Memento

Automated cognitive distillation system. Memento writes its own "work memories" so future sessions inherit reasoning context, not just code.

Argument Routing

Syntax: /memento [action]

Route by explicit action:

Action	Aliases	Protocol
hydrate	restore, load, start	→ Rehydration Protocol
checkpoint	save, snapshot, end	→ Cognitive Distillation Protocol
status	state, info	→ Status Display

Route by semantic intent:

User intent (FR/EN)	Route to
"reprends", "où on en était", "resume context"	→ hydrate
"sauvegarde", "fini", "save session", "done"	→ checkpoint
"état actuel", "what's saved", "show context"	→ status

Fallback (no argument):

If /memento is invoked without argument, ask:

🧠 Memento - Que souhaitez-vous faire ?
- `hydrate` — Restaurer le contexte des sessions précédentes
- `checkpoint` — Sauvegarder l'état cognitif de cette session
- `status` — Voir l'état actuel sans modifier

Syntaxe: /memento [action]

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Priority Directive

When Memento coexists with native history (e.g., user ran --resume):

• Graveyard is ABSOLUTE — Never suggest an approach listed in graveyard.md, regardless of what raw history says. This is a formal prohibition.
• Architectural decisions — Trust latest.md over raw chat history for high-level choices
• Contradiction handling — If raw history contradicts Memento files, flag the divergence to the user instead of choosing silently. Example: "I see in the chat history we discussed X, but your Memento graveyard says X was rejected. Which is current?"

Memento is distilled signal. Raw history is noisy data. Use Memento for understanding, raw history for details.

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UX Philosophy: Silence is Golden

Files = Detailed — Chronicles contain rich, complete information. That's the memory.

Terminal = Minimal — Output only confirmation + counts. No redundancy with file contents.

Why?

• Saves output tokens (billed)
• Keeps terminal clean for debugging
• Users can read files or use /memento status for details

Never repeat file contents in terminal output.

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Protocol: Hydrate (Session Start)

Trigger: /memento hydrate or restore intent

1. Check if .claude/chronicles/ exists
2. If exists, read in this order:
   • graveyard.md — Accumulated rejected approaches (NEVER suggest these again)
   • latest.md — Last session's cognitive state
3. Acknowledge loaded context with summary
4. If no chronicles exist, inform user

Output format (minimal):

🧠 Memento hydrated
   ├─ Last: [date] ([focus])
   ├─ Graveyard: [n] forbidden approaches
   └─ Next: [top priority action]

Ready.

If no chronicles:

📭 No Memento context found.
Run `/memento checkpoint` before ending this session.

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Protocol: Checkpoint (Session End)

Trigger: /memento checkpoint or save intent

Execute the Shadow-Summarization Protocol, then write results to chronicles.

Shadow-Summarization Protocol

Step 1: Extract Decisions
Scan conversation for patterns indicating decisions:

• "Let's go with...", "We'll use...", "On part sur..."
• Architecture choices, library selections, implementation strategies
• Capture the REASONING, not just the choice

Step 2: Identify Graveyard Candidates
Scan for rejected approaches:

• "That won't work because...", "On a essayé X mais...", "Ne pas utiliser..."
• Failed attempts, dead ends, incompatible solutions
• CRITICAL: Record WHY it failed — this is the value

Step 3: Flag Technical Debt
Identify conscious compromises:

• "For now we'll...", "C'est un hack mais...", "TODO: refactor when..."
• Shortcuts taken with awareness

Step 4: Capture User Context
Note observed user characteristics:

• Skill level in different domains
• Stated preferences (code style, frameworks, verbosity)
• Working patterns

Step 5: Define Next Actions
Extract incomplete work:

• Unfinished tasks, "Next we should...", "Demain on..."
• Open questions or blockers

File Operations

1. Create .claude/chronicles/sessions/ if needed
2. Write session chronicle to sessions/YYYY-MM-DD_HHMM.md
3. Append new graveyard entries to graveyard.md (create with header if first time)
4. Overwrite latest.md with current state
5. Confirm to user

Output format (minimal):

📸 Checkpoint saved
   ├─ Decisions: [n] captured
   ├─ Graveyard: +[n] entries
   ├─ Tech debt: [n]
   └─ Next actions: [n] defined

→ .claude/chronicles/

Do NOT repeat file contents. User can run /memento status for details.

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Protocol: Status (View State)

Trigger: /memento status or info intent

Read and display current state WITHOUT modifying anything.

Output format (status is allowed to be more detailed since user explicitly requested info):

📊 Memento Status

Last update: [timestamp]
Graveyard: [n] entries | Tech debt: [n] items

Active decisions:
• [Decision 1]
• [Decision 2]

Next actions:
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]

If no chronicles:

📭 No Memento context.
Run `/memento checkpoint` to initialize.

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Output Templates

Session Chronicle (.claude/chronicles/sessions/YYYY-MM-DD_HHMM.md)

# Session: [Brief description of main focus]
**Date:** [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM]

## Decisions Made
- **[Decision]**: [Choice made]
  - *Reasoning*: [Why this approach]
  - *Alternatives considered*: [What else was evaluated]

## Graveyard Additions
- **[Rejected approach]**
  - *Why it failed*: [Technical reason]

## Technical Debt Logged
- **[Compromise]**
  - *Revisit when*: [Condition]

## User Context Updates
- [Observations about user preferences/level]

## Next Actions
- [ ] [Priority action 1]
- [ ] [Action 2]

## Session Summary
[2-3 sentence narrative]

Graveyard Entry (append to graveyard.md)

## [Rejected Approach Name]
**Added:** [Date]
**Context:** [What we were trying to solve]
**Why it failed:** [Technical explanation]
**Do instead:** [What worked]

Latest State (latest.md)

# Current Project State
**Last updated:** [Timestamp]

## Active Decisions
[Current architectural/technical choices]

## Known Constraints
[From graveyard — things that don't work]

## Pending Technical Debt
[Conscious compromises awaiting resolution]

## User Profile
- **Expertise:** [Observed skill levels]
- **Preferences:** [Code style, communication style]

## Immediate Context
[What we were working on, where we left off]

## Priority Queue
1. [Next action]
2. [Following action]

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File Structure

.claude/
└── chronicles/
    ├── latest.md           # Current cognitive state (overwritten each checkpoint)
    ├── graveyard.md        # Cumulative rejected approaches (append-only, NEVER delete)
    └── sessions/
        └── YYYY-MM-DD_HHMM.md  # Archived session chronicles

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First Checkpoint

If graveyard.md doesn't exist, create it with:

# Graveyard
Approaches that don't work in this project. **Never suggest these again.**

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