mmq

Objective

Answer a knowledge-base question using index-guided retrieval and cite sources with [[wikilinks]].

This command is operational only. Do not write /mmq, /memory-mason:mmq, or their execution chatter back into the vault.

Path Resolution

Before any other reasoning, resolve vault config in this priority order:

1. Project ./.env
2. Project ./memory-mason.json
3. Global ~/.memory-mason/.env
4. Global ~/.memory-mason/config.json

Resolve:

• {vault}: absolute path to the Obsidian vault
• {subfolder}: plugin-managed subfolder inside the vault

Use the source that provides the vault path.

Subfolder rules:

• If the vault path comes from an .env file, use MEMORY_MASON_SUBFOLDER from that same file when present, otherwise default to ai-knowledge.
• If the vault path comes from memory-mason.json or ~/.memory-mason/config.json, use its subfolder.

Do not claim config is missing until you have attempted all four locations above. If none provide a vault path, state that the knowledge base is not initialized because no supported Memory Mason config source was found.

Use these paths:

• Session context: {vault}/{subfolder}/_meta/context.md
• Manifest: {vault}/{subfolder}/_meta/manifest.json
• Build log: {vault}/{subfolder}/_meta/log.md
• Index: {vault}/{subfolder}/index.md
• Atlas: {vault}/{subfolder}/atlas/
• Concepts: {vault}/{subfolder}/concepts/
• Synthesis: {vault}/{subfolder}/synthesis/
• Raw captures: {vault}/{subfolder}/_raw/

Steps

1. Read {vault}/{subfolder}/_meta/context.md if it exists.

• Treat context.md as a fast cache of recent context, not a replacement for the knowledge base.
• If context.md directly answers the question with enough precision, answer immediately.
• If context.md is relevant but incomplete, extract likely page names, tags, dates, and follow-up questions from it, then continue.

2. Read {vault}/{subfolder}/index.md.

• This is the primary retrieval mechanism after the session context.
• If it is missing, state that the knowledge base is not initialized.

3. Read the index table carefully.

• Identify 3-10 pages most relevant to the user question.
• Prefer pages explicitly mentioned in context.md when they are relevant.
• Use atlas pages for broad topic questions, synthesis pages for cross-cutting pattern questions, and concept pages for specific definition, workflow, or decision questions.

4. Read selected pages in full.

• Pull complete article context before answering.
• If the answer depends on source provenance or freshness, read {vault}/{subfolder}/_meta/manifest.json to see which _raw/YYYY-MM-DD/ sources were compiled.
• If needed, inspect specific _raw/YYYY-MM-DD/NNN.md chunks directly instead of assuming the vault is current.

5. Aggregate confidence from cited pages.

• After reading concept pages, collect the confidence field from each cited concept's YAML frontmatter. Valid values: high, medium, low.
• Apply lowest-wins semantics: if any cited concept is low, overall confidence is low; else if any is medium, overall confidence is medium; else high.
• If any cited concept has status: seedling or contains a [!gap] callout, note it in the answer.
• Append to the answer footer: Confidence: [high|medium|low] (based on N cited concept pages) If any seedling or gap concepts were cited, add: Note: answer draws on N seedling/gap concept(s): [names].
• Apply only to cited concept pages. Do not aggregate from atlas or synthesis pages directly unless they themselves cite a concept that contributes to the answer.

6. Synthesize a clear, thorough answer.

• Cite supporting sources with [[wikilinks]] using the {subfolder}/ prefix: [[{subfolder}/concepts/example-concept]], [[{subfolder}/synthesis/example-tag]], or [[{subfolder}/atlas/example-tag]].
• Use context.md only as retrieval assistance. Do not cite _meta/context.md as authoritative when a durable page exists.
• Mention raw chunk paths in prose only when you directly inspected them and no durable page exists yet.

7. Handle missing knowledge honestly.

• If the knowledge base does not contain relevant information, say so clearly.
• Suggest running /mmc if relevant information appears to exist in _raw/ but is not compiled into durable pages yet.
• Use {vault}/{subfolder}/_meta/log.md only to clarify recency or whether a compile happened. Do not treat the build log as a primary knowledge source.

Filing Behavior

• Vault Architecture v2 does not define a dedicated filed Q&A location.
• Do not create a filed-answer page unless the user explicitly provides a destination path outside this skill.

Answering Guidelines

• Prefer precision over broad speculation.
• Keep the final answer directly tied to cited durable pages.
• Use _meta/context.md to accelerate retrieval, not to skip article reads when the answer requires durable citations.
• Use concise, clear language and explicit reasoning.