charlieviettq Context window management
Lifecycle
| Phase | Action |
|---|---|
| Bootstrap | Load spec, constraints, key paths only—not whole repo |
| During task | Append deltas; replace full file reads with summaries after use |
| Before compaction | Write Session state block (objective, done, open, paths) |
| Session end | Drop tool noise; keep decisions and verification evidence |
Strategy order
- Do not load — use search/read targeted files only.
- Reference — pointers (paths, line ranges) instead of full paste.
- Summarize — compress completed work; keep decisions and open items.
- Drop — remove obsolete tool output and duplicated content.
What to keep in active context
- Current objective and acceptance criteria
- Constraints (env, versions, "do not touch")
- Recent errors and fixes
- Open questions
What to offload
- Full file contents already summarized
- Long command outputs (keep exit code + last N lines)
- Exploratory branches that did not ship
Compaction pattern
## Session state (compacted)
Objective: ...
Done: ...
Open: ...
Key paths: ...
Do not repeat: [list already-established facts]
Multi-file work
- Load one module at a time when possible.
- Prefer ripgrep/semantic search over dumping trees.
- For RAG: retrieve only top-k relevant chunks.
Anti-patterns
- Pasting entire repos or logs into chat.
- Re-explaining architecture every turn without delta.
- Keeping failed attempts at full length after resolution.
Session setup (context engineering)
Before long tasks, establish a minimal working set:
- Objective block — one paragraph: goal, non-goals, done-when
- Constraint block — versions, env, files off-limits
- Reference map — paths to spec, ADR, or ticket; load on demand
- Tool policy — which tools/skills apply; avoid loading unused skill bodies
Refresh the objective block after major pivots; do not re-paste full history.
Pairing
Use with rag-systems for external knowledge; clarify-underspecified when scope grows mid-session; interview-me before loading large specs.