context-checkpoint

---
name: context-checkpoint
description: Append research process and results to the current Phase's context file. Each append MUST contain >=500 lines of markdown covering both process and results. Use this skill at plan-designated checkpoint points — typically after each strategy completes or at key decision nodes within a research Phase.
---

# Context Checkpoint

Append research process and results to the current Phase's context file.

## When Called

Multiple times within a Phase, at plan-designated checkpoint points:
```
step: "import context-management:context-checkpoint"
```

Typically triggered after each strategy completes or at key decision nodes.

## Hard Constraints

1. **Minimum content volume**: Each checkpoint append MUST contain >=500 lines of *substantive* markdown. This is non-negotiable. The 500 lines mean real content; inflating the count by hard-wrapping prose, padding, or repetition is gaming the constraint and is explicitly disallowed. The purpose is genuine information density for future reference.
2. **Content scope**: Must record both PROCESS (what was done, searched, considered) and RESULTS (what was found, decided, what remains open).
3. **No mid-paragraph line breaks**: Write each prose paragraph as a single continuous line. Do not insert newlines inside a paragraph to wrap it at a column width. Newlines are only for separating paragraphs, list items, headings, and fenced code blocks. (A paragraph being one long line does NOT count toward the 500-line minimum being met — write more substance, never more wrapping.)

## Execution Protocol

### Step 1: Ensure Context File Exists

Import `context-init`. This is idempotent — if the context file for the current Phase already exists, it skips creation and returns the existing file path.

### Step 2: Locate Current Context File

Determine the current Phase's context file path by:
- Using the path returned by context-init, OR
- Checking `context/INDEX.md` for the most recent entry matching the current Phase

### Step 3: Append Checkpoint Content

Append a new section to the context file:

```markdown

---

## Checkpoint: <Descriptive Name>

<CC writes >=500 lines here covering process + results>
```

**Content format**: CC has full autonomy. A default semi-structured template is available as guidance but not mandatory:

```markdown

---

## Checkpoint: <Descriptive Name>

### Objective
What this stage aimed to accomplish.

### Process Summary
What was done — searches performed, papers read, methods applied, decisions made along the way.

### Key Findings
The substantive results — discoveries, patterns, important papers, technical details.

### Decisions Made
Choices made during this stage and their rationale.

### Open Questions
What remains unresolved, what needs further investigation.
```

CC may use this template, modify it, combine sections, add new sections, or write in completely free-form style. The only requirements are:
- >=500 lines of markdown
- Coverage of both process and results

### Step 4: Update INDEX.md

Update the row for the current context file:
- Increment the Checkpoints count
- Update the Last Updated timestamp (call `scripts/timestamp.py` for current time)

## Content Guidance

The checkpoint is a detailed record for future reference. Write as if the reader has zero context about what happened during this research stage. Include:

- Specific searches performed (queries, databases, filters)
- Papers found and their relevance
- Methods applied and their outcomes
- Decisions made and their rationale
- Surprises, dead ends, pivots
- Quantitative results where applicable
- Open threads for future investigation

The 500-line minimum exists because sparse checkpoints are useless for recovery. Write generously — this is a research log, not a summary.