Readathon Document Reflex

TRIGGER: When design decisions are made, patterns discovered, or rules defined.

The Documentation Problem

From CLAUDE.md "Immediate Documentation (REFLEX ACTION)":

Context is lost during conversation compaction. Important decisions/rules are forgotten if not documented immediately.

Solution: Document important information immediately when discovered, not "later" or "at the end."

Automatic Documentation Triggers

Trigger 1: Data Source Decision

When: User asks or decision is made about which table/column to use

Examples:

• "Should fundraising be capped or uncapped?"
• "Which table has the reading minutes?"
• "Do we use DailyLogs or ReaderCumulative?"

Action: Immediately update md/RULES.md

Format:

## [Section: Data Source Rules / Calculation Rules]

**[Metric Name]:**
- Source: [table_name].[column_name]
- Reason: [why this source]
- Notes: [capped/uncapped, calculations, etc.]

Last Updated: [YYYY-MM-DD]

Report: "✅ Documented in md/RULES.md lines [X-Y]: [summary]"

Trigger 2: UI Pattern Discovery

When: A consistent pattern is noticed across pages

Examples:

• "I notice all pages use the same filter dropdown pattern"
• "Team badges are always rounded rectangles with team colors"
• "Winner highlights use gold for school-wide, silver for grade/team"

Action: Immediately update md/UI_PATTERNS.md

Format:

## [Pattern Name]

**Description:** [what the pattern is]

**Used in:** [list of pages/files]

**Implementation:**

[code example]

**Colors/Styles:**
- [specific hex codes, CSS classes, etc.]

Last Updated: [YYYY-MM-DD]

Report: "✅ Added [pattern] to md/UI_PATTERNS.md lines [X-Y]"

Trigger 3: Feature Design Decision

When: Specific implementation choice is made for a feature

Examples:

• "Students page should use capped minutes"
• "Detail view shows daily breakdown with charts"
• "Banner metrics appear in this specific order"

Action: Update appropriate feature design doc: docs/STUDENTSPAGEDESIGN.md, docs/features/feature-XX.md

Format:

## Design Decisions

**[Decision Topic]:**
- Decision: [what was decided]
- Rationale: [why this choice]
- Impact: [what this affects]
- Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]

Report: "✅ Documented in docs/[feature].md lines [X-Y]: [summary]"

Trigger 4: Calculation Rule

When: Formula or calculation method is defined

Examples:

• "Participation rate = (students with minutes / total students) * 100"
• "Reading goals are grade-specific from Grade_Rules table"
• "Team totals use capped minutes, max 120 per day"

Action: Update md/RULES.md in appropriate section

Format:

## Calculation Rules

**[Metric Name]:**
- Formula: [mathematical formula or SQL logic]
- Special cases: [edge cases, caps, rounding]
- Example: [sample calculation]

Last Updated: [YYYY-MM-DD]

Report: "✅ Documented calculation in md/RULES.md lines [X-Y]: [summary]"

Trigger 5: Open Question / TBD Item

When: Uncertainty identified that needs user input later

Examples:

• "Should export be CSV or Excel?"
• "TBD: Add charts or keep table-only?"
• "Need to decide: Individual prizes or team only?"

Action: Add to feature design doc with TBD marker

Format:

## Open Questions

- **[Question]:** [description of uncertainty]
  - Options: [list alternatives]
  - Status: TBD
  - Added: [YYYY-MM-DD]

Report: "✅ Added TBD item to docs/[feature].md for later resolution"

Documentation Workflow

1. Detect Trigger: Recognize when decision/pattern occurs
2. Choose File: Determine which documentation file to update
3. Edit Immediately: Use Edit tool to add/update content
4. Update Date: Change "Last Updated" timestamp
5. Report Location: Tell user exactly where documented (file + line numbers)

Key Principle

NEVER say: "I'll document this later" or "We should add this to docs"

ALWAYS do: Edit the documentation file immediately, then report what was added

Files to Update (Quick Reference)

Compaction Reality

Conversation compaction happens transparently - there's no warning, no pre-compaction hook.

By documenting immediately as reflex action, we minimize context loss and ensure decisions persist across sessions.

Best Practice: When uncertain whether to document, ask user then document immediately after confirmation.

Integration with Meta-Skills

This skill is part of the multi-layer context preservation system:

Coordination with readathon-context-saver

When this skill documents a decision:

• Also trigger: readathon-context-saver to update docs/SESSION_MEMORY.md
• Purpose: Permanent docs (this skill) + session state (context-saver)
• Avoid: Duplicate work - coordinate the update
• Division:

- document-reflex → permanent project documentation - context-saver → temporary session state

Coordination with readathon-workflow-detector

When documenting patterns/decisions:

• Check: Does this represent a workflow pattern worth tracking?
• If yes: Update .claude/workflow_patterns.md as well
• Examples:

- Documenting "prototype workflow" pattern → track as workflow - Documenting data source decision → just documentation (not workflow) - Documenting testing approach → could be workflow pattern

Layer in Context Preservation Strategy

This skill is Layer 1 in the multi-layer defense:

• Layer 1 (this skill): Real-time docs - immediate
• Layer 2: Session memory - moderate frequency
• Layer 3: Workflow patterns - every occurrence
• Layer 4: Quick start guide - session boundaries