How do I create a memory?

How do I write a new project memory — pick the subtype, scaffold the file, fill in the body, and link it from the inventory?

Memories are short, atomic, durable. One memory per file under doc/llm/memory/. Use the codegen to scaffold; never hand-write the frontmatter.

1. Pick the subtype. Memories use the same four subtypes as Claude Code's auto-memory:
   • feedback — what the user has corrected or confirmed.
   • user — facts about the user.
   • project — facts about the work in flight or its motivation.
   • reference — pointers to external systems.
2. Pick a slug. Snake-case, short, descriptive of the rule rather than the topic — e.g. do_not_re_export_env_vars, not bash.

3. Scaffold the file using compass add memory:

   projects/ores.compass/compass.sh add memory \
     --slug do_not_re_export_env_vars \
     --title "Do not re-export ORES_* env vars in Bash tool calls" \
     --description "The user has already exported ORES_* env vars in their shell session — don't prepend them." \
     --memory-subtype feedback
   

   --parent-dir defaults to doc/llm/memory; only pass it to land the file somewhere else. The memory tag and the chosen subtype are auto-added to #+filetags so the whole catalogue is greppable in one shot.

4. Fill in the body. The scaffold gives you a one-paragraph placeholder plus *Why:* and *How to apply:* bold lines. Replace each with the actual content:
   • Lead with the rule, one to two sentences.
   • *Why:* the reason (the user's words, or the incident).
   • *How to apply:* when this kicks in (which files, which workflows, what circumstances).
5. Link from the inventory. Open Project memory and add an id-link under the appropriate subtype heading.

6. Verify:

   ./projects/ores.compass/compass.sh show <uuid-prefix>
   

   The Outgoing/Incoming link sections should resolve cleanly.

• One memory per file. If you find yourself writing "and also…", the second point is its own memory.
• Lead with the rule, not the topic. do_not_re_export_env_vars, not bash_environment.
• Always include *Why:*. Without the why, future sessions can't judge edge cases.
• Don't duplicate code-derivable facts. Architecture, conventions, file paths belong in Knowledge, not memory.
• Don't duplicate CLAUDE.md. If a guideline is enforced on every session, it goes there.

projects/ores.compass/compass.sh add memory — the compass wrapper delegates to ores.codegen. The memory-specific machinery (template, --memory-subtype flag, tag injection) lives in projects/ores.codegen/src/doc_generate.py and the template at projects/ores.codegen/library/templates/doc_memory.org.mustache.

Manual. Scaffolding via the codegen guarantees the frontmatter; a visual check of the generated memory file confirms it.

• Project memory — the catalogue and the contract for what belongs.
• doc-add-memory skill — the LLM-side decision flow.
• How do I create a new doc? — the parent codegen recipe; memory is one of its doctypes.
• How do I create a recipe? — sibling recipe-shape doc.