Memory Consolidation

Turn accumulated learnings into durable skill improvements.

When to Invoke

• During RSID Ideate stage
• When memory.yaml exceeds ~10 tasks
• When you notice repeated learnings across tasks
• Periodically after several merge cycles

The Consolidation Pipeline

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. PARSE: Read memory.yaml, extract all learnings                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 2. GROUP: Cluster similar learnings by topic/domain                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 3. THRESHOLD: Identify clusters with 3+ learnings                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 4. MAP: Determine which skill each cluster should update            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 5. GENERATE: Create skill updates (new sections, anti-patterns)     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 6. ARCHIVE: Move consolidated memories to memory-archive.yaml       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Step 1: Parse memory.yaml

Read instructions/improvements/memory.yaml and extract structured data:

# Expected structure
memories:
  - task: string          # Task identifier
    date: string          # YYYY-MM-DD
    context: string       # Background
    learnings:
      - type: string      # command-correction|q-and-a|misconception|pattern|insight
        summary: string   # One-line
        detail: string    # Full explanation

Extract into flat list:

interface Learning {
  task: string;
  date: string;
  type: 'command-correction' | 'q-and-a' | 'misconception' | 'pattern' | 'insight';
  summary: string;
  detail: string;
  context: string;  // From parent task
}

Step 2: Group by Similarity

Cluster learnings using these heuristics:

Keyword Matching

Look for shared keywords in summaries:

Type-Based Grouping

Step 3: Apply Threshold

The Rule: 3+ similar learnings → consolidation candidate.

For each cluster:
  If learnings.length >= 3:
    → Ready for consolidation
  Else if learnings.length == 2:
    → Watch list (note but don't consolidate yet)
  Else:
    → Keep in memory.yaml, not yet a pattern

Step 4: Map to Skills

Skill Mapping Table

Decision Tree

Is it about how code should be structured?
├── YES → coding-patterns
└── NO → Is it about git/commits/PRs?
    ├── YES → Is it about commit messages?
    │   ├── YES → effective-git
    │   └── NO → pull-request or coding-loop
    └── NO → Is it about environment/sandbox?
        ├── YES → devcontainer-sandboxing
        └── NO → Is it about planning?
            ├── YES → plan-writing
            └── NO → Is it about skills themselves?
                ├── YES → writing-claude-skills
                └── NO → rsid (meta-level)

Step 5: Generate Skill Updates

For Patterns → Add to Core Principles

### [Pattern Number]. [Pattern Name]

**The Problem**: [What goes wrong without this pattern]

**The Pattern**:
[Extracted and generalized from the learnings]

**Examples**:
[Concrete examples from the memory entries]

For Misconceptions → Add to Anti-Patterns

### The "[Misconception Name]" Anti-Pattern

**Wrong:**
> [The incorrect belief, quoted from memories]

**Right:**
> [The correction, synthesized from learnings]

**Why it matters:**
[Consequences of the misconception]

For Command-Corrections → Add to Commands/Workarounds

### [Command/Approach]

**Fails with:** `[error message]`

**Use instead:**

[corrected command]

**Why:** [Root cause explanation]

For Q&A → Add to Quick Reference

| Question | Answer |
|----------|--------|
| [Q from memory] | [A from memory] |

For Insights → Add to Context/Principles

**Key Insight:** [Insight summary]

[Detailed explanation from memory, generalized]

Step 6: Archive Consolidated Memories

After updating skills, move consolidated memories to memory-archive.yaml:

# instructions/improvements/memory-archive.yaml
archived:
  - consolidated_date: "2024-12-15"
    consolidated_into: "coding-patterns"
    pattern_name: "No Fake Defaults"
    memories:
      - task: "add-rsid-skill"
        date: "2024-12-15"
        type: "pattern"
        summary: "No fake defaults for required dependencies"
        # ... full original entry

  - consolidated_date: "2024-12-15"
    consolidated_into: "devcontainer-sandboxing"
    pattern_name: "Heredoc Sandbox Restriction"
    memories:
      - task: "add-plan-writing-skill"
        # ... full original entry

Archive Entry Structure:

archived:
  - consolidated_date: string    # When consolidation happened
    consolidated_into: string    # Which skill was updated
    pattern_name: string         # Name given to the pattern
    memories: Learning[]         # Original memory entries

Consolidation Checklist

Before consolidating, verify:

• At least 3 similar learnings identified
• Target skill clearly identified
• Section for update determined (new or existing)
• Pattern generalized (not just copied verbatim)
• Examples included from original learnings
• Archive entry prepared with full original data

Example Consolidation

Input: 3 Related Learnings

# From memory.yaml
- task: "add-plan-writing-skill"
  learnings:
    - type: "command-correction"
      summary: "Heredocs fail in sandbox"
      detail: "git commit with heredoc fails..."

- task: "feature-x"
  learnings:
    - type: "command-correction"
      summary: "Temp files blocked in sandbox"
      detail: "mktemp fails with operation not permitted..."

- task: "feature-y"
  learnings:
    - type: "insight"
      summary: "Sandbox restricts /tmp writes"
      detail: "Only /tmp/claude/ is writable..."

Output: Skill Update

Target: devcontainer-sandboxing or coding-loop

### Sandbox File System Restrictions

The Claude Code sandbox restricts file system writes:

| Location | Writable | Notes |
|----------|----------|-------|
| `/tmp/` | NO | Use `/tmp/claude/` instead |
| `/tmp/claude/` | YES | TMPDIR is set here |
| Heredocs | NO | Can't create temp files for here-documents |

**Workarounds:**

1. **Heredocs**: Use inline multiline strings instead
   ```bash
   # Instead of: git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF' ... EOF)"
   git commit -m "message line 1

   line 2"
   ```

2. **Temp files**: Use `/tmp/claude/` or set TMPDIR explicitly
   ```bash
   export TMPDIR=/tmp/claude
   mktemp  # Now works
   ```

Output: Archive Entry

archived:
  - consolidated_date: "2024-12-15"
    consolidated_into: "coding-loop"
    pattern_name: "Sandbox File System Restrictions"
    section_added: "## Sandbox File System Restrictions"
    memories:
      - task: "add-plan-writing-skill"
        type: "command-correction"
        summary: "Heredocs fail in sandbox"
        # ... full entry
      - task: "feature-x"
        type: "command-correction"
        summary: "Temp files blocked in sandbox"
        # ... full entry
      - task: "feature-y"
        type: "insight"
        summary: "Sandbox restricts /tmp writes"
        # ... full entry

Integration with RSID

This skill is invoked during the Ideate stage of RSID:

USER-DRIVEN:    Listen → Execute → Reflect
                                      ↓ (memories recorded)
AUTONOMOUS:     Ideate ← INVOKE memory-consolidation HERE → Execute → Reflect
                (patterns consolidated, skills updated)

When Ideate finds consolidation candidates:

1. Invoke this skill
2. Follow the consolidation pipeline
3. Create PR with skill updates + archive updates
4. Merge PR
5. Continue to Execute with next task

Quick Reference

Parse → Group → Threshold (3+) → Map → Generate → Archive