Keeping project decisions across Claude Code and Codex sessions with docs-governance

The useful part

A fresh coding-agent session can read the code, but the reasons behind it are often harder to recover. I built docs-governance to make that context easier to maintain across Claude Code and Codex sessions. It is an MIT-licensed project with reusable skills, templates, and audit scripts.

How it works

• Separate information by how it changes The basic workflow uses small Markdown files with different responsibilities: CLAUDE.md holds durable project rules and constraints.
• The test shows the expected behavior but may not explain why a simpler implementation is wrong.
• In this workflow, the lasting constraint belongs in the rules or a decision record.
• This is an example of organizing context, not a guarantee that an agent will follow it perfectly.
• PROJECT_STATUS.md tracks current work and remaining blockers.

What to take from it

Larger projects can add architecture documents, decision records, interface contracts, and test evidence as needed. The aim is to give the next session a clear place to look without putting every detail into one growing instruction file. A concrete example Suppose a regression test protects an unusual compatibility requirement.

Example or evidence

• The repository includes installation instructions for Claude Code and Codex and the shared methodology.

Details worth keeping

CLAUDE_MAP.md holds navigation notes and non-obvious paths. PROJECT_LOG.md records changes and the reasoning worth preserving. Navigation notes point to the relevant module and test.