myelin: Instructions file for GitHub Copilot

Copilot Instructions

Memory

You have access to a long-term memory system (Myelin) via MCP tools.

When to Recall

• At the START of every task, recall relevant context about the current project, file, or problem domain.
• Before making architectural decisions, recall past decisions and their rationale.
• When debugging, recall similar past issues and their resolutions.

When to Store

• After making significant decisions — record WHAT was decided and WHY.
• After resolving non-trivial bugs — record the symptoms, root cause, and fix.
• When discovering project conventions, patterns, or gotchas.
• After completing a meaningful feature — summarize the approach and trade-offs.

How to Store Effectively

• Always include project metadata (e.g., project="myelin").
• Use scope to organize by domain (e.g., scope="auth", scope="database").
• Use tags for cross-cutting concerns (e.g., tags="performance,optimization").
• Use memory_type when it's clear: "semantic" for decisions/facts, "procedural" for how-to, "episodic" for events, "prospective" for plans.
• Be specific. "We use JWT RS256 because asymmetric keys let the API gateway verify without the signing secret" is better than "We use JWT."

Maintenance

• After extended sessions (10+ stores), run consolidate to build the semantic network — it improves recall by linking related entities.
• Consolidation auto-triggers every 50 stores, but running it manually after a burst of activity gives immediate benefit.
• Periodically run decay_sweep to prune stale memories (90+ days idle, <2 accesses).

What NOT to Store

• Trivial or ephemeral information (typo fixes, one-off commands).
• Exact code blocks — store the reasoning, not the implementation.
• Anything sensitive (secrets, credentials, PII).