Skip to content

ContextWiki

Status: Current architecture guide.

ContextWiki is foxctl’s living workspace knowledge layer. It connects repo docs, code graph evidence, memory, handoffs, observations, reviewed notes, and retrieval policy so agents can recover current context without treating every note as an instruction.

Use context system when describing the implementation that powers it.

The short version:

ContextWiki control plane
-> top-of-mind, handoffs, observations, tensions, proposals
Knowledge plane
-> Obsidian notes, vault index, bridge metadata, reviewed promotions
Retrieval plane
-> repoindex hints, semantic note search, context engine evidence packs
LayerPurpose
Repo evidenceCode, docs, symbols, graph edges, and snippets
MemoryReusable facts, decisions, and task continuity summaries
Obsidian bridgeExternal knowledge graph and vault reconciliation
Retrieval policyEvidence ranking, provenance, and safety boundaries
Agent surfaceContext bundles consumed by skills and agents
NeedCommand family
Current workspace orientationfoxctl orient, foxctl context show, foxctl context report
Capture continuityfoxctl capture, foxctl context task-history-summary
Retrieve blended contextfoxctl context retrieve
Inspect retrieval missesfoxctl context retrieve-inspect, foxctl context retrieve-inspect-suite
Review durable proposalsfoxctl context proposals, foxctl context proposal merge
Refresh vault knowledgefoxctl obsidian index build, foxctl obsidian graph build
Reconcile docs and vault notesfoxctl obsidian bridge reconcile, bridge apply, bridge tidy

After repo docs, repo graph, or bridge metadata changes:

Terminal window
foxctl obsidian graph build --workspace . --vault-path "/path/to/vault"
Terminal window
foxctl obsidian graph promote --workspace . --vault-path "/path/to/vault"
Terminal window
foxctl obsidian bridge reconcile --workspace . --vault-path "/path/to/vault"
Terminal window
foxctl obsidian index build --vault-path "/path/to/vault"

Context engine is the typed evidence substrate. ContextWiki decides which workspace state and knowledge should be retrieved; the context engine can record evidence packs, retrieval episodes, feedback, impact edges, and staleness markers.

Use ContextWiki when the question is “what does this workspace know right now?” Use the context engine when the feature needs typed evidence, lane fusion, or retrieval feedback records.

  • Evidence is not instruction unless a policy explicitly promotes it.
  • Generated summaries need provenance.
  • Retrieval should prefer typed signals over ad hoc keyword routing.
  • Planned memory-promotion behavior must stay labeled planned until promoted to current docs.
  • Vault bridge operations draft and patch metadata deliberately; they do not silently rewrite canonical prose.

Use the names this way:

TermUse it for
ContextWikiThe user-facing workspace knowledge layer
Context systemThe implementation behind ContextWiki
ContextWiki control planeCurrent work state: top-of-mind, handoffs, observations, tensions, proposals
Knowledge planeDurable docs and vault notes
Retrieval planeRepoindex hints, semantic note search, and context engine evidence