Agent Memory: Persistent Context Retention

Overview

Use this skill to treat the .github/memory/ directory as a "Long-Term Memory" store. This ensures that technical insights, user preferences, and implementation patterns survive beyond a single session, preventing context resets.

Announce at start: "I'm using the agent-memory skill to synchronize project context."

Memory Components

The memory is stored in specific files within .github/memory/:

1. episodic.md: Chronological log of major decisions, research breakouts, and milestones (The "What happened and why").
2. semantic.md: Technical glossary and architectural map. Core abstractions and library quirks (The "How things work here").
3. procedural.md: Evolving best practices and common pitfalls found during TDD/debugging (The "How we build here").
4. preferences.md: stylistic nuances and specific user directives (The "User's personality").

The Process

Step 1: Memory Recall (Associative Activation)

At the start of any major phase (Planning or Execution):

1. Scan: Read all files in .github/memory/.
2. Chain: Link current requirements to past successes or failures documented in memory.
3. Synthesize: State how past context influences your current approach.

Step 2: Consolidation & Retention

After every implementation batch or design approval:

1. Selective Retention: Identify 1-3 critical insights worth saving. Avoid noise.
2. Update State: Update the relevant memory file.
3. Abstraction: Once a pattern repeats 3 times, move it from episodic.md to a high-level rule in procedural.md.

Step 3: Temporal Chaining (Episodic Logging)

When logging a milestone in episodic.md, maintain the link:

• Format: [ID: EVENT_NAME] -> Follows [PREVIOUS_ID]. Context: [Details].

Rules

• No Hallucination: Only store verified facts (tests, docs, or explicit user approval).
• Brevity is Depth: Use concise bullet points.
• Forget the Noise: Do not store minor lint fixes or temporary variables. Store Architectural Intent.

Initialization

If .github/memory/ doesn't exist, create it. Initialize empty files with headers if necessary.