Persistent memory for AI coding assistants through structured documentation.
Because AI context is temporary, but files are permanent.
Every time you start a new session with an AI coding assistant:
"Continue working on the authentication feature we discussed Friday."
"I don't have any context about previous conversations. Could you tell me about the authentication feature?"
You spend 15-30 minutes re-explaining your project, decisions, and progress. Every. Single. Time.
WITHOUT CxMS WITH CxMS
Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 1 Session 2 Session 3
| | | | | |
v v v v v v
+-------+ +-------+ +-------+ +-------+ +-------+ +-------+
| FULL | | FULL | | FULL | | FULL | | FULL | | FULL |
|CONTEXT| |CONTEXT| |CONTEXT| |CONTEXT| |CONTEXT| |CONTEXT|
| | | | | | | ^ | | ^ | | ^ |
| ^ | | ^ | | ^ | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 5 sec | | 5 sec | | 5 sec |
|15-30 | |15-30 | |15-30 | | read | | read | | read |
| min | | min | | min | +---+---+ +---+---+ +---+---+
|rebuild| |rebuild| |rebuild| | | |
+-------+ +-------+ +-------+ v v v
+-----------------------------+
==================== | Session.md persists |
~60-90 min WASTED | context between sessions |
per week +-----------------------------+
~0 min wasted
CxMS gives AI assistants structured, persistent, user-controlled memory through markdown files.
| Without CxMS | With CxMS |
|---|---|
| Start from zero each time | Pick up exactly where you left off |
| Re-explain everything | AI reads context files automatically |
| Decisions forgotten | Decisions documented with rationale |
| Inconsistent approaches | Consistent patterns maintained |
CxMS is AI-agnostic. It works with any coding assistant that can read files:
| AI Assistant | Compatible | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Yes | Auto-reads CLAUDE.md |
| Gemini CLI | Yes | Auto-reads GEMINI.md |
| GitHub Copilot | Yes | Reads .github/copilot-instructions.md |
| Cursor | Yes | Reads .cursorrules |
| Aider | Yes | Reads CONVENTIONS.md via config |
| ChatGPT | Yes | Upload or paste file contents |
| Any file-aware AI | Yes | Same methodology applies |
| Level | Files | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | 3 | Quick experiments, solo projects |
| Standard | 9 | Team projects, ongoing development |
| Max | 17+ | Enterprise, complex multi-phase projects |
See: templates/DEPLOYMENT.md for full details
Lite (minimum viable):
your-project/
├── CLAUDE.md # From templates/core/CLAUDE.md.template
├── MyApp_Session.md # From templates/core/PROJECT_Session.md.template
└── MyApp_Tasks.md # From templates/core/PROJECT_Tasks.md.template
Adding to existing project? See CLAUDE.md.existing-project.template
| Level | Startup Prompt |
|---|---|
| Lite | Read CLAUDE.md and MyApp_Session.md. Summarize current state and await instructions. |
| Standard | Read CLAUDE.md, MyApp_Session.md, and MyApp_Tasks.md. Summarize state, active tasks, and suggest next action. |
| Max | Read MyApp_Startup.md and follow its instructions. |
Update MyApp_Session.md with this session's work before we end.
That's it. You now have AI session continuity.
AI context is temporary; files are permanent.
Everything the AI needs to know must exist in files it can read.
This simple principle drives the entire system. Instead of relying on AI memory (which resets), we store context in markdown files that persist between sessions.
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| CxMS_Introduction_and_Guide.md | START HERE - Full training guide, history, examples |
| CxMS_Practical_Implementation_Guide.md | Implementation details, templates, patterns |
| templates/DEPLOYMENT.md | Deployment levels (Lite/Standard/Max) |
| templates/MIGRATION.md | Upgrade guide - Fresh install or update existing |
| Template | Purpose |
|---|---|
CLAUDE.md.template |
Project overview with mandatory AI requirements |
CLAUDE.md.existing-project.template |
Adding CxMS to existing projects |
PROJECT_Startup.md.template |
One prompt to initialize full session context |
PROJECT_Approvals.md.template |
Pre-approved operations (skip permission prompts) |
PROJECT_Session.md.template |
Current state - update every session |
PROJECT_Tasks.md.template |
Task tracker with status |
SESSION_START_PROMPTS.md |
Copy-paste prompts for session starts |
SESSION_END_CHECKLIST.md |
Session wrap-up workflow |
Activity logs, decision logs, issue tracking, deployment tracking, and more.
Project planning, inventory, strategy, exceptions, and prompt libraries.
Export CxMS to Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, and Aider.
| Profile | Use Case |
|---|---|
web-developer |
Frontend/backend web development |
project-manager |
Multi-agent coordination, planning |
data-engineer |
Data pipelines, ETL, analytics |
devops |
Infrastructure, CI/CD, deployment |
technical-writer |
Documentation, content creation |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| SESSION LIFECYCLE |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| START |
| | |
| v |
| +-----------------+ |
| | Read CLAUDE.md | <- Project overview |
| +--------+--------+ |
| | |
| v |
| +-----------------+ |
| | Read Session.md | <- Current state |
| +--------+--------+ |
| | |
| v |
| [ WORK ] |
| | |
| v |
| +-----------------+ |
| |Update Session.md| <- CRITICAL! |
| +--------+--------+ |
| | |
| v |
| END |
| |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Remember: Always update Session.md before ending a session!
CxMS/
├── README.md # This file
├── CLAUDE.md # Repository guidance
├── CxMS_Introduction_and_Guide.md # START HERE
├── CxMS_Practical_Implementation_Guide.md # Implementation details
│
├── templates/ # 27+ templates organized by category
│ ├── DEPLOYMENT.md # Deployment guide (Lite/Standard/Max)
│ ├── MIGRATION.md # Fresh install & upgrade guide
│ ├── VERSIONS.md # Template version manifest
│ ├── core/ # Required templates (10)
│ ├── logs/ # Optional logging (7)
│ ├── docs/ # Optional documentation (5)
│ ├── multi-tool/ # Tool-specific configs (5)
│ └── profiles/ # Role-based profiles (5)
│
├── tools/ # CxMS utilities
│ ├── cxms-cascade.mjs # Cascading config manager
│ ├── cxms-report.mjs # Telemetry reporter
│ ├── cxms-profile.mjs # Profile manager CLI
│ ├── statusline-command.sh # Context monitoring (Mac/Linux)
│ └── statusline-command.ps1 # Context monitoring (Windows)
│
└── docs/dashboard/ # Community telemetry dashboard
- Developers using Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, or similar AI assistants
- Teams wanting consistent AI-assisted development across members
- Anyone tired of re-explaining their project to AI every session
- A text editor
- Markdown files (
.md) - An AI coding assistant that can read files
No installation. No dependencies. No API keys. Just markdown files.
- Before: 15-30 minutes of context rebuilding per session
- After: Instant context restoration with a single prompt
- Context loss incidents: Reduced by ~80%
- Session productivity: Significantly improved
| Resource | Link | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Website | opencxms.org | Official site - docs, getting started |
| Dashboard | GitHub Pages | Community telemetry |
| Contact | opencxms@proton.me | Questions, feedback |
Contributions welcome:
- Issues/PRs: Bug reports, feature ideas, documentation improvements
- Contact: opencxms@proton.me
MIT License - Feel free to use, modify, and distribute.
Developed through extensive real-world use with Claude Code (Anthropic). The methodology emerged from solving actual context management challenges in production software development.
Stop re-explaining your project. Start where you left off.
"AI context temporary is. Files permanent are. Remember this, you must."
-- Master Yoda (CxMS Code Name since v1.3)