VS Code Memory Manager

A Visual Studio Code extension that enables you to create, manage, and inject contextual knowledge into GitHub Copilot Chat conversations using a hierarchical tag-based system.

Features

• Memory Files: Create markdown files with YAML frontmatter to store knowledge
• Hierarchical Tags: Organize memories using dot-notation tags (e.g., backend.database.postgres)
• Copilot Integration: Query memories directly in Copilot Chat using @memory /memory-tag <tag>
• Wildcard Support: Use wildcards to match multiple tags (e.g., backend.*, *.postgres)
• Auto-Indexing: Automatically detects and indexes memory files as you create/modify them

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio Code 1.104.0 or higher
• Node.js and npm installed
• vsce (Visual Studio Code Extensions) tool for building
• GitVersion (for automatic versioning using GitFlow)

Installing Required Tools

# Install vsce
npm install -g vsce

# Install GitVersion (requires .NET runtime)
dotnet tool install --global GitVersion.Tool

Note: GitVersion is optional but recommended. It automatically calculates version numbers based on your Git history and GitFlow branching strategy. See GitVersion Setup for details.

Building the Extension

1. Clone the repository and install dependencies:

   git clone https://github.com/alkampfergit/vscode-memory-manager.git
   cd vscode-memory-manager
   npm install
   

2. Build and package the extension:

   npm run build
   

   This will:

   • Run the linter to check code quality
   • Compile TypeScript code
   • Automatically update the version using GitVersion
   • Create a .vsix file like vscode-memory-manager-1.2.0-alpha.5.vsix in the project root

   The version will be automatically determined from GitVersion based on your current Git branch.

   See GitVersion Setup for more information on versioning.

   Note: You can also run npm run package separately if you only want to create the .vsix file without running lint and compile again.

Installing the Extension

1. Open Visual Studio Code
2. Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Click on the ... (More Actions) menu at the top of the Extensions view
4. Select Install from VSIX...
5. Navigate to the project root, select the .vsix file you created, and click Install
6. After installation, VS Code will prompt you to reload the window. Click Reload Now

Usage

Creating Memory Files

1. Create a Memory/ directory in your workspace root
2. Create a new .md file inside the Memory/ directory
3. Add YAML frontmatter with title and tags:

---
title: "PostgreSQL Connection Setup"
tags:
  - backend.database.postgres
  - backend.configuration
---

## Connection String

Use `postgresql://user:pass@host:port/database` format.

## Best Practices

- Always use connection pooling
- Enable SSL for production

4. Save the file - it will be automatically indexed

Querying Memories in Copilot Chat

Open Copilot Chat and use the memory manager participant:

@memory /memory-tag backend.database

Examples:

• @memory /memory-tag backend.database.postgres - Get specific postgres memories
• @memory /memory-tag backend.* - Get all backend-related memories
• @memory /memory-tag *.postgres - Get all postgres memories at any level

The extension will retrieve matching memories and display them in the chat, making them available as context for Copilot.

Development

Running Tests

npm test

Watching for Changes

npm run watch

Linting

npm run lint

Project Structure

vscode-memory-manager/
├── src/
│   ├── extension.ts              # Main extension entry point
│   ├── chat/
│   │   ├── CommandRouter.ts      # Parses chat commands
│   │   └── ContentInjectionEngine.ts  # Retrieves memory content
│   └── core/
│       ├── MemoryIndex.ts        # In-memory cache for memories
│       ├── TagSystem.ts          # Hierarchical tag management
│       └── MemoryManagerService.ts  # Main service coordinator
├── Memory/                       # Your memory files go here
└── docs/
    └── USER_GUIDE.md            # Detailed user guide

Documentation

• USER_GUIDE.md - Detailed documentation on creating and using memory files
• GitVersion Setup - Automatic versioning with GitFlow

License

ISC

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Repository

https://github.com/alkampfergit/vscode-memory-manager