project-memory-store

name	Project Memory Store
description	Store project-specific insights and context into file-based memory. Use after completing tasks that reveal important details about THIS codebase. Use when user says "--project-store" or "--learn" (you decide which scope, may use both) or after discovering project-specific patterns. Skip for universal patterns (use coder-memory-store) or routine work.

Purpose: Extract and store project-specific insights (episodic/procedural/semantic) into file-based memory at .claude/skills/project-memory-store/.

Key Architecture: This SKILL.md + subdirectory README.md files form a tree guideline structure for progressive disclosure - overview at top, details deeper. This is very effective for information retrieval.

Keep SKILL.md lean: Provide overview and reference other files. When this file becomes unwieldy, split content into separate files and reference them. Trust Claude to read detailed files only when needed.

When to Use:

• After making significant architecture decisions for THIS project
• When discovering project-specific patterns or configurations
• User explicitly says "--project-store" or "--learn" (Claude decides if universal or project-specific, may use both)
• Completed tasks revealing important domain logic or codebase structure

CRITICAL: Store BOTH successful AND failed trajectories. Failures are equally important - often MORE valuable than successes. Failed approaches in this project teach what NOT to do and why.

When NOT to Use:

• Universal patterns applicable to any project (use coder-memory-store)
• Routine tasks or obvious conventions
• Standard debugging without project-specific learnings

Selection Criteria: Most conversations yield 0-1 project-specific insights. Focus on details future work on THIS codebase would benefit from.

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PHASE 0: Initialize Memory Structure

Check if memory directories exist at .claude/skills/project-memory-store/:

• episodic/ - Concrete events in this project
• procedural/ - Project-specific workflows
• semantic/ - Project patterns and principles

If missing, create directories and initialize each with single file:

• episodic/episodic.md
• procedural/procedural.md
• semantic/semantic.md

Update SKILL.md (this file) as needed when structure changes - modify ANY part to keep it accurate and useful.

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PHASE 1: Extract Project-Specific Insights

Analyze conversation and extract 0-3 insights (most yield 0-1).

Classify each as:

• Episodic: Concrete events in THIS project (debugging specific module, implementing feature)
• Procedural: Project-specific workflow (how we deploy, how we test this codebase)
• Semantic: Project patterns (architecture decisions, domain-specific approaches)

Extraction Criteria (ALL must be true):

1. Project-specific: Applies to THIS particular codebase/domain
2. Non-obvious: Not already in documentation or README
3. Actionable: Provides concrete guidance for future work on this project
4. Important: Worth remembering for long-term maintenance

Reject:

• Universal patterns (use coder-memory-store)
• Routine work
• Obvious conventions already documented

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PHASE 2: Search for Similar Memories

For each extracted insight:

Step 1: Determine target memory type (episodic/procedural/semantic)

Step 2: Search existing files

• Use Grep to search for keywords across project memory files
• Search in target memory type directory (e.g., .claude/skills/project-memory-store/episodic/)
• Look for similar titles, tags, project components, or core concepts
• Read files with potential matches

Step 3: Check similarity

• If found similar content: Read full context
• Determine if: Duplicate, Related, or Different

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PHASE 3: Consolidation Decision

Decision Matrix (file-based consolidation):

Similarity	Action	Rationale
Duplicate/Very Similar	MERGE	Combine into single stronger entry
Related (same topic)	UPDATER	Update existing memory with new information
Pattern Emerges	GENERALIZE	Extract pattern → promote episodic to semantic
Different	CREATE	New file or separate section

Actions:

MERGE (duplicate or very similar):

• Combine both memories into single, stronger entry
• Eliminate redundancy, keep unique project-specific details from both
• If contradictory: Add "Previous Approach:" and tag #reconsolidated
• Update in existing file

UPDATER (related, same topic):

• Update existing memory with new information
• If extends existing: Add new details inline with note "Updated [date]:"
• If alternative approach: Add separate entry in same file with cross-reference
• If contradicts: Add "Previous approach:" to show evolution of understanding

GENERALIZE (pattern emerges from multiple episodic memories):

• Extract common pattern from 2+ similar episodic entries in THIS project
• Create/update semantic memory with the generalized project-specific pattern
• Reference episodic examples in semantic entry
• Tag episodic entries with reference to semantic pattern
• This is how learning happens: specific experiences → general principles
• Check universality: If pattern applies beyond this project, also invoke coder-memory-store

CREATE (different topic):

• Store in new location (new file or different section)
• Update README.md to reference new content

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PHASE 4: Store Memory

CRITICAL: Use COMPACT format to prevent memory bloat. Each memory = 3-5 sentences MAX.

Universal Format (works for ALL memory types):

**Title:** <concise title>
**Description:** <one sentence summary>

**Content:** <3-5 sentences covering: what happened in this project, what was tried (including failures), what worked/failed, key lesson, relevant files/components>

**Tags:** #tag1 #tag2 #success OR #failure

Formatting Rules:

• NO blank line between Title and Description
• ONE blank line before Content
• ONE blank line before Tags
• Content MUST be 3-5 sentences (not paragraphs, not lists, not verbose sections)
• Include project-specific file paths and components in Content
• Include both failures and successes if relevant
• Tag episodic memories with #episodic, procedural with #procedural, semantic with #semantic

Determine storage location:

1. Read README.md (if exists) in target memory type directory
2. Decide based on consolidation action:
   • MERGE/UPDATER: Modify existing file
   • GENERALIZE: Update semantic/ or create new semantic file
   • CREATE: New file or new section
3. Max depth: 2 levels (e.g., episodic/authentication/ is deepest)

Execute storage:

1. Write formatted memory to file (merge, update, generalize, or create)
2. Cross-promotion check: If generalized pattern is universal (not project-specific):
   • Invoke coder-memory-store skill to store universal version
   • Keep project-specific version in project-memory with note: "See also: coder-memory for universal pattern"
3. If file becomes "too long" with unrelated info:
   • Create subdirectory with topic name
   • Move related memories to new file in subdirectory
   • Create README.md in subdirectory as overview
4. Update parent README.md to reference new structure

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PHASE 5: Update Skill Metadata

If directory structure changed (new subdirectories created):

• Update this SKILL.md frontmatter description if needed
• Ensure future recalls can discover new structure

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Final Report

Format:

✅ Project Memory Storage Complete

**Project**: <project name>
**Insights Extracted**: <number> project-specific details
  - Episodic: <number>
  - Procedural: <number>
  - Semantic: <number>

**Storage Actions**:
  - Merged: <number>
  - Updated: <number>
  - Generalized: <number>
  - Created: <number>

**Cross-Promotion**:
  - Promoted to coder-memory (universal patterns): <number>

**Quality Check**:
  - ✓ All insights are project-specific
  - ✓ All insights are non-obvious
  - ✓ File organization maintained (max 2-level depth)
  - ✓ Universal patterns promoted to coder-memory

If 0 insights extracted:

✅ Project Memory Storage Complete

**Insights Extracted**: 0 (conversation contained universal patterns or routine work)

Consider using coder-memory-store for universal patterns.

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Self-Maintenance Note

This skill's memory files can be refactored by project-memory-recall when organization becomes unclear. The recall skill will invoke general-purpose agent to reorganize structure if needed.