Memory Capture

Help users capture important decisions, preferences, and learnings to their memories file for future reference.

When to Use

Invoke this skill when the user wants to:

• Record a decision they made

• Save a preference for future sessions

• Document something they learned

• Create a note about the project or codebase

Memory Locations

• Personal memories: ~/.factory/memories.md

• preferences that apply across all projects

• Project memories: .factory/memories.md

• decisions specific to the current project

Capture Process

Step 1: Understand What to Remember

Ask the user to clarify:

• What specifically should be remembered?

• Is this a personal preference or project-specific?

• What's the context (why is this worth remembering)?

Step 2: Categorize the Memory

Common categories:

For Personal Memories:

• Code style preferences

• Tool preferences

• Communication style

• Workflow patterns

For Project Memories:

• Architecture decisions

• Design choices

• Domain knowledge

• Known issues

• Team conventions

Step 3: Format the Entry

Use this format:

[Date]: [Short Title]

Category: [Decision/Preference/Learning/Context] Summary: [One sentence description] Details: [Full explanation if needed] Reasoning: [Why this matters - optional]

For simpler entries:

• [Date] [Category]: [Description]

Step 4: Append to Memories File

Add the formatted entry to the appropriate memories file.

If the file doesn't exist, create it with proper structure:

For Personal (~/.factory/memories.md):

My Development Memory

Preferences

[preferences entries]

Learnings

[learning entries]

For Project (.factory/memories.md):

Project Memory

Decisions

[decision entries]

Context

[context entries]

Known Issues

[issue entries]

Example Captures

Architecture Decision

User says: "Remember that we chose PostgreSQL over MongoDB for this project"

Capture as:

2024-02-15: Database Selection

Category: Architecture Decision Summary: Chose PostgreSQL over MongoDB for the primary database Reasoning:

• Strong relational data model fits our domain
• ACID compliance needed for financial transactions
• Team has more PostgreSQL experience
• Better tooling for complex queries and reporting

Personal Preference

User says: "I prefer early returns over nested conditionals"

Capture as:

Code Style Preferences

• [2024-02-15] I prefer early returns over nested conditionals for better readability

Domain Knowledge

User says: "Note that free tier users are limited to 3 team members"

Capture as:

Business Rules

• Free tier: Limited to 3 team members
• Pro tier: Up to 20 team members
• Enterprise: Unlimited team members

Technical Context

User says: "The auth service has a known issue with refresh tokens (#234)"

Capture as:

Known Issues

• Auth refresh token race condition (#234) - Can cause session loss during concurrent requests

Tips

• Keep entries scannable - Use headers and bullet points

• Include dates - Context matters, decisions may change

• Note the "why" - Future you will want to know

• Link to issues/PRs - For traceability

• Review periodically - Archive outdated memories

Alternative Implementations

This skill is one of three ways to capture memories. Choose based on your workflow:

Option 1: This Skill (Interactive)

Droid invokes this skill when you ask to remember something. Best when you want help categorizing and formatting memories.

Usage: "Remember that we chose PostgreSQL for ACID compliance"

Option 2: Hook (Automatic)

A UserPromptSubmit hook that triggers on phrases like "remember this:". Best for zero-friction capture.

See the Memory Management guide for the hook implementation.

Usage: "Remember this: we use the repository pattern for data access"

Option 3: Custom Slash Command (Manual)

A custom slash command for quick, consistent capture.

Create ~/.factory/commands/remember.md :

description: Save a memory to your memories file argument-hint: <what to remember>

Add this to my memories file (~/.factory/memories.md):

$ARGUMENTS

Format it appropriately based on whether it's a preference, decision, or learning. Include today's date.

Usage: /remember we chose PostgreSQL for ACID compliance

Comparison

Approach Trigger Best For

Skill Droid decides Interactive categorization

Hook Automatic on keywords Zero-friction capture

Slash Command You type /remember

Quick manual capture