Context Management
Efficiently manage Memex's memory and project knowledge across your development lifecycle.
Understanding Context Challenges
An often inconvenient property of AI models is that they have limited context windows. As you consume more of the AI model's context, costs increase, latency increases, and often quality goes down. This makes it essential to manage the quality of context for the AI model as your project evolves.
Additionally, as projects grow and span multiple conversations, maintaining consistent understanding of what you've built becomes crucial for continued success.
Memex Context Management
Context Management in Memex provides an intelligent way to maintain project memory and optimize AI performance throughout your project's lifecycle.
How It Works
Every Memex projects comes built in with a context.md file that acts as the central nervous system of your project.
At any point in your project's development, you can trigger a context update by clicking on the brain (🧠) icon on the bottom right of the conversation.
Here's what happens:
Project Analysis: Memex analyzes your current project structure and files
Conversation Review: It examines your current conversation history and decisions made
Cross-Reference: The system cross-references project state with existing AI context
Context Optimization: It automatically provides intelligent context updates
Custom Steering: You can guide the process with additional prompting if needed
Context Injection: The optimized context is intelligently injected into future conversations
When to Use Context Management
Starting a New Conversations in an Existing Projects
When beginning a new conversation in a project you've been working on, either because you are running out of AI model context window, or because you want to start a new feature in a fresh conversation:
Before we continue with new features, please update your context on what we've built so far.
After Major Milestones
When you've completed significant development phases:
We just finished the user authentication system. Let's update the project context before moving on to the dashboard features.When Context Feels Outdated
If Memex seems to have forgotten important project details:
You seem to be missing some context about our database structure. Please refresh your understanding of the current project setup.Before Complex Changes
When planning major modifications or additions:
Before we redesign the API endpoints, make sure you understand the current implementation and how other parts of the system depend on it.Benefits of Context Management
Better Outcomes
More accurate understanding of project state
Consistent decision-making across conversations
Reduced repetition of explanations
Better architectural coherence
Improved Efficiency
Less wasted usage on outdated or irrelevant context
Faster startup time for new conversations
More focused AI responses
Reduced need to re-explain project details
Enhanced Project Continuity
Seamless handoffs between conversations
Maintained understanding of design decisions
Preserved knowledge of project constraints
Consistent coding patterns and standards
Types of Context Updates
Automatic Project Analysis
Memex automatically identifies and contextualizes:
Project Structure
File organization and architecture
Key components and their relationships
Configuration files and settings
Dependencies and external services
Code Patterns
Coding standards and conventions used
Design patterns and architectural decisions
Data models and API structures
Testing approaches and frameworks
Development State
Completed features and functionality
Work in progress or incomplete features
Known issues or technical debt
Next planned development phases
Custom Context Steering
You can guide the context update process with specific instructions y choosing "Update with custom prompt":
Focus the context update on the database schema and API endpoints. We're about to add new data relationships.Make sure the context includes our recent decisions about user authentication and authorization patterns.Update context with emphasis on the frontend component structure since we're redesigning the UI.Advanced Context Management
Strategic Context Management
For Large Projects
Break context updates into focused areas:
Update context specifically for the user management system - don't worry about the reporting features right now.For Team Projects
Include team-specific context when relevant:
Include context about our team's coding standards and the review processes we follow.For Long-Running Projects
Maintain historical context of important decisions:
Make sure the context includes why we chose this particular database architecture and the tradeoffs we considered.Optimizing Context for Different Tasks
For Bug Fixes
Focus the context update on the specific subsystem where we're seeing the issue, including recent changes that might be related.For Feature Development
Update context with emphasis on the user experience flow and how this new feature integrates with existing functionality.For Refactoring
Ensure context includes the full scope of what this code affects and any dependencies that need to be maintained.Troubleshooting Context Issues
When Context Seems Incomplete
The context update missed some important details about our authentication system. Please specifically review the user management files and update context with how login/logout works.When Context Is Too Broad
The context is including too much detail about features we're not working on. Focus only on the core application logic for this update.When Context Conflicts with Current State
There seems to be a mismatch between your context and the current project state. Please do a fresh analysis of the project structure and update accordingly.Context Management is a powerful feature that grows more valuable as your projects become more complex. Regular use helps maintain the quality and continuity that makes AI development successful over the long term.
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