cds-prevention

CDS Prevention

Prevent Context Degradation Syndrome (CDS) when working with AI coding assistants across sessions. Compatible with Claude Code and GitHub Copilot.

What is CDS?

Context Degradation Syndrome happens when an AI assistant loses track of project state between sessions — forgetting architecture decisions, repeating mistakes, or ignoring established conventions. This framework gives your AI assistant persistent context by storing structured project knowledge in files it reads automatically at the start of every session.

Installation

Claude Code (Plugin Marketplace)

# Add the marketplace
/plugin marketplace add xanderscannell/Claude-CDS-Prevention

# Install the plugin
/plugin install cds-prevention

Claude Code (Manual)

Clone this repo and add it as a local plugin:

git clone https://github.com/xanderscannell/Claude-CDS-Prevention.git
/plugin marketplace add ./Claude-CDS-Prevention
/plugin install cds-prevention

GitHub Copilot / Cursor / Other Agents

Run /cds-init in your project. It creates:

• .github/copilot-instructions.md — Bootloader for GitHub Copilot
• CLAUDE.md — Bootloader for Claude Code
• .context/ — Persistent project context directory

Available Skills

Once installed, you get these slash commands:

Command	Description
/cds-prevention	Main skill - load context at session start, update at session end
/cds-init	Initialize the framework in a new project
/cds-checkpoint	Create a session checkpoint documenting progress

Quick Start

New Project

1. Install the plugin (see above)
2. Run /cds-init in your project directory
3. Fill in the generated context files
4. Commit the changes

Existing Project with Framework Already Installed

If your project already has .context/ and CLAUDE.md (or .github/copilot-instructions.md):

1. Install the plugin
2. Run /cds-prevention at the start of each session
3. Run /cds-checkpoint at the end of long sessions

How It Works

Your Project
├── CLAUDE.md               ← Claude Code reads this automatically
├── .github/
│   └── copilot-instructions.md  ← GitHub Copilot reads this automatically
├── .context/               ← Persistent project context
│   ├── CURRENT_STATUS.md   ← Updated every session
│   ├── ARCHITECTURE.md     ← System design
│   ├── CONVENTIONS.md      ← Coding standards
│   ├── DECISIONS.md        ← Architecture Decision Records
│   ├── MASTER_PLAN.md      ← Implementation roadmap
│   └── CHECKPOINTS/        ← Session summaries
└── ...

The bootloader files (CLAUDE.md and .github/copilot-instructions.md) are read automatically by their respective AI tools. They instruct the assistant to load the relevant .context/ files, follow conventions, and update status at the end of each session. Both files contain the same instructions — CLAUDE.md targets Claude Code, while .github/copilot-instructions.md targets GitHub Copilot.

Daily Workflow

Start of session: Run /cds-prevention (or let it auto-invoke). The assistant reads context files and understands project state.

During work: The assistant follows CONVENTIONS.md, checks DECISIONS.md before proposing architectural changes, and records new decisions when significant choices are made.

End of session: Run /cds-checkpoint to create a checkpoint, or the assistant updates CURRENT_STATUS.md automatically.

Multi-machine sync: Just git pull. Context travels with the code.

File Reference

File	Purpose	Update Frequency
CLAUDE.md	Bootloader for Claude Code	Every few sessions
.github/copilot-instructions.md	Bootloader for GitHub Copilot	Every few sessions
.context/CURRENT_STATUS.md	Where the project stands now	Every session
.context/MASTER_PLAN.md	Implementation roadmap	When phases change
.context/ARCHITECTURE.md	System design	When architecture evolves
.context/DECISIONS.md	Architecture Decision Records	When decisions are made
.context/CONVENTIONS.md	Coding standards	Rarely
.context/SETUP.md	Dev environment setup	Rarely
.context/CHECKPOINTS/	Session summaries	End of long sessions

Plugin Structure

Claude-CDS-Prevention/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   ├── plugin.json           # Plugin manifest (Claude Code)
│   └── marketplace.json      # Marketplace listing (Claude Code)
├── skills/
│   ├── cds-prevention/       # Main context management skill
│   ├── cds-init/             # Project initialization skill
│   └── cds-checkpoint/       # Checkpoint creation skill
├── templates/
│   └── context/              # Context file templates
└── README.md

What to Customize

After running /cds-init, these files need your input: