Building with Memex 101

What Makes Memex Different

Memex isn't just another vibe coding tool. It's designed to be your complete development partner. While other tools require programming knowledge or limit you to templates or tech stacks, Memex bridges the gap between your ideas and working software through natural language conversation.

Think of Memex as having an experienced developer sitting next to you, ready to handle all the technical implementation while you focus on what you want to build and why.

Your First Project

Let's start with something simple to get you comfortable with the Memex workflow.

Starting a New Project

Open Memex and make sure it's set to "Plan" on the toggle below the input window.

Example first prompt:

I want to create a simple personal expense tracker web app. It should let me add expenses with categories and show a basic summary.

How Memex Help You Build

When you describe your project, Memex considers several factors:

• Scope and Complexity: Is this a simple tool or a complex application?

• User Experience: Who will use this and how?

• Technical Architecture: What's the best technology stack for your needs?

• Deployment: How and where will this run?

Don't worry, you don't need to think about these technical details. Memex will ask clarifying questions and make recommendations.

Understanding Memex Modes

Memex has two primary modes that serve different purposes in your development journey.

Plan Mode

Plan Mode is your project's foundation. It's designed like an experienced technical product manager who will:

• Ask thoughtful questions about your requirements

• Help you scope down to a valuable MVP

• Consider factors you might not think of (sharing, design, scalability)

• Create a structured development plan

When to use Plan Mode:

Whenever you are starting a new project, or you are starting defining a new feature or enhancement to an existing one.

Example Plan Mode conversation:

User: I want to create a simple personal expense tracker web app
Memex: Before diving in, I need to understand the smallest version that would be useful to you. Could you pick which scope feels right for your first version:

1. Ultra-minimal: Add expenses (amount, category, date) → View simple total by category
2. Basic dashboard: Above + monthly/weekly summaries + basic charts
3. Practical tracker: Above + edit/delete expenses + CSV export + expense search

Also, any specific constraints I should know about:

- Need to work on mobile browsers?
- Want user accounts/login, or just local storage for now?
- Any deadline pressure?

Once you are done planning and are ready to build, follow the prompts to move to Build Mode!

Build Mode

Build Mode is where the magic happens. This is your hands-on development partner that can:

• Write and execute code

• Install packages and set up environments

• Create and modify files

• Run applications and debug issues

• Handle complex technical tasks

When to use Build Mode:

• Implementing features from your plan

• Making changes to existing projects

• Debugging issues

• Adding new functionality

Configuring How Memex Works

As you get comfortable with Memex, you can customize how the AI behaves to match your working style. Agent Settings let you control key aspects of your development experience:

• Code Execution Approval: Review each code block before it runs

• Max Turns Control: Limit how many actions Memex takes before checking with you

• Thinking Mode: See the AI's reasoning process for complex problems

• Long Context: Handle larger projects with extended memory

Access these controls through the wrench (🔧) icon in the interface. For complete details on customizing how Memex works with you, see Agent Settings.

Best Practices for Success

Start Small and Iterate

The most successful Memex projects start small and build incrementally. Instead of asking for a complete application, try:

1. First ask for the core functionality

   • "Create a simple expense tracker that can add and display expenses"

2. Then add features one by one

   • "Add categories to the expenses"

   • "Create a summary view with totals by category"

   • "Add the ability to edit existing expenses"

Use the Control Center

Memex's Control Center is the place to find quick actions and powerful tools to streamline your development workflow. It lives on the Right Panel of the Memex's app, and its your one stop shop for the context and status of your project.

Actions and information available in the Control Center include:

• Version control setup with Git

• Application management (Start, Stop, View, etc.)

• Documentation generation

• Interactive Terminal management

Be Descriptive But Not Prescriptive

Memex works best when you describe what you want to achieve rather than how to achieve it.

Good approach:

I need a way for users to upload CSV files with sales data and see a dashboard with charts showing trends over time.

Less effective approach:

Use React with Chart.js and create a file upload component that parses CSV using Papa Parse and displays line charts.

Ask for Verification

When Memex completes a task, ask it to show you the results:

• "Please run the application so I can see how it works"

• "Show me what files were created"

• "Test the functionality to make sure it's working correctly"

Save Your Progress

As your project grows, use version control to save your progress:

Please initialize git for this project and commit our current progress

Memex can set up version control automatically and will commit your work at logical milestones. You can also turn on Git from the Command Center (more on that in a bit!)

Working with Files and Assets

Memex can work with various file types and external resources:

Adding Files to Your Conversation

Because Memex lives and works from your computer, it can access and interact with your files. There are two ways Memex can work with your them:

• Context files: These are files you'd like Memex to include in its context. This can include for example a PDF you'd like Memex to read, or an image you'd like Memex to see to help you debug something.

• Content files: These are files you'd like Memex to include or reference within the tools you build. For example, if you are building a website and would like Memex to include some images you have saved in a folder.

Whenever working with files, make sure to specify to Memex what you'd like it to do with them.

There are two main ways you can point Memex to your files

• Drag and drop files directly into the chat. This will add the file's path to your message.

• Move files into your project directory for ongoing access. This way you can just say "use the files named file.txt saved in the project directory". You can open your project directory/folder b

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For images you'd like Memex to use as Context you are also able to use the image picker, by clicking on the image icon, or by just pasting the image in. Note: using this method will limit the image usage to Context only. If you'd like Memex to use the images within the tools you build and not only as context, use one of the two methods described in the section above.

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Working with External APIs and Services

Memex can integrate with external services using API keys stored securely in its Secrets:

I want to add weather data to my app using the OpenWeatherMap API. I have an API key stored in Secrets as 'WEATHER_API_KEY'.

Common Patterns and Examples

Web Applications

Memex excels at creating web applications. Common patterns include:

• Dashboard applications: Data visualization and reporting tools

• CRUD applications: Create, read, update, delete functionality

• API integrations: Connecting to external services

• Real-time features: Chat, notifications, live updates

Data Analysis Tools

Transform data into insights with:

• Data processing scripts: Clean and analyze datasets

• Visualization dashboards: Charts, graphs, and interactive displays

• Report generators: Automated reporting from data sources

• ML model implementations: Basic machine learning workflows

Automation Scripts

Streamline repetitive tasks with:

• File processing: Batch operations on documents or images

• Web scraping: Extract data from websites

• System administration: Automate routine maintenance tasks

• Integration scripts: Connect different tools and services

When Things Go Wrong

Building software always involves some troubleshooting. Here are common issues and how to address them, and you can read more in the Vibe Coding Troubleshooting Guide:

Memex Seems Stuck

If Memex appears to be spinning its wheels:

Stop. Let's take a step back. Is this really the best approach? Can we simplify this?

Dependency Issues

When packages or libraries cause problems:

Let's try a different approach. Can we use Docker or find an alternative library?

The Result Isn't What You Expected

Be specific about what needs to change:

The design looks good, but the data isn't displaying correctly. The expense list should show the newest items first, and the total should update automatically when I add new expenses.

For more detailed troubleshooting, see our Troubleshooting Guide.

Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics:

1. Try building something: Start with a simple project that interests you

2. Read our Best Practices for advanced techniques

3. Learn about how to manage Memex's Agent Settings and App Settings.

4. Explore MCP Support to extend Memex with custom tools

5. Join our Discord community to share your projects and get help