eb5a4f0f6a
Companion repo for CC-013. Covers triggering memory, structuring MEMORY.md with index and topic files, and proving cross-session persistence shapes Claude behavior. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
173 lines
5 KiB
Markdown
173 lines
5 KiB
Markdown
# Exercise 03: Cross-Session Persistence
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**Concept:** Auto Memory (CC-013)
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**Level:** Advanced
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**Time:** ~20 minutes
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**Builds on:** [Exercise 01](./01-trigger-memory.md) and [Exercise 02](./02-structure-memory.md)
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---
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## Objective
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Prove that memory persists across fully closed sessions and silently
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shapes Claude's behavior, without you repeating any preferences.
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This is the payoff exercise. You are not just creating memory files.
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You are watching them change how Claude writes code.
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---
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## The Scenario
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You have a coding preference. You tell Claude once. You close Claude
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Code entirely. You reopen it. You ask Claude to write code. Without
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mentioning the preference, you check whether Claude followed it.
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This is the pattern that makes auto memory genuinely useful: you
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teach Claude once, and it holds.
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---
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## Instructions
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**Step 1:** In a fresh Claude Code session, register a preference
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you can test in code. Paste this prompt:
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```
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Remember that I never use semicolons in TypeScript. No exceptions.
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Write this to the user preferences memory file.
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```
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Claude will save it. Confirm the save.
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**Step 2:** Close Claude Code completely.
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Not just `/clear`. Exit the process entirely:
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```
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/exit
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```
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Or close the terminal window and open a new one.
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**Step 3:** Reopen Claude Code in the same project directory.
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```bash
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cd claude-code-auto-memory
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claude
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```
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Do not mention the no-semicolons preference. Do not paste any context
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about your style. Just open it.
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**Step 4:** Ask Claude to write a TypeScript function. Paste this:
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```
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Write a TypeScript function called formatDate that takes a Date object
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and returns a string in YYYY-MM-DD format.
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```
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Read the output carefully. Count the semicolons.
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**Step 5:** Check whether memory was loaded.
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```
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What TypeScript preferences do you have on file for me?
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```
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Claude should list the no-semicolons rule and any preferences from
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earlier exercises, without you supplying them.
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**Step 6:** Add a project-level memory about this session.
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```
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Remember about this session: I completed all three auto memory exercises
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today. The project is a learning repo for CC-013. Next time, start by
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reading the exercise files to see what was covered.
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```
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This creates a lightweight session log. Open a new session and verify
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Claude greets you with context about what was done.
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---
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## What a Strong Solution Looks Like
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A strong result:
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- The `formatDate` function contains no semicolons, even though you
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never mentioned the preference in this session
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- Claude lists your preferences accurately when asked in Step 5
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- The session note from Step 6 appears in memory and loads next session
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A result that misses the point:
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- Claude produces code with semicolons because the memory was not loaded
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- Claude says it has no preferences on file (likely a path or session issue)
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- The session note is never saved to a file
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---
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## Troubleshooting
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**Claude does not follow the preference:** Check that you are in exactly
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the same directory as Step 1. Run `pwd` and compare. The project hash
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is path-specific.
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**Memory shows nothing from earlier exercises:** If you used `/clear`
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instead of fully exiting and reopening, that may not have reset the
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session the same way. Try a full exit and reopen.
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**The function has semicolons despite the rule:** This can happen if
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the memory file was saved but Claude did not load it. Ask Claude:
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"Read the memory directory and tell me every file in it." If it is
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empty, the save in Step 1 did not complete.
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---
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## Challenge
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If you finish early or want to go further:
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- **Challenge A:** Register three conflicting preferences across two sessions
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and see how Claude resolves them. Which one wins?
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- **Challenge B:** Delete one topic file manually from `~/.claude/projects/`
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and verify Claude no longer applies that preference.
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- **Challenge C:** Set up memory in a different project on your machine and
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confirm the two projects have separate, independent memory stores.
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---
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## Reflection
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After completing this exercise, consider:
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- What preferences or context would be most valuable to store in your
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real projects?
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- What is the difference between memory in CLAUDE.md (checked into git,
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shared with the team) and memory in the project memory store (local only)?
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- Where does auto memory break down, and when would you use CLAUDE.md instead?
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There is no right answer to these questions. The reflection is for you.
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---
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## What You Learned
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- **Memory accumulates progressively:** Each session leaves a trace.
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Claude becomes more tuned to your context over time.
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- **Silent behavior shaping:** You do not need to repeat preferences.
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They are loaded automatically and applied without prompting.
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- **Machine-local scope:** Everything in `~/.claude/projects/` stays
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on your machine. Moving to a new machine means rebuilding memory.
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This is a tradeoff worth knowing.
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---
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## What Is Next
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You have now worked through all three exercises for Auto Memory.
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Return to the article at https://fromaitochitta.com/cc-013 for
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the broader context, or explore related concepts in the
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Claude Code Memory and Instructions series.
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