# Quick Start
This guide gets you productive with ContextFS in 5 minutes.
## Core Concepts
ContextFS stores **memories** - pieces of context that persist across sessions:
| Type | Use Case |
|------|----------|
| `fact` | Technical facts, configurations |
| `decision` | Architectural choices, trade-offs |
| `procedural` | How-to guides, workflows |
| `episodic` | Session summaries, events |
| `code` | Code snippets, patterns |
| `error` | Bug fixes, troubleshooting |
| `user` | User preferences |
## Saving Memories
### CLI
```bash
# Basic save
contextfs save "Use pytest for all new tests" --type decision
# With tags
contextfs save "API rate limit is 100 req/min" --type fact --tags api,limits
# With summary
contextfs save "Long detailed content..." --summary "Rate limiting setup" --type procedural
```
### Python
```python
from contextfs import ContextFS, MemoryType
ctx = ContextFS()
# Save with type
ctx.save(
content="Authentication uses JWT with RS256 signing",
type=MemoryType.DECISION,
tags=["auth", "jwt", "security"],
summary="JWT authentication approach"
)
```
### MCP (Claude Desktop/Code)
In Claude, use the `contextfs_save` tool:
```
Save to memory: We decided to use PostgreSQL for the user database because of its JSON support and reliability.
Type: decision
Tags: database, postgres
```
## Searching Memories
### CLI
```bash
# Semantic search
contextfs search "how does auth work"
# Filter by type
contextfs search "database" --type decision
# Limit results
contextfs search "api" --limit 5
```
### Python
```python
results = ctx.search("authentication flow", limit=5)
for r in results:
print(f"[{r.score:.2f}] {r.memory.summary or r.memory.content[:50]}")
```
## Indexing Repositories
Index your codebase for semantic code search:
```bash
# Index current repo (auto-detects git root)
contextfs index
# Force re-index
contextfs index --force
# Full re-index (not incremental)
contextfs index --full
```
This creates searchable memories from:
- Source code files
- Documentation
- Git commit history
## Listing & Recalling
```bash
# List recent memories
contextfs list
# Filter by type
contextfs list --type decision
# Recall specific memory by ID
contextfs recall abc123
```
## Sessions
Track conversation sessions:
```python
ctx = ContextFS()
# Start a session
ctx.start_session(label="feature-auth")
# Log messages
ctx.log_message("user", "Implement OAuth login")
ctx.log_message("assistant", "I'll create the OAuth flow...")
# End and save
ctx.end_session(summary="Implemented OAuth with Google provider")
```
## Cross-Repo Search
Search across all your repositories:
```python
# Search all repos
results = ctx.search("authentication", cross_repo=True)
# Filter by project
results = ctx.search("api design", project="my-project")
```
## Next Steps
- [CLI Reference](cli.md) - Full command documentation
- [Architecture](../architecture/overview.md) - How ContextFS works
- [Integration](../integration/claude-desktop.md) - Setup with AI tools
