Encode Repository (Serena-Enhanced)

Transform an undocumented codebase into a rich, searchable knowledge repository using Serena's LSP-powered symbol analysis.

Quick Start

/encode-repo-serena
/encode-repo-serena ./my-project
"encode this repository"
"populate forgetful with this codebase"

| Input | Output | Duration | |-------|--------|----------| | Codebase path | Forgetful memories + entities + docs | 30-60 min |

Prerequisites

Serena plugin: claude plugins list | grep serena
Forgetful MCP: Test with execute_forgetful_tool("list_projects", {})
If missing, run /context-hub-setup first

Phase Overview

| Phase | Focus | Output | |-------|-------|--------| | 0 | Discovery | Project assessment, structure map | | 1 | Foundation | 5-10 project overview memories | | 1B | Dependencies | 1-3 dependency memories | | 2 | Symbols | 10-15 architecture memories | | 2B | Entities | Component entities + relationships | | 3 | Patterns | 8-12 pattern memories | | 4 | Features | 1-2 per critical feature | | 5 | Decisions | Design decision memories | | 6 | Artifacts | Code artifact storage | | 6B | Symbol Index | Document + entry memory | | 7 | Documents | Long-form documentation | | 7B | Architecture | Architecture reference doc |

See references/phases.md for full phase details.

Memory Targets

| Profile | Total Memories | Documents | Entities | |---------|----------------|-----------|----------| | Small Simple | 17-31 | 2 | 3-5 | | Small Complex | 28-46 | 2 | 5-10 | | Medium | 38-66 | 2-3 | 10-20 | | Large | 66-112 | 3-6 | 20-40 |

Execution Order

0 → 1 → 1B → 2 → 2B → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 6B → 7 → 7B

Guidelines:

Execute phases in order
Use Serena's find_symbol and find_referencing_symbols
Deduplicate entities before creating
Link entities to memories bidirectionally
Create entry memories for documents

Quality Principles

| Principle | Description | |-----------|-------------| | Symbol-accurate | Use LSP data, not guesses | | Atomic | One concept per memory | | Size | 200-400 words ideal | | Importance | Most should be 7-8 | | Linking | Connect related memories |

Validation Checklist

After completion:

[ ] Test memory search: "How do I add a new API endpoint?"
[ ] Test dependency query: "What dependencies does this project use?"
[ ] List entities by project
[ ] Verify entity relationships
[ ] Check Symbol Index document exists
[ ] Check Architecture Reference document exists
[ ] Verify project.notes populated

See references/validation.md for test commands.

References

| Document | Content | |----------|---------| | phases.md | Detailed phase workflows | | templates.md | Entity schemas, memory templates | | validation.md | Validation test commands |

Related Skills

/context-hub-setup - Setup Forgetful MCP
/using-forgetful-memory - Memory best practices
/using-serena-symbols - Serena symbol analysis