setup-memory

/setup-memory

Configures the Memory pillar: CLAUDE.md (project context, all tiers) and a self-sustaining .claude/memory/ lifecycle — store + hooks + /save-memory skill (Tier 3 only).

Flags

Check flags first — they override Mode Detection behavior:

• --claude-md-only — write CLAUDE.md only, skip .claude/memory/ entirely
• --memory-only — create .claude/memory/ only, skip CLAUDE.md entirely

Mode Detection

Read .claude/starter-context.json if it exists
  → Exists:
      - Load all fields
      - For each required field that is null or missing → ask for that field only
      - Use tier field to determine whether to create .claude/memory/ (Tier 3 = full / standard ≠ Tier 3)
  → Not found (standalone):
      - Read existing CLAUDE.md if present (extract what's already there)
      - Ask for any missing fields
      - Ask: "Should I also set up .claude/memory/? (Tier 3 feature)"

Required fields from starter-context.json: tier, project.name, project.type, project.team_size, project.stage, stack.language, stack.framework, stack.build_tool, stack.test_framework, stack.package_manager, architecture.style, architecture.key_layers, architecture.entry_points, architecture.external_deps, architecture.gotchas, conventions.formatter, conventions.branch_strategy, conventions.commit_format, conventions.workflow_gates (optional — absent means no workflow section generated)

CLAUDE.md Structure

Write with actual values — no generic text, no leftover placeholders:

# [Project Name] — Claude Context

*Generated by /shipwithai-starter on [DATE].
Edit directly — every skill reads this before doing anything.*

---

## Project identity

**Name:** [name]
**Type:** [web app / API / CLI / lib / monorepo]
**Team size:** [N developers]
**Stage:** [greenfield / active / maintenance]

---

## Tech stack

**Language(s):** [...]
**Framework(s):** [...]
**Build tool:** [...]
**Test framework:** [...]
**Package manager:** [...]
**Runtime:** [Node 20 / Python 3.12 / Go 1.22 / etc.]

---

## Architecture overview

**Style:** [monolith / microservices / modular monolith]

[Only include the following block when project.stage is "greenfield":]
**Status:** Greenfield — build toward this structure

**Build order:**
[Derive from architecture.build_order if present in starter-context.json.
 Otherwise generate a sensible 3-step order based on the stack and architecture:
 - Step 1: foundation first (e.g., db/schema.ts → run initial migration)
 - Step 2: authentication (e.g., features/auth/ — auth before any business domain)
 - Step 3: core domain (e.g., features/<core-domain>/)]
[End greenfield block — omit entirely for non-greenfield projects]

**Key layers:**
- [e.g., API layer: src/routes/]
- [e.g., Service layer: src/services/]
- [e.g., Data layer: src/db/]

**Entry points:**
- [e.g., src/index.ts → main server]

**Key directories:**
[paste tree output or describe structure]

**External dependencies:**
- [databases, queues, caches, external APIs]

---

## Key conventions

**Code style:** [ESLint + Prettier / Black / gofmt / etc.]
**Branch strategy:** [trunk-based / gitflow]
**Commit format:** [conventional / custom / none]
**Test coverage target:** [e.g., 80%]

---

## What Claude should know before touching code

**Gotchas:**
- [e.g., "src/generated/ is auto-generated, never edit manually"]
- [e.g., "migrations/ only via npm run migrate:create"]

**Build order:**
- [e.g., "codegen must run before tsc"]

**Test isolation:**
- [e.g., "integration tests require Docker Compose up"]

**Sensitive areas (extra care):**
- [e.g., "auth/ and payments/ require security review before merge"]

---

## Development workflow

[Only include this section if conventions.workflow_gates is present and not ["none"] or []]

**When working on any task, Claude must follow these gates:**

[Generate one bullet per gate selected:]
- plan-before-code → **Plan first:** For any task > 30 min, create a plan and get approval before writing code.
- tdd             → **TDD:** Write failing tests first. Never write implementation without a corresponding test.
- code-review     → **Code review:** Run the code-reviewer agent after every significant change. Address all CRITICAL and HIGH findings.
- security-review + sensitive_areas present → **Security review:** Before committing to [list from architecture.sensitive_areas], run security-reviewer agent.
- security-review + sensitive_areas empty  → **Security review:** Before committing to sensitive areas (auth, payments, migrations), run security-reviewer agent.

[If workflow_gates is ["none"] or [] → omit this section entirely]

---

## Harness config

**Tier:** [Essential / Standard / Full]
**Last updated:** [DATE]

Hooks: see `.claude/settings.json`
MCP servers: see `.mcp.json`