claude-code: keep two memory versions too large for one file in two, and say a text that cannot fit one value (issue 367)

A merged file could exceed the state's 256 KiB value; the newer now stays in the
file and the older is written beside it, each carried. A node that was away takes
the newest version when its own file holds no uncarried change (tested).

modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/memory.go

@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ const (
 	// MemoryMostBytes is the largest file carried: the state's value holds the text, and the largest memory file
 	// measured on the laptop on 2026-10-13 was 70 KiB.
 	MemoryMostBytes = 128 * 1024
+	// MemoryValueBytes is the most a file's encoded text may take of one value of the state (256 KiB, ADR 0201),
+	// leaving room for the rest of the value.
+	MemoryValueBytes = 250 * 1024
 	// MemoryKeep is how long a replaced or removed version is kept in the copies, and a removal marker in the state.
 	MemoryKeep = 30 * 24 * time.Hour
 	// LookEvery is how often the memory folders are looked at.
@@ -172,6 +175,10 @@ func memoryProblem(text []byte) string {
 	if len(text) > MemoryMostBytes {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("it is %d KiB, over the %d KiB a memory file may be to be carried", len(text)/1024, MemoryMostBytes/1024)
 	}
+	// One value of the state holds at most 256 KiB (ADR 0201): the text as it is encoded, with room for the rest.
+	if encoded, _ := json.Marshal(string(text)); len(encoded) > MemoryValueBytes {
+		return "its text, as the state encodes it, would not fit in one value of the state"
+	}
 	for _, re := range memorySecret {
 		if re.Match(text) {
 			return "it holds something shaped like a secret, which kept state never carries"
@@ -429,7 +436,7 @@ func noticeKey(key string) string {
 }
 
 // warn tells the operator of a conflict, once per file while it is open.
-func (m *MemoryCarrier) warn(key, project, path string, nodes []string) {
+func (m *MemoryCarrier) warn(key, project, path string, nodes []string, beside bool) {
 	nodes = append([]string(nil), nodes...)
 	sort.Strings(nodes)
 	m.rec.Conflicts[key] = conflict{Project: project, Path: path, Nodes: nodes, At: m.Now().UTC()}
@@ -441,17 +448,23 @@ func (m *MemoryCarrier) warn(key, project, path string, nodes []string) {
 	if len([]rune(headline)) > 60 {
 		headline = "Claude memory kept twice"
 	}
+	explanation := fmt.Sprintf("Needs you: keep what is right in the memory file of project %s. It was changed on %s "+
+		"before either change reached the other, so both versions are now in it on every machine, the newer first.",
+		label, strings.Join(nodes, " and "))
+	if beside {
+		explanation = fmt.Sprintf("Needs you: keep what is right in the memory file of project %s. It was changed on %s "+
+			"before either change reached the other, and both were too large for one file, so the newer is in it and the "+
+			"older in a second file beside it, on every machine.", label, strings.Join(nodes, " and "))
+	}
 	// The plain rule (ADR 0253 §3): no path, file name, time, "agent" or "session"; the verdict opens the explanation.
 	err := m.Notify(map[string]any{
-		"key":      noticeKey(key),
-		"severity": "warning",
-		"subject":  "claude-code",
-		"summary":  fmt.Sprintf("memory of project %s changed on %s and kept twice", label, strings.Join(nodes, " and ")),
-		"headline": headline,
-		"explanation": fmt.Sprintf("Needs you: keep what is right in the memory file of project %s. It was changed on %s "+
-			"before either change reached the other, so both versions are now in it on every machine, the newer first.",
-			label, strings.Join(nodes, " and ")),
-		"resolved": fmt.Sprintf("the memory file of project %s holds one version again", label),
+		"key":         noticeKey(key),
+		"severity":    "warning",
+		"subject":     "claude-code",
+		"summary":     fmt.Sprintf("memory of project %s changed on %s and kept twice", label, strings.Join(nodes, " and ")),
+		"headline":    headline,
+		"explanation": explanation,
+		"resolved":    fmt.Sprintf("the memory file of project %s holds one version again", label),
 	})
 	if err != nil && m.Say != nil {
 		m.Say("memory: the operator could not be warned of the conflict in %s/%s: %v", project, path, err)
@@ -607,7 +620,7 @@ func (m *MemoryCarrier) lookAt(key string, f localFile) error {
 func (m *MemoryCarrier) conflict(key, project, path string, local []byte, localAt time.Time, cur MemoryVersion, revision uint64) error {
 	merged := MergeVersions(local, m.Node, localAt, []byte(cur.Text), cur.Node, cur.Changed)
 	if memoryProblem(merged) != "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s/%s changed on two nodes, and both together are more than is carried; both stay as they are", project, path)
+		return m.conflictBeside(key, project, path, local, localAt, cur, revision)
 	}
 	v := MemoryVersion{Kind: m.Kind, Project: project, Path: path, Text: string(merged), Digest: digestOf(merged),
 		Base: cur.Digest, Node: m.Node, Changed: m.Now().UTC()}
@@ -623,7 +636,48 @@ func (m *MemoryCarrier) conflict(key, project, path string, local []byte, localA
 	if m.Say != nil {
 		m.Say("memory: %s/%s was changed on %s and on %s; both versions are kept in it, the newer first", project, path, m.Node, cur.Node)
 	}
-	m.warn(key, project, path, []string{m.Node, cur.Node})
+	m.warn(key, project, path, []string{m.Node, cur.Node}, false)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// OlderBeside is where the older of two versions too large to share one file is kept: beside the file, named for
+// the node it was changed on ("MEMORY.md" from shanks: "MEMORY.older-from-shanks.md").
+func OlderBeside(path, node string) string {
+	ext := filepath.Ext(path)
+	return strings.TrimSuffix(path, ext) + ".older-from-" + node + ext
+}
+
+// conflictBeside keeps two versions too large to share one file in two (ADR 0343 §7): the newer in the file, the
+// older beside it, each carried.
+func (m *MemoryCarrier) conflictBeside(key, project, path string, local []byte, localAt time.Time, cur MemoryVersion, revision uint64) error {
+	newer, newerNode, newerAt := local, m.Node, localAt
+	older, olderNode := []byte(cur.Text), cur.Node
+	if cur.Changed.After(localAt) || (cur.Changed.Equal(localAt) && cur.Node < m.Node) {
+		newer, newerNode, newerAt = []byte(cur.Text), cur.Node, cur.Changed
+		older, olderNode = local, m.Node
+	}
+	beside := OlderBeside(path, olderNode)
+	v := MemoryVersion{Kind: m.Kind, Project: project, Path: path, Text: string(newer), Digest: digestOf(newer),
+		Base: cur.Digest, Node: newerNode, Changed: newerAt}
+	if newerNode == m.Node {
+		v.Node, v.Changed = m.Node, m.Now().UTC()
+	}
+	if err := m.Store.Update(key, v, revision); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s/%s changed on two nodes, and the state changed again meanwhile; it is judged again on "+
+			"the next change: %w", project, path, err)
+	}
+	if err := m.writeLocal(project, beside, older, "before-merge"); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := m.writeLocal(project, path, newer, "before-merge"); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	m.record(key, v)
+	if m.Say != nil {
+		m.Say("memory: %s/%s was changed on %s and on %s, too large to hold both: the newer is in it, the older beside it as %s",
+			project, path, m.Node, cur.Node, beside)
+	}
+	m.warn(key, project, path, []string{m.Node, cur.Node}, true)
 	return nil
 }
 

modules/claude-code/cmd/claude-code/memory_test.go

@@ -594,3 +594,85 @@ func TestTheManifestDeclaresTheMemoryState(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("a carrier not started says it carries: %v", st)
 	}
 }
+
+// replay hands one node the whole current set, as a watch begins when the node comes back.
+func (s *memState) replay(t *testing.T, n *memNode) {
+	t.Helper()
+	keys, _ := s.Keys()
+	for _, k := range keys {
+		raw, rev, _, _ := s.Get(k)
+		if err := n.Take(k, "put", raw, rev); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, errChanged) {
+			t.Logf("%s taking %s: %v", n.Node, k, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// §6: a node that was away while a file changed twice takes the newest version, whose base it never saw, because
+// its own file holds no change it did not carry; the version replaced is kept.
+func TestANodeThatWasAwayTakesTheNewestVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	state, c, g14, shanks := twoNodes(t)
+	carriedOnBoth(t, state, c, g14, shanks, "MEMORY.md", "v1\n")
+	state.watchers = []*MemoryCarrier{g14.MemoryCarrier}
+	for _, v := range []string{"v2\n", "v3\n"} {
+		c.now = c.now.Add(time.Minute)
+		g14.write(t, project, "MEMORY.md", v, c.now)
+		g14.look(t)
+		state.pump(t)
+	}
+	state.watchers = append(state.watchers, shanks.MemoryCarrier)
+	state.replay(t, shanks)
+	if got, _ := shanks.read(t, project, "MEMORY.md"); got != "v3\n" {
+		t.Fatalf("the node that was away holds %q", got)
+	}
+	if !holdsText(shanks.copies(t), "v1\n") {
+		t.Fatal("the version replaced was not kept")
+	}
+	if len(g14.notices)+len(shanks.notices) != 0 {
+		t.Fatal("taking a newer version warned")
+	}
+}
+
+// §2, §7: two versions too large to share one file are kept in two: the newer in the file, the older beside it,
+// both carried; and a text that would not fit in one value of the state is not carried.
+func TestTwoVersionsTooLargeForOneFileAreKeptInTwo(t *testing.T) {
+	state, c, g14, shanks := twoNodes(t)
+	carriedOnBoth(t, state, c, g14, shanks, "big.md", "base\n")
+	older := strings.Repeat("from g14 ", MemoryMostBytes/9-100) + "\n"
+	newer := strings.Repeat("from shanks ", MemoryMostBytes/12-100) + "\n"
+	g14.write(t, project, "big.md", older, c.now.Add(time.Minute))
+	shanks.write(t, project, "big.md", newer, c.now.Add(2*time.Minute))
+	c.now = c.now.Add(3 * time.Minute)
+	g14.look(t)
+	shanks.look(t)
+	state.pump(t)
+	g14.look(t)
+	shanks.look(t)
+	state.pump(t)
+	beside := OlderBeside("big.md", "g14")
+	if beside != "big.older-from-g14.md" {
+		t.Fatalf("the older is named %q", beside)
+	}
+	for _, n := range []*memNode{g14, shanks} {
+		if got, _ := n.read(t, project, "big.md"); got != newer {
+			t.Fatalf("%s's file does not hold the newer version", n.Node)
+		}
+		if got, _ := n.read(t, project, beside); got != older {
+			t.Fatalf("%s does not hold the older version beside it", n.Node)
+		}
+	}
+	notices := append(append([]map[string]any{}, g14.notices...), shanks.notices...)
+	if len(notices) != 1 || !strings.Contains(notices[0]["explanation"].(string), "second file beside it") {
+		t.Fatalf("not one warning saying the older is beside it: %v", notices)
+	}
+	// Under the size limit, but too large once encoded: not carried, and said.
+	g14.write(t, project, "angles.md", strings.Repeat("<", MemoryMostBytes-10), c.now)
+	g14.look(t)
+	state.pump(t)
+	if _, ok := shanks.read(t, project, "angles.md"); ok {
+		t.Fatal("a text too large for one value was carried")
+	}
+	not, _ := g14.Status()["not carried"].(map[string]string)
+	if not[project+"/angles.md"] == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("it is not listed as not carried: %v", not)
+	}
+}