  Linked to: {linkedTo.featureName} ({linkedTo.featureId})
  Attempt: {attempt}/{maxAttempts}
  Last approach: {history[-1].approach}
  Last result: {history[-1].result}
  
  Resume: /claude-harness:flow {feature}
  

• If status is "escalated":
  • Show escalation reason and history summary
  • Recommend: increase maxAttempts or provide guidance

12b. Check pending fixes:

• Read ${FEATURES_FILE}
• Check fixes array for entries with status != "passing"
• If pending fixes exist:

  PENDING FIXES
  {fix-id}: {name}
    Linked to: {linkedTo.featureName}
    Status: {status}
  ...
  

13. Check orchestration state:

• Read .claude-harness/agents/context.json (or legacy agent-context.json) if it exists
• Check for currentSession.activeFeature - indicates incomplete orchestration
• Check agentResults for recently completed agent work
• Check teamState -- if non-null, display active team:

  ACTIVE AGENT TEAM
  Team: {teamState.teamName}
  Feature: {teamState.feature}
  Mode: {teamState.leadMode}
  Teammates:
    tester: {status}
    implementer: {status}
    reviewer: {status}
  
  Resume: /claude-harness:flow --team {feature-id}
  

  Note: Agent Teams do not survive session restarts. If teamState exists but teammates are gone, the flow will detect this and offer to spawn fresh teammates or fall back to direct implementation.
• If active orchestration exists, recommend: "Run /claude-harness:flow {feature-id} to resume"

14. Check procedural memory hotspots:

• Read ${MEMORY_DIR}/procedural/patterns.json if it exists
• Report any codebaseInsights.hotspots that may affect current work
• Show success/failure rates if significant history exists

Phase 4: GitHub Integration (if MCP configured)

15. Check GitHub MCP connection status

16. Get GitHub owner/repo (use cached from SessionStart):

    • Use cached github.owner and github.repo from SessionStart hook output
    • These values were parsed once at session start and cached for the entire session
    • If not available (older hook version), fall back to parsing:

      REMOTE_URL=$(git remote get-url origin 2>/dev/null)
      # Parse SSH or HTTPS format
      

    OPTIMIZATION: SessionStart hook now parses and caches GitHub repo info. All commands in this session can reuse these values without re-parsing.

17. Fetch and display GitHub dashboard (using OWNER and REPO):

• Open issues with "feature" label
• Open PRs from feature branches
• CI/CD status for open PRs
• Cross-reference with ${FEATURES_FILE}

18. Sync GitHub Issues with ${FEATURES_FILE}:

• For each GitHub issue with "feature" label NOT in active.json:
  • Add new entry with issueNumber linked
• For each feature in active.json with status="passing" or passes=true:
  • If linked GitHub issue is still open, close it
• Report sync results

Phase 5: Recommendations

19. Report session summary:
    • Current state and blockers
    • Pending features and fixes prioritized
    • GitHub sync results
    • Recommended next action (in priority order):
      1. Active loop (fix): Resume with /claude-harness:flow {fix-id}
      2. Active loop (feature): Resume with /claude-harness:flow {feature-id}
      3. Escalated loop: Review history and provide guidance, or increase maxAttempts
      4. Pending fixes: Resume fix with /claude-harness:flow {fix-id}
      5. No features (new project): Bootstrap with /claude-harness:prd-breakdown @./prd.md to analyze PRD and extract features
      6. Pending features: Start implementation with /claude-harness:flow {feature-id}
      7. No features (existing project): Add one with /claude-harness:flow "description"
      8. Create fix for completed feature: /claude-harness:flow --fix {feature-id} "bug description"