Analyze once. Remember forever. Context from session one.
Claude Code · Cursor · GitHub Copilot · Windsurf · Cline · Aider · Roo Code
AI coding assistants start every session with zero knowledge of your project. They re-read files, re-discover your stack, and re-learn your conventions. On large codebases this burns through context windows, wastes time, and produces inconsistent suggestions.
codebase-memory fixes this. It performs a one-time deep analysis of your project and writes structured context files that your AI tool loads automatically at session start. The result: every session begins exactly where the last one left off.
Before After
────── ─────
Session 1 scan 200 files slow Session 1 analyze once one-time
Session 2 scan 200 files slow Session 2 load context instant
Session 3 scan 200 files slow Session 3 load context instant
npm install -g codebase-memoryOption A — Fully automatic (Claude Code)
codebase-memory setupInstalls invisible hooks. New projects are auto-analyzed on first use, changes are tracked during work, and memory is updated when the session ends. Nothing else to do.
Option B — Any AI tool
cd your-project
codebase-memory analyzeGenerates context files for every supported tool in one pass.
A single analyze creates the correct file for each tool:
| Generated file | Tool | Loaded |
|---|---|---|
CLAUDE.md + .claude/rules/ |
Claude Code | Automatically |
.cursorrules |
Cursor | Automatically |
.github/copilot-instructions.md |
GitHub Copilot | Automatically |
.windsurfrules |
Windsurf | Automatically |
.clinerules |
Cline | Automatically |
CONVENTIONS.md |
Aider | Via .aider.conf.yml |
.roomodes |
Roo Code | Automatically |
project/
├── CLAUDE.md Claude Code context
├── .cursorrules Cursor context
├── .windsurfrules Windsurf context
├── .clinerules Cline context
├── .roomodes Roo Code context
├── CONVENTIONS.md Aider context
├── .github/
│ └── copilot-instructions.md GitHub Copilot context
└── .claude/
└── rules/
├── architecture.md Folder map, entry points, data flow
├── stack.md Languages, frameworks, versions, commands
├── modules.md Every module and its responsibility
├── models.md Database schemas, types, entities
├── api.md Routes and endpoints
├── conventions.md Naming patterns, error handling, testing
├── gotchas.md Quirks, workarounds, do-not-touch files
└── changelog.md Auto-updated change log
| Category | What's detected |
|---|---|
| Languages | JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, Ruby, Java, Kotlin |
| Frameworks | Next.js, React, Vue, Svelte, Express, FastAPI, Django, Flask, NestJS, Remix, Astro, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Hono, Koa, Fastify, Angular, Gatsby, Electron + more |
| Databases | PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB, Redis |
| ORMs | Prisma, Drizzle, TypeORM, Sequelize, Mongoose, SQLAlchemy |
| Package managers | npm, pnpm, yarn, bun, pip, uv, pipenv |
| Testing | Vitest, Jest, Mocha, pytest, Playwright, Cypress |
| Build tools | Vite, webpack, esbuild, Rollup, Turborepo |
| Linting | ESLint, Prettier, Biome |
| State management | Zustand, Redux, TanStack Query |
| Infrastructure | Docker, docker-compose |
| Structure | Entry points, route files, model files, API surfaces, naming conventions |
When you run codebase-memory setup, three Claude Code hooks are installed globally:
Session start PreToolUse hook checks for CLAUDE.md
├── missing → analyzes project in background
└── present → skips instantly
During work PostToolUse hook fires on Write / Edit
└── appends file path + timestamp to changelog.md
Session end Stop hook fires
└── runs incremental update (new modules, routes, models)
The session-start check uses a temp marker per project directory. After the first tool call it exits in microseconds.
For tools other than Claude Code, run codebase-memory analyze once per project or codebase-memory update after significant changes.
Every edit made by the AI is recorded:
## 2026-04-14 — Initial analysis
- Full codebase analyzed and memory files written
- 12 modules mapped, 8 endpoints documented, 5 models captured
## 2026-04-14
- `src/routes/payments.ts` — Write at 14:30
- `src/models/invoice.ts` — Edit at 14:35
### Session ended at 15:00
**Recent commits:**
a1b2c3d Add payment processing endpoint
d4e5f6g Update invoice modelcodebase-memory <command> [options]
Commands:
setup Install global Claude Code hooks (one-time)
analyze [dir] Full analysis + generate context for all IDEs
update [dir] Incremental update — append only what changed
restore [dir] Print project summary from memory files
teardown Remove global hooks
Aliases:
s → setup a → analyze u → update r → restore
| codebase-memory | Manual rules files | No context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-generates from codebase | Yes | — | — |
| Detects stack and frameworks | Yes | — | — |
| Maps modules, routes, models | Yes | — | — |
| Tracks changes automatically | Yes | — | — |
| Updates memory on session end | Yes | — | — |
| Covers 7 AI tools at once | Yes | 1 | — |
| Time to set up | 30 seconds | Hours | — |
Does it work with my tool?
If your AI coding tool reads
.cursorrules, .github/copilot-instructions.md, .windsurfrules, .clinerules, CONVENTIONS.md, .roomodes, or CLAUDE.md, yes. All are generated from one command.
Does it send code anywhere?
No. Everything runs locally. The output is plain markdown in your project directory. Nothing is uploaded or transmitted.
Will it slow down my editor?
No. Context files are a few KB. The Claude Code hook exits in microseconds after the first check per session.
What if the project changes significantly?
Run
codebase-memory analyze again for a full rescan, or let the auto-update hook handle incremental changes.
Does it work in monorepos?
Yes. Run from the root to map all top-level packages and services.
Can I edit the generated files?
Yes. They are plain markdown. The update command appends only — it never overwrites manual edits.
codebase-memory teardown # remove hooks
npm uninstall -g codebase-memory # remove packageRemove memory from a specific project:
rm -f CLAUDE.md .cursorrules .windsurfrules .clinerules .roomodes CONVENTIONS.md
rm -rf .claude/rules/ .github/copilot-instructions.mdIssues and pull requests are welcome.
To add support for a new AI tool, see src/utils/ide-generator.js — the architecture is designed for easy extension.
npm install -g codebase-memory && codebase-memory setup
Stop re-teaching your AI assistant the same codebase every session.