initialize-project-memory

Task: Initialize Project Memory (DEPRECATED)

DEPRECATED (2026-02-16): PRISM-Memory has been archived to Documents/Archive/PRISM-Memory.7z. This skill is no longer active. The memory configuration in core-config.yaml has been disabled.

Set up Obsidian vault and populate it with existing codebase knowledge.

When to Use

• When setting up context memory for a new project
• When enabling AI-assisted development with persistent knowledge
• When migrating project knowledge to Obsidian format
• When starting a project that needs pattern tracking

Quick Start

1. Install dependencies (pip install python-frontmatter)
2. Run python skills/context-memory/utils/init_vault.py
3. Verify vault created at docs/memory/
4. Optionally configure PRISM_OBSIDIAN_VAULT for custom location

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10+ installed
• Obsidian installed (optional, for browsing)

Steps

1. Install Dependencies

cd .prism
pip install python-frontmatter

2. Initialize Vault

python skills/context-memory/utils/init_vault.py

This creates:

• docs/memory/ vault folder (at project root)
• Folder structure (Files, Patterns, Decisions, Commits, etc.)
• Index files (README, File Index, Pattern Index, Decision Log)
• .gitignore configuration

Default location: docs/memory/ (one level up from .prism/)

Custom location: Set PRISM_OBSIDIAN_VAULT in .env file

3. Verify Setup

# Check vault exists (from project root)
ls -lh docs/memory/

# Check structure
ls docs/memory/PRISM-Memory/

# View stats
python -c "from skills.context-memory.utils.storage_obsidian import get_memory_stats; print(get_memory_stats())"

4. Enable Hooks

Create/update .claude/hooks.json:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Edit|Write",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "python ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/capture-file-context-obsidian.py"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "matcher": "Bash",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "python ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/capture-commit-context-obsidian.py"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

5. Interactive Analysis (Populate Initial Context)

Ask Claude Code to analyze key files:

"Please analyze the main entry points and core modules in this project"

Claude will:

• Read and analyze files using native tools
• Create markdown notes in the vault
• Organize by file path structure
• Capture patterns and architecture decisions

6. Enable REST API (Optional but Recommended)

For instant synchronization with Obsidian:

1. Install Local REST API plugin in Obsidian
2. Get API key from plugin settings
3. Configure .prism/.env:

   cd .prism
   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env and replace 'your-api-key-here' with your actual key
   

4. Test: python skills/context-memory/utils/obsidian_rest_client.py

Security: Never commit .env - it contains your personal API key!

Benefits: Instant updates in Obsidian, 10x faster search

See: skills/context-memory/reference/obsidian-rest-api.md for details

7. Open in Obsidian (Optional)

1. Launch Obsidian
2. File > Open vault
3. Select docs/memory/ (from project root)
4. Explore the knowledge graph

8. Verify Results

# Check stats
python -c "from skills.context-memory.utils.storage_obsidian import get_memory_stats; import json; print(json.dumps(get_memory_stats(), indent=2))"

# Test search
python -c "from skills.context-memory.utils.storage_obsidian import recall_query; results = recall_query('authentication'); print(f'Found {len(results)} results')"

# Browse notes (from project root)
ls docs/memory/PRISM-Memory/Files/
ls docs/memory/PRISM-Memory/Patterns/

9. Automatic Capture is Now Active

With hooks enabled, all future edits are captured automatically:

• File changes → Notes in Files/
• Git commits → Notes in Commits/
• Context builds as you code
• No manual intervention needed

Expected Results

After completion:

• Vault contains markdown notes for analyzed files
• Notes organized by file path structure
• Full-text search available
• Visual knowledge graph in Obsidian
• Hooks capture future changes automatically

Vault Structure

docs/memory/PRISM-Memory/
├── Files/              # File analyses (mirrors source structure)
│   └── src/
│       └── auth/
│           └── jwt.ts.md
├── Patterns/           # Code patterns by category
│   └── Architecture/
│       └── Repository Pattern.md
├── Decisions/          # Architectural decisions
│   └── 2025-01-15 Use JWT for Auth.md
├── Commits/            # Git commits by month
│   └── 2025-01/
│       └── abc1234-add-authentication.md
└── Index/              # Overview and navigation
    ├── README.md
    ├── File Index.md
    └── Pattern Index.md

Troubleshooting

Vault Not Found

❌ Vault does not exist: docs/memory

Solution: Run python skills/context-memory/utils/init_vault.py from .prism/ directory

Import Error

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'frontmatter'

Solution: Run pip install python-frontmatter

Hook Not Capturing Files

Check:

• Verify hook paths in .claude/hooks.json
• Ensure vault exists at docs/memory/ (from project root)
• Confirm file is source code (hooks skip .md, .json, etc.)
• Review .prism-memory-log.txt for errors
• Check REST API status in .prism-memory-api-log.txt (if using API)

Notes Not Appearing in Obsidian

Solution:

• Close and reopen vault in Obsidian
• Check vault path matches in .env
• Verify files exist in filesystem

Success Criteria

• Vault initialized with folder structure
• Can view markdown notes in filesystem
• Search returns relevant results
• Hooks enabled for automatic capture
• Obsidian opens vault successfully (optional)

Next Steps

1. Browse vault in Obsidian to see knowledge graph
2. Use graph view (Ctrl+G) to visualize connections
3. Query context: recall_query("authentication patterns")
4. Continue development - context captures automatically
5. Link notes manually for better knowledge organization

Benefits

• Human-readable: Browse notes in any text editor or Obsidian
• Visual: Graph view shows code relationships
• Searchable: Full-text search across all notes
• Linkable: Connect concepts with wikilinks
• Git-friendly: Markdown files work with version control