Memory - Read & Access Operations

Unified read-side memory skill with subcommands for searching, loading, syncing, history, and visualization.

Usage

/ork:memory search <query>  # Search knowledge graph
/ork:memory load             # Load context at session start
/ork:memory history          # View decision timeline
/ork:memory viz              # Visualize knowledge graph
/ork:memory status           # Show memory system health

---

CRITICAL: Use AskUserQuestion When No Subcommand

If invoked without a subcommand, ask the user what they want:

AskUserQuestion(
  questions=[{
    "question": "What memory operation do you need?",
    "header": "Operation",
    "options": [
      {"label": "search", "description": "Search decisions and patterns in knowledge graph"},
      {"label": "load", "description": "Load relevant context for this session"},
      {"label": "history", "description": "View decision timeline"},
      {"label": "viz", "description": "Visualize knowledge graph as Mermaid"},
      {"label": "status", "description": "Check memory system health"}
    ],
    "multiSelect": false
  }]
)

---

Subcommands

search - Search Knowledge Graph

Search past decisions, patterns, and entities from the knowledge graph.

Usage:

/ork:memory search <query>                    # Search knowledge graph
/ork:memory search --category <cat> <query>   # Filter by category
/ork:memory search --limit <n> <query>        # Limit results (default: 10)
/ork:memory search --agent <agent-id> <query> # Filter by agent scope
/ork:memory search --global <query>           # Search cross-project best practices

Flags:

Flag	Behavior
(default)	Search graph
--limit <n>	Max results (default: 10)
--category <cat>	Filter by category
--agent <agent-id>	Filter results to a specific agent's memories
--global	Search cross-project best practices

Context-Aware Result Limits:

Result limits automatically adjust based on context_window.used_percentage:

Context Usage	Default Limit	Behavior
0-70%	10 results	Full results with details
70-85%	5 results	Reduced, summarized results
>85%	3 results	Minimal with "more available" hint

Search Workflow:

1. Parse flags (--category, --limit, --agent, --global)
2. Build filters from flags:

   Check for --category <cat> flag → metadata.category: "<cat>"
   Check for --agent <agent-id> flag → agent_id: "ork:{agent-id}"
   Check for --global flag → user_id: "orchestkit-global-best-practices"

3. Search knowledge graph via mcp__memory__search_nodes:

   { "query": "user's search query" }

Entity Types to Look For:

• Technology: Tools, frameworks, databases (pgvector, PostgreSQL, React)
• Agent: OrchestKit agents (database-engineer, backend-system-architect)
• Pattern: Named patterns (cursor-pagination, connection-pooling)
• Decision: Architectural decisions
• Project: Project-specific context
• AntiPattern: Failed patterns

Result Formats:

Found {count} results matching "{query}":

[GRAPH] {entity_name} ({entity_type})
   -> {relation1} -> {target1}
   Observations: {observation1}, {observation2}

No results:

No results found matching "{query}"

Try:
- Broader search terms
- /ork:remember to store new decisions
- --global flag to search cross-project best practices

---

load - Load Session Context

Auto-load relevant memories at session start from knowledge graph.

Usage:

/ork:memory load              # Load all relevant context
/ork:memory load --project    # Project-specific only
/ork:memory load --global     # Include global best practices

What it loads:

1. Recent decisions from .claude/memory/decisions.jsonl
2. Active project context
3. Agent-specific memories (if in agent context)
4. Global best practices (if --global)

---

history - Decision Timeline

Visualize architecture decisions over time, tracking evolution and rationale.

Usage:

/ork:memory history                    # Show recent decisions
/ork:memory history --category <cat>   # Filter by category
/ork:memory history --since 7d         # Last 7 days
/ork:memory history --mermaid          # Output as Mermaid timeline

Output formats:

• Table view (default)
• Mermaid timeline diagram (--mermaid)
• JSON (--json)

---

viz - Knowledge Graph Visualization

Render the local knowledge graph as a Mermaid diagram.

Usage:

/ork:memory viz                  # Full graph
/ork:memory viz --entity <name>  # Focus on specific entity
/ork:memory viz --depth 2        # Limit relationship depth
/ork:memory viz --type <type>    # Filter by entity type

Entity types:

• Technology, Agent, Pattern, Decision, Project, AntiPattern, Constraint, Preference

Relation types:

• USES, RECOMMENDS, REQUIRES, ENABLES, PREFERS, CHOSE_OVER, USED_FOR, CONFLICTS_WITH

---

status - Memory Health Check

Show memory system status and health.

Usage:

/ork:memory status

Output:

Memory System Status:
  Graph Memory:  healthy (42 decisions, 0 corrupt)
  Queue Depth:   3 pending

---

Workflow

1. Parse Subcommand

Extract first argument as subcommand
If no subcommand -> AskUserQuestion
Validate subcommand is one of: search, load, history, viz, status
Parse remaining flags

2. Execute Subcommand

Route to appropriate handler based on subcommand.

3. Report Results

Format output appropriate to the operation.

---

Related Skills

• ork:remember - Store decisions and patterns (write-side)

---

Permission-Free File Operations

When updating .claude/memory/MEMORY.md or project memory files, prefer Edit over Write to preserve existing content and avoid accidental overwrites:

Recommended Pattern

1. Read — Read(file_path) to get current content
2. Verify anchor — Confirm section header exists: ## Recent Decisions, ## Patterns, ## Preferences
3. Edit — Edit(file_path, old_string=anchor_line, new_string=anchor_line + "\n" + new_content)
4. Verify — Read(file_path) to confirm edit applied correctly

Why Edit Over Write

Approach	Risk	Permission
Write (overwrite)	Loses existing content if template incomplete	Requires approval
Edit (surgical)	Only modifies target section	Often auto-approved

Anchor Lines for MEMORY.md

Stable anchors that persist across sessions:

• ## Recent Decisions — for project decisions
• ## Patterns — for recurring code patterns
• ## Preferences — for user preferences
• ## Detailed Notes — for topic file links

Note: The memory-writer.ts hook uses Node.js writeFileSync — this is correct for hooks context where full file control is needed. The Edit pattern above is for agent-side SKILL.md operations.

---

CC 2.1.31 Session Resume Hints

At session end, Claude shows resume hints. To maximize resume effectiveness:

Capture Context Before Ending

# Store key decisions and context
/ork:remember Key decisions for next session:
  - Decision 1: [brief]
  - Decision 2: [brief]
  - Next steps: [what remains]

Resume Patterns

# For PR work: Use --from-pr (CC 2.1.27)
/ork:create-pr
# Later: claude --from-pr 123

# For issue fixing: Use memory load
/ork:fix-issue 456
# Later: /ork:memory load   # Reloads investigation context

# For implementation: Use memory search
/ork:implement user-auth
# Later: /ork:memory search "user-auth implementation"

Best Practice

Always store investigation findings before session end:

/ork:remember Session summary for {task}:
  Completed: [what was done]
  Findings: [key discoveries]
  Next steps: [what remains]
  Blockers: [if any]

---

Error Handling

• If graph empty for viz: Show helpful message about using /ork:remember
• If subcommand invalid: Show usage help
• If memory files corrupt: Report and offer repair
• If search query empty: Show recent entities instead
• If no search results: Suggest alternatives