Difficulty maintaining project context

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 70 views

Feature Request: Implement Memory Bank for Enhanced Context Management

Overview

This feature request proposes implementing a Memory Bank system similar to Cline's Memory Bank to enhance Continue's context management capabilities in large projects. The Memory Bank would serve as a structured documentation system that maintains context across sessions, enabling more effective long-term project work.

Motivation

When working on large codebases, Continue (like other AI assistants) faces context limitations that can hinder its effectiveness:

Limited context window: Continue can only understand a limited amount of code at a time, making it difficult to grasp the overall project structure.
Difficulty maintaining project context: Continue struggles to maintain a consistent understanding of the project across multiple sessions, leading to confusion and errors.
Challenges in tracking project evolution: Continue has trouble tracking the project's evolution and decisions over time, making it difficult to provide accurate and relevant information.
Inefficient context retrieval: Continue's context retrieval process can be inefficient, leading to wasted time and resources.

A Memory Bank system would address these limitations by providing a structured approach to documentation that both humans and AI can leverage to maintain consistent understanding of a project.

Proposed Solution

Implement a Memory Bank system with the following components:

Core Structure

Project Brief (projectbrief.md): Foundation document defining core requirements and goals
Product Context (productContext.md): Why the project exists, problems it solves, user experience goals
Active Context (activeContext.md): Current work focus, recent changes, next steps
System Patterns (systemPatterns.md): System architecture, key technical decisions, design patterns
Tech Context (techContext.md): Technologies used, development setup, technical constraints
Progress (progress.md): What works, what's left to build, current status, known issues
Project Intelligence (.continuerules): Learning journal capturing important patterns and preferences

Functionality

Initialization: Command to create the initial Memory Bank structure
Context Reading: Automatic reading of relevant Memory Bank files at the start of each session
Context Updates: Commands to update Memory Bank files based on recent work
Context Selection: Smart selection of relevant Memory Bank files based on current task
Integration with existing context providers: Seamless integration with @codebase, @folder, etc.

Technical Implementation

The Memory Bank could be implemented as:

A new context provider (@memorybank) that reads from the structured documentation
A set of commands for initializing and updating the Memory Bank
Integration with the existing chunking and indexing system (see ChunkCodebaseIndex.ts)
Potential integration with the Model Context Protocol for standardized context management

Benefits

Enhanced Context Understanding: Provides Continue with comprehensive project context
Improved Long-term Project Work: Maintains consistent understanding across sessions
Better Documentation: Encourages structured documentation practices
Reduced Context Window Usage: More efficient use of context window by referencing only relevant Memory Bank files
Project Evolution Tracking: Documents project decisions and evolution over time

User Experience

From a user perspective, the workflow would be:

Initialize Memory Bank with a project brief
Continue automatically reads relevant Memory Bank files when starting a session
User can update Memory Bank files as the project evolves
Continue references and updates Memory Bank files as needed during development

Related Work

This feature would build upon Continue's existing context management capabilities:

Current chunking system in ChunkCodebaseIndex.ts
Context providers like @codebase and @folder
Repository map functionality

Next Steps

Design the Memory Bank file structure and schema
Implement the core Memory Bank context provider
Create commands for initializing and updating the Memory Bank
Integrate with existing context providers
Add documentation and examples

Additional Considerations

Should Memory Bank files be stored in the project directory or in Continue's configuration directory?
How should Memory Bank files be versioned and backed up?
What level of automation should be used for updating Memory Bank files?
How can we ensure Memory Bank content remains accurate and up-to-date?

References

Solution

Implementing a Memory Bank system would significantly enhance Continue's context management capabilities, enabling more effective long-term project work. By providing a structured approach to documentation, both humans and AI can leverage the Memory Bank to maintain consistent understanding of a project. The proposed solution includes a core structure, functionality, and technical implementation, as well as benefits and user experience considerations. The next steps involve designing the Memory Bank file structure and schema, implementing the core Memory Bank context provider, and integrating with existing context providers.
Q&A: Implementing Memory Bank for Enhanced Context Management

Overview

This Q&A article provides answers to frequently asked questions about implementing a Memory Bank system for enhanced context management in Continue. The Memory Bank would serve as a structured documentation system that maintains context across sessions, enabling more effective long-term project work.

Q1: What is the purpose of a Memory Bank system?

A1: The purpose of a Memory Bank system is to provide a structured approach to documentation that both humans and AI can leverage to maintain consistent understanding of a project. This would enable more effective long-term project work by maintaining context across sessions.

Q2: How would a Memory Bank system address context limitations in Continue?

A2: A Memory Bank system would address context limitations in Continue by providing a comprehensive project context, improving long-term project work, and encouraging structured documentation practices.

Q3: What components would a Memory Bank system consist of?

A3: A Memory Bank system would consist of the following components:

Project Brief (projectbrief.md): Foundation document defining core requirements and goals
Product Context (productContext.md): Why the project exists, problems it solves, user experience goals
Active Context (activeContext.md): Current work focus, recent changes, next steps
System Patterns (systemPatterns.md): System architecture, key technical decisions, design patterns
Tech Context (techContext.md): Technologies used, development setup, technical constraints
Progress (progress.md): What works, what's left to build, current status, known issues
Project Intelligence (.continuerules): Learning journal capturing important patterns and preferences

Q4: How would a Memory Bank system be implemented?

A4: A Memory Bank system could be implemented as:

A new context provider (@memorybank) that reads from the structured documentation
A set of commands for initializing and updating the Memory Bank
Integration with the existing chunking and indexing system (see ChunkCodebaseIndex.ts)
Potential integration with the Model Context Protocol for standardized context management

Q5: What are the benefits of implementing a Memory Bank system?

A5: The benefits of implementing a Memory Bank system include:

Enhanced Context Understanding: Provides Continue with comprehensive project context
Improved Long-term Project Work: Maintains consistent understanding across sessions
Better Documentation: Encourages structured documentation practices
Reduced Context Window Usage: More efficient use of context window by referencing only relevant Memory Bank files
Project Evolution Tracking: Documents project decisions and evolution over time

Q6: How would a Memory Bank system impact user experience?

A6: From a user perspective, the workflow would be:

Initialize Memory Bank with a project brief
Continue automatically reads relevant Memory Bank files when starting a session
User can update Memory Bank files as the project evolves
Continue references and updates Memory Bank files as needed during development

Q7: What are the next steps for implementing a Memory Bank system?

A7: The next steps for implementing a Memory Bank system involve:

Designing the Memory Bank file structure and schema
Implementing the core Memory Bank context provider
Creating commands for initializing and updating the Memory Bank
Integrating with existing context providers
Adding documentation and examples

Q8: What are some additional considerations for implementing a Memory Bank system?

A8: Some additional considerations for implementing a Memory Bank system include:

Should Memory Bank files be stored in the project directory or in Continue's configuration directory?
How should Memory Bank files be versioned and backed up?
What level of automation should be used for updating Memory Bank files?
How can we ensure Memory Bank content remains accurate and up-to-date?

Q9: What are some related works that would be built upon for implementing a Memory Bank system?

A9: Some related works that would be built upon for implementing a Memory Bank system include:

Current chunking system in ChunkCodebaseIndex.ts
Context providers like @codebase and @folder
Repository map functionality

Q10: What are some references for further information on implementing a Memory Bank system?

A10: Some references for further information on implementing a Memory Bank system include: