context-forge/.claude/docs/development-notes.md

AI orchestration platform with autonomous teams, enhancement planning, migration tools, 25+ slash commands, checkpoints & hooks. Multi-IDE: Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, Copilot

# Context Forge Development Notes

## Project Timeline

### Initial Development
- Created as a Claude Code project generator
- Supported multiple AI IDEs from the start
- Focus on reducing context setup time

### v3.1.3 Release
- Basic functionality complete
- 7 IDE adapters implemented
- PRP system established
- Retrofit command added

### v3.1.4 Release (July 12, 2025)
- Major enhancements from advanced PRP framework
- 20+ slash commands added
- Human-in-the-Loop checkpoints
- Claude Code hooks integration
- Migration system foundation

### Current Work (Post v3.1.4)
- Migration Phase 2: Intelligence
- Framework detection implementation
- Breaking change analysis planning
- Dependency mapping design

## Key Architectural Decisions

### 1. Adapter Pattern for IDEs
**Decision**: Each IDE has its own adapter extending a base class
**Rationale**: 
- Clean separation of concerns
- Easy to add new IDEs
- Consistent interface
**Impact**: Enabled support for 7+ IDEs with minimal duplication

### 2. Interactive CLI Design
**Decision**: Use Commander.js with Inquirer prompts
**Rationale**:
- Better user experience
- Validation at input time
- Progressive disclosure
**Impact**: Reduced user errors, improved adoption

### 3. Generator Architecture
**Decision**: All generators return `GeneratedFile[]`
**Rationale**:
- Consistent interface
- Easy testing
- Batch operations
**Impact**: Simplified file generation logic

### 4. Migration System Design
**Decision**: Phased approach with checkpoints
**Rationale**:
- Safety for production systems
- Human oversight capability
- Rollback strategies
**Impact**: Enterprise-ready migrations

## Lessons Learned

### 1. Context is King
- AI assistants need comprehensive context
- One-pass implementation requires complete information
- PRPs are more than just requirements

### 2. User Experience Matters
- Interactive prompts reduce friction
- Clear documentation is essential
- Sensible defaults are crucial

### 3. Framework Detection Complexity
- Many frameworks have similar patterns
- Version detection is challenging
- Confidence scoring is necessary

### 4. Migration Challenges
- Breaking changes are framework-specific
- Shared resources need careful handling
- Rollback strategies must be comprehensive

## Technical Debt

### Current Issues:
1. **Test Coverage**: Need more integration tests
2. **Performance**: Large project analysis can be slow
3. **Error Handling**: Some edge cases not covered
4. **Documentation**: API docs need updating

### Planned Improvements:
1. Implement caching for analysis results
2. Add progress indicators for long operations
3. Improve error messages with solutions
4. Create video tutorials

## Development Workflow

### 1. Local Testing
```bash
npm link
cd /tmp/test-project
context-forge init
```

### 2. Test Commands
```bash
npm test          # Run tests
npm run lint      # Check linting
npm run build     # Compile TypeScript
npm run clean     # Clean build files
```

### 3. Debugging
- Use `DEBUG=context-forge:*` for debug output
- Check generated files in test projects
- Validate with actual AI IDEs

### 4. Release Process
1. Update version in package.json
2. Update CHANGELOG.md
3. Run full test suite
4. Build and verify
5. Commit with version tag
6. Push to GitHub
7. Publish to npm

## Code Style Guidelines

### TypeScript:
- Use explicit types
- Prefer interfaces over types
- Async/await over promises
- Descriptive variable names

### File Organization:
- One class/service per file
- Group related functionality
- Keep files under 300 lines
- Extract complex logic

### Comments:
- Only when necessary
- Explain why, not what
- Update with code changes
- No commented-out code

## Performance Considerations

### Current Bottlenecks:
1. File system operations
2. Large project analysis
3. Package.json parsing
4. Pattern matching

### Optimization Strategies:
1. Implement caching layer
2. Use streaming for large files
3. Parallel processing where possible
4. Lazy loading for patterns

## Security Considerations

### Current Measures:
1. Path validation
2. No arbitrary code execution
3. Sanitized file paths
4. Limited file system access

### Future Enhancements:
1. Sandbox file operations
2. API key encryption
3. Audit logging
4. Permission system

## Community Engagement

### Current Channels:
- GitHub issues
- npm package page
- Reddit discussions
- Dev.to articles

### Growth Strategies:
1. Tutorial content
2. Video demos
3. Blog posts
4. Conference talks

## Future Vision

### Short Term (v3.2):
- Complete migration intelligence
- Performance optimizations
- Better error handling
- More framework support

### Medium Term (v4.0):
- Web dashboard
- Team features
- API access
- Plugin system

### Long Term:
- ML-powered suggestions
- IDE extensions
- Cloud service
- Enterprise features