pattern-management

Pattern Management

Patterns are reusable solutions with problem context. Plain implementation notes are memories — use memory_store for those (see memory-workflow skill).

Pattern Tools

Tool	Signature	Purpose
pattern_create	pattern_create(title, description, category?, example_code?, scope?, tags?, source_project?)	Create a reusable pattern
pattern_search	pattern_search(query, category?, project?, limit?, threshold?)	Find existing patterns
pattern_adopt	pattern_adopt(pattern_id, project)	Track which projects use which patterns
pattern_suggest	pattern_suggest(project, limit?)	Get pattern recommendations for a project

Workflow

1. Search first — Always call pattern_search(query) before pattern_create. Duplicate patterns fragment conventions and confuse future lookups.
2. Create with structure — If no match exists, call pattern_create(title, description, category, example_code). Include example_code for maximum usefulness. Set scope to "global" for cross-project or "project" for project-specific patterns.
3. Adopt to projects — Call pattern_adopt(pattern_id, project) so the pattern appears in project_context results and pattern_suggest recommendations (see project-orchestration skill).
4. Review suggestions — Use pattern_suggest(project) when starting work on a project to discover applicable conventions.

Pattern Structure

Every description in pattern_create should include:

Section	Content
Problem	What recurring issue this solves
Solution	The reusable approach or convention
Context	When to apply (and when not to)
Examples	Concrete usage showing the pattern in action

pattern_create(
  "RFC 7807 Error Responses",
  "Problem: Inconsistent error responses across API endpoints.\nSolution: Return { error, code, details? } on all 4xx/5xx.\nContext: REST APIs with multiple consumers. Not needed for internal RPC.",
  "error-handling",
  '{ error: "Invalid email", code: "VALIDATION_ERROR", details: { field: "email" } }',
  "global",
  ["api", "rest", "validation"]
)

Cross-Project Consistency

• pattern_adopt(pattern_id, project) links a pattern to a project. Multiple projects can adopt the same pattern.
• pattern_suggest(project) returns unadopted patterns that may be relevant based on project context.
• Adopted patterns load automatically via project_context, keeping teams aligned without manual lookups.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Creating without searching first	Always pattern_search before pattern_create — duplicates fragment conventions
Vague descriptions	Follow the Problem/Solution/Context/Examples structure; be specific and actionable
Omitting example_code	Always include a concrete code example — patterns without examples are hard to apply
Not adopting to projects	Call pattern_adopt after creating; unadopted patterns are invisible to project_context
Patterns too specific	Patterns should generalize across contexts; one-off solutions belong in memories or decisions