membrane-cli 0.1.0

Schema-optional, file-based project memory system
membrane-cli-0.1.0 is not a library.

Membrane is a schema-optional, file-based project memory system.

It lets you name projects, attach arbitrary keys, and observe how language emerges across your work — without enforcing structure, schemas, or workflows.

Membrane is not a task manager, calendar, or ticketing system. It sits above those tools, acting as a lightweight semantic layer over your projects.

Why Membrane?

Most project tools fail in one of two ways:

  • They are too rigid (fixed fields, schemas, workflows)
  • Or too vague (notes with no structure at all)

Membrane takes a different approach:

  • Projects are files
  • Keys are language artifacts
  • Structure is allowed to emerge organically
  • Metadata exists, but stays out of the way

You decide what matters. Membrane just remembers it.

Core Concepts

  • Workspace-based
    A Membrane workspace lives in a .membrane/ directory.

  • Projects are YAML files
    Each project is a single, human-readable YAML file.

  • Schema-less by design
    Projects can contain any keys. No required fields.

  • Keys are first-class
    Membrane can analyze keys across projects to reveal patterns, inconsistencies, or duplication.

  • Metadata is explicit
    Reserved keys (prefixed with _) track creation and update times without polluting user-defined structure.

Installation

cargo install mem

Or clone and build locally:

git clone https://github.com/yourname/membrane
cd membrane
cargo build --release

Getting Started

Initialize a workspace

mem init

Creates a .membrane/ directory in the current folder.

Create a project

mem add my-project

Creates a new project file with basic metadata.

List projects

mem show

Displays all projects in the current workspace.

Show a project

mem show my-project

Displays all keys and values for the project. Metadata keys (prefixed with _) are visually dimmed.

Set a key

mem set my-project description "Initial prototype"

Values are parsed as YAML scalars when possible.

Set a multi-line value (interactive)

mem set my-project notes

You’ll be prompted to paste or type content directly into the terminal. Finish with Ctrl+D (Linux/macOS) or Ctrl+Z + Enter (Windows).

Inspect keys across projects

mem keys

Lists all keys and how frequently they appear.

mem keys --similar

Highlights near-duplicate keys (e.g. created_at vs created-at).

Delete a project (safe)

mem rm my-project

You’ll be asked to confirm by typing the project name.

Philosophy

Membrane is intentionally minimal.

It does not:

  • enforce schemas
  • impose workflows
  • sync to the cloud
  • track tasks or deadlines
  • automate decisions

Instead, it provides a durable, inspectable memory layer that you can reason about over time.

Versioning

Membrane follows semantic versioning.

  • 0.1.0 establishes the conceptual and architectural core.
  • Future versions will add capabilities incrementally without breaking existing project files.

Roadmap (non-binding)

Possible future additions:

  • Key renaming / edit-sweep
  • Key deletion
  • Archiving projects
  • Filters and views
  • Editor integration
  • JSON output modes

None of these are required to use Membrane effectively.

License

MIT