Session Management

Core Principles

Sessions start with context, not from scratch — Every session begins by loading three files: .claude/handoff.md (pending work), MEMORY.md (permanent rules), and .claude/instincts.md (learned patterns). Then detect the .NET solution so MCP tools are connected. A session that starts blind wastes the first 10 minutes re-discovering what was already known.
Sessions end with capture, never abruptly — When a session ends, three things are captured: what was DONE, what is PENDING, and what was LEARNED. This is non-negotiable. Context lost between sessions is context the user must re-provide, which wastes their time.
Context preservation is a chain — Handoff files pass state session-to-session. MEMORY.md accumulates permanent rules. Instincts track emerging patterns. Git commits preserve code state. Together, these four mechanisms create continuity that no single mechanism can provide alone.
Solution detection enables tooling — .NET MCP tools (get_diagnostics, find_symbol, get_project_graph) require a loaded solution. Detecting the .slnx/.sln file on session start ensures these tools are available from the first prompt, not discovered mid-conversation.
Graceful degradation over hard failure — If no handoff file exists, start clean. If no MEMORY.md exists, offer to create one on first learning. If no solution file is found, work without MCP tools. Never block a session because a context file is missing.

Execute this sequence at the beginning of every session: