Quick Start

Get up and running with the AI Context System in 10 minutes.

Installation (2 minutes)

One-Command Install

bash

curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rexkirshner/ai-context-system/main/install.sh | bash

What this does:

Downloads system files to current directory
Creates .claude/, scripts/, templates/ folders
Installs 14 slash commands
Sets up configuration

Verify Installation

bash

# Check if .claude directory exists
ls -la .claude/commands/

# Should see:
# init-context.md
# save.md
# save-full.md
# review-context.md
# ... and 10 more commands

Initialize Context (3 minutes)

Run /init-context

bash

/init-context

What happens:

Creates context/ directory
Generates 5 core files:
- claude.md - Entry point for AI
- CONTEXT.md - Project orientation
- STATUS.md - Current state
- DECISIONS.md - Decision log
- SESSIONS.md - Session history
Creates .context-config.json - Project configuration

Fill Out CONTEXT.md

Edit context/CONTEXT.md with your project details:

markdown

## What & Why

**Project:** [Your project name]
**Business Goal:** [What problem does it solve?]
**Target Users:** [Who uses it?]

## Tech Stack

**Frontend:** [e.g., Next.js 14, React, TypeScript]
**Backend:** [e.g., PostgreSQL, Express, Prisma]
**Infrastructure:** [e.g., Vercel, AWS, Docker]

Time: 3-5 minutes to fill in the basics

Your First Session (5 minutes)

1. Check Current Status

bash

/review-context

What you see:

Quick Reference (project overview)
Current work in progress
Last session summary
System version check

2. Start Working

Do some actual work on your project:

Write code
Fix bugs
Add features
Refactor
Whatever you're working on

3. Save Your Progress

Every 30-60 minutes:

bash

/save

What this does:

Updates STATUS.md with current work
Regenerates Quick Reference
Captures work in progress
Takes 2-3 minutes

4. Before Break - Comprehensive Save

At end of session (lunch, end of day):

bash

/save-full

What this does:

Everything /save does PLUS:
Creates new SESSIONS.md entry
Documents mental models
Captures decision rationale
Auto-logs git operations
Takes 10-15 minutes

Daily Workflow

bash

# 1. Start of day
/review-context

# 2. Work on project
#    (code, debug, refactor, etc.)

# 3. Save frequently (every 30-60 min)
/save

# 4. Before lunch break
/save-full

# 5. More work after lunch
#    (more coding)

# 6. Save frequently
/save

# 7. End of day
/save-full

Example First Session

Here's what a complete first session looks like:

1. Install (9:00 AM)

bash

cd ~/projects/my-app
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rexkirshner/ai-context-system/main/install.sh | bash

2. Initialize (9:02 AM)

bash

/init-context

Edit context/CONTEXT.md:

markdown

## What & Why

**Project:** Task Management App
**Business Goal:** Help teams organize work asynchronously
**Target Users:** Remote engineering teams (10-50 people)

## Tech Stack

**Frontend:** Next.js 14, TypeScript, Tailwind
**Backend:** PostgreSQL, Prisma
**Infrastructure:** Vercel

3. Start Session (9:10 AM)

bash

/review-context

# Shows:
# - Project: Task Management App
# - Phase: Initial Setup
# - No work in progress yet

4. Work - Build Authentication (9:10 AM - 11:00 AM)

Set up Supabase
Create auth pages (login, signup)
Implement JWT session handling
Add protected routes

5. First Save (11:00 AM)

bash

/save

AI updates STATUS.md:

markdown

## Work In Progress

**Current Focus:** Authentication setup

- ✅ Supabase project created
- ✅ Auth pages (login/signup) built
- 🔄 JWT session handling (in progress)
- ⏳ Protected routes (next)

6. Keep Working (11:00 AM - 12:30 PM)

Finish JWT handling
Add protected routes
Test auth flow

7. Lunch Break - Full Save (12:30 PM)

bash

/save-full

AI creates SESSIONS.md entry:

markdown

## Session 1 | 2025-10-24 | Initial Authentication Setup

**TL;DR:** Set up Supabase auth, built login/signup pages,
implemented JWT session handling, added protected routes.
Auth flow working end-to-end.

### Mental Models

**Current understanding:**
- Using Supabase for authentication (email + OAuth)
- JWT tokens in HTTP-only cookies
- Protected routes check session validity
- Next.js middleware handles route protection

**What's working:**
- ✅ User can sign up with email
- ✅ User can log in
- ✅ Session persists across page reloads
- ✅ Protected routes redirect to login

### Next Session

Start here:
1. Add password reset flow
2. Implement OAuth providers (Google, GitHub)
3. Test error cases (invalid email, network errors)

8. Resume After Lunch (1:30 PM)

bash

/review-context

# Sees:
# - Last session: Authentication setup
# - Next steps: Password reset, OAuth
# - Current work: Auth complete, ready for next feature

Continue with password reset flow...

9. End of Day (5:00 PM)

bash

/save-full

# Creates Session 2 entry
# Documents password reset implementation
# Captures decision about email service
# Auto-logs git commits

Next Day

bash

# 9:00 AM next day
/review-context

# Immediately see:
# - Project state
# - What was done yesterday
# - Where to continue
# - Any blockers

# Resume work with full context in 2 minutes
# No re-explaining needed
# Zero context loss

Key Commands Reference

Command	When	Time	What It Does
`/init-context`	Once (setup)	3 min	Creates context structure
`/review-context`	Start of session	2 min	Shows current state + Quick Reference
`/save`	Every 30-60 min	2-3 min	Quick STATUS.md update
`/save-full`	Before breaks	10-15 min	Comprehensive save + SESSIONS.md
`/validate-context`	Before handoffs	2 min	Check documentation health
`/export-context`	For handoffs	1 min	Package everything for sharing

Tips for Success

1. Save Often

bash

# Don't wait until end of day
# Save every 30-60 minutes
/save

# Safety net for unexpected interruptions
# Captures incremental progress

2. Full Saves at Boundaries

bash

# Before any break:
/save-full

# Lunch, meetings, end of day, context switches
# Comprehensive state capture

3. Review at Start

bash

# First thing every session:
/review-context

# Orientation in 2 minutes
# Know where to start
# No context loss

4. Trust the System

markdown

# Document even "obvious" decisions
# Capture mental models honestly
# Future you will thank present you

# Example:
## DEC-001: Use PostgreSQL

**Decision:** PostgreSQL for database

**Why:** Need ACID transactions, complex relationships

# Even if "obvious", document it
# New AI agent needs to know

5. Read the Documentation

After first session, read:

Session Continuity - How it works
STATUS.md Guide - What to update
SESSIONS.md Guide - Session history
Commands Reference - All available commands

Troubleshooting

Commands Not Working?

Problem: Slash commands don't work

Solution:

bash

# Check for multiple .claude directories
find ~ -name ".claude" -type d

# Should only have one in your project root
# If multiple found, remove extras

# Keep only:
/path/to/your-project/.claude

Can't Find Context Files?

Problem: Commands can't find context/ directory

Solution:

bash

# Make sure you're in project root
pwd

# Should see:
/path/to/your-project

# Not a subdirectory like:
/path/to/your-project/src  # Wrong!

The system auto-detects context up to 3 parent directories, but works best from project root.

Quick Reference Not Generated?

Problem: STATUS.md Quick Reference section is empty

Solution:

bash

# Check .context-config.json exists
ls context/.context-config.json

# If missing, run:
/init-context

# Then run:
/save

Success Checklist

After first session, verify:

[ ] context/ directory exists
[ ] context/CONTEXT.md filled out with project details
[ ] context/STATUS.md shows current work
[ ] context/SESSIONS.md has Session 1 entry
[ ] Quick Reference auto-generated in STATUS.md
[ ] /review-context shows project state
[ ] /save updates STATUS.md successfully
[ ] /save-full creates SESSIONS.md entry

If all checked: You're ready to use the system! 🎉

Next Steps

Learn the concepts:

Explore commands:

Learn workflows:

Remember

"When in doubt, /save!"

The system is your safety net. Save frequently, trust the process, and enjoy perfect session continuity.

Quick Start ​

Installation (2 minutes) ​

One-Command Install ​

Verify Installation ​

Initialize Context (3 minutes) ​

Run /init-context ​

Fill Out CONTEXT.md ​

Your First Session (5 minutes) ​

1. Check Current Status ​

2. Start Working ​

3. Save Your Progress ​

4. Before Break - Comprehensive Save ​

Daily Workflow ​

Example First Session ​

1. Install (9:00 AM) ​

2. Initialize (9:02 AM) ​

3. Start Session (9:10 AM) ​

4. Work - Build Authentication (9:10 AM - 11:00 AM) ​

5. First Save (11:00 AM) ​

6. Keep Working (11:00 AM - 12:30 PM) ​

7. Lunch Break - Full Save (12:30 PM) ​

8. Resume After Lunch (1:30 PM) ​

9. End of Day (5:00 PM) ​

Next Day ​

Key Commands Reference ​

Tips for Success ​

1. Save Often ​

2. Full Saves at Boundaries ​

3. Review at Start ​

4. Trust the System ​

5. Read the Documentation ​

Troubleshooting ​

Commands Not Working? ​

Can't Find Context Files? ​

Quick Reference Not Generated? ​

Success Checklist ​

Next Steps ​

Remember ​

Quick Start

Installation (2 minutes)

One-Command Install

Verify Installation

Initialize Context (3 minutes)

Run /init-context

Fill Out CONTEXT.md

Your First Session (5 minutes)

1. Check Current Status

2. Start Working

3. Save Your Progress

4. Before Break - Comprehensive Save

Daily Workflow

Example First Session

1. Install (9:00 AM)

2. Initialize (9:02 AM)

3. Start Session (9:10 AM)

4. Work - Build Authentication (9:10 AM - 11:00 AM)

5. First Save (11:00 AM)

6. Keep Working (11:00 AM - 12:30 PM)

7. Lunch Break - Full Save (12:30 PM)

8. Resume After Lunch (1:30 PM)

9. End of Day (5:00 PM)

Next Day

Key Commands Reference

Tips for Success

1. Save Often

2. Full Saves at Boundaries

3. Review at Start

4. Trust the System

5. Read the Documentation

Troubleshooting

Commands Not Working?

Can't Find Context Files?

Quick Reference Not Generated?

Success Checklist

Next Steps

Remember