wehub-resource-syncWISC Framework: Context Engineering for AI Coding
What is WISC?
WISC is a practical framework for managing AI context in coding sessions, based on Anthropic's four context engineering strategies. The acronym stands for:
- W - Write: Externalize your agent's memory to files so it survives context resets
- I - Isolate: Use sub-agents to keep research noise out of your main session
- S - Select: Load only the context you need for the current task, not everything
- C - Compress: When sessions run long, compress with focus or hand off to a fresh session
The ordering is intentional — Write and Isolate have the most impact, Select is the force multiplier, and Compress is the safety net.
The 3-Tier Context System
This use case demonstrates a progressive disclosure approach to AI context, built for Claude Code but applicable to any AI coding tool:
Tier 1: Global Rules (CLAUDE.md)
Always loaded. Covers project structure, essential commands, architecture overview, and universal conventions. Keep this lean — under 500 lines. If removing a line wouldn't cause the AI to make mistakes, cut it.
Tier 2: On-Demand Rules (.claude/rules/)
Loaded automatically based on which files the agent is working with. Each rule file has a paths: frontmatter that triggers auto-loading — for example, testing.md loads when the agent touches **/*.test.ts, and web-frontend.md loads when working in packages/web/**/*.tsx.
Examples in .claude/rules-example/:
| File | Auto-loads when touching | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
testing.md |
**/*.test.ts |
Mock isolation rules, test batching, lazy logger patterns |
web-frontend.md |
packages/web/**/*.tsx |
Tailwind v4, SSE event types, React Router v7 |
database.md |
**/db/** |
Query patterns, migration conventions, dual DB support |
orchestrator.md |
**/orchestrator/** |
Session lifecycle, routing agent, streaming |
workflows.md |
**/workflows/** |
YAML parsing, execution modes, variable substitution |
adapters.md |
**/adapters/** |
Platform adapter patterns, auth, message formatting |
isolation.md |
**/isolation/** |
Worktree provider, error classification, environment lifecycle |
server-api.md |
**/server/**, **/routes/** |
API routes, SSE streaming, webhook verification |
cli.md |
**/cli/** |
CLI adapter, command registration, output formatting |
Tier 3: Reference Docs (.claude/docs/)
Heavy reference guides designed for sub-agent scouting. These are NOT auto-loaded. Instead, a sub-agent reads the header to determine relevance, then loads the full doc only if needed. This keeps 1,000+ lines of deep reference out of your main context.
Examples in .claude/docs-example/:
| File | Lines | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
architecture-deep-dive.md |
324 | Full system architecture, data flow, package dependencies |
workflow-yaml-reference.md |
309 | Complete YAML syntax for steps, loops, DAGs, variables |
adapter-implementation-guide.md |
248 | How to build a new platform adapter end-to-end |
isolation-and-worktree-guide.md |
231 | Git worktree mechanics, environment lifecycle, error handling |
Slash Commands
These implement WISC strategies as reusable slash commands in Claude Code (.claude/commands/):
Prime Commands (Select)
Load focused codebase context at the start of a session. Instead of exploring the entire codebase (~30K+ tokens), each prime variant explores only the relevant subsystem.
| Command | What it primes |
|---|---|
/prime |
Full codebase overview (all packages) |
/prime-backend |
Core business logic + HTTP server |
/prime-frontend |
React UI, SSE hooks, components |
/prime-workflows |
Workflow engine (loader, router, executor, DAG) |
/prime-isolation |
Git worktree isolation system |
Planning & Execution (Write)
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/plan-feature |
Spawns sub-agents to research the codebase, then writes a detailed implementation plan to a file. The plan becomes the spec for a fresh implementation session. |
/execute |
Reads a plan file and implements it step-by-step. Runs in a fresh session with only the plan as context — no planning conversation baggage. |
Session Management (Write + Compress)
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/handoff |
Gathers git state, writes a HANDOFF.md with completed work, key decisions, dead ends, and recommended next action. The next session reads this file and picks up immediately. |
/commit |
Creates an enriched commit with conventional tags, a WHY-focused body, and a Context: section that logs changes to rules, commands, or docs alongside code changes. |
How the Strategies Map to Commands
WRITE /plan-feature /execute /handoff /commit
(specs) (specs) (progress) (git memory)
ISOLATE /plan-feature spawns research sub-agents
/prime-* commands use focused exploration
Scout pattern: sub-agents read docs headers first
SELECT /prime-* .claude/rules/*.md .claude/docs/*.md
(focused) (auto-loaded) (on-demand via scouts)
COMPRESS /handoff /compact (built-in)
(write+compress) (focused compaction)
Applying This to Your Project
- Start with Write — Set up enriched commits and spec-driven planning. This alone transforms your AI coding workflow.
- Add Select — Move domain-specific conventions out of your global rules into path-scoped rule files. Keep your
CLAUDE.mdlean. - Use Isolate — When researching, spawn sub-agents instead of reading files in your main session. The exploration noise stays contained.
- Compress as needed — Use focused
/compactwith explicit preservation targets, or write a/handoffand start fresh.