Memory Merger

Run Criteria

Combined signals to identify merge candidates.

Workflow (numbered)

1. Scan LESSONS-LEARNED.md for candidate entries (frequency, severity, age).
2. Map each candidate to a target file and section.
3. Draft the exact edit (concise rule or example).
4. Apply the edit with an attribution comment.
5. Archive the migrated lesson in LESSONS-LEARNED.md with a merge note.
6. Update the index and run validation checks.

Merge Protocol

3 — Draft Edit

Lesson: LES-XXX — [title]
Target: [file path]
Section: [section name]
Edit: [exact text]

Strategies: add rule, add anti-pattern, add code example, expand existing rule, add table row.

4 — Apply & Attribute

Edit target file; add <!-- Merged from LES-XXX --> attribution inline.

5 — Archive

Move merged lessons to ## Archived (Merged) at the bottom of LESSONS-LEARNED.md:

### LES-XXX: [title] → Merged to `[target]` on YYYY-MM-DD

Never delete lessons — archive for traceability.

6 — Update Index

Update ## Index by Category in LESSONS-LEARNED.md to mark archived lessons.

Worked Example

See REFERENCE.md for a full worked merge example (LES-042: MCP tool timeout).

Quality Gates (validation checkpoints)

• Merged content reads naturally (not copy-pasted)
• No duplicate rules created in target files or other skills
• Archived lesson references target file and date
• Core insight preserved — no loss of nuance
• Target file still passes lint/markdown checks (if applicable)
• A quick smoke verification (search for relevant keyword) confirms merge applied

Anti-Patterns

• Merge too eagerly — must meet 3+ citations or 60+ day threshold
• Copy verbatim — rewrite as rules/guidelines, not incident reports
• Merge conflicting lessons — resolve conflict first
• Create new files for merged content — merge INTO existing files only