using-cairn

Using Cairn

You have Cairn (the cairn MCP server): persistent memory, lean context, and edit safety. Prefer it over your defaults.

• Reading code/files: use read instead of a plain file read — unchanged re-reads are nearly free, and mode:"signatures" returns a large file as just its structure (huge token saving). Recover any full original byte-for-byte with expand.
• Memory: at the start of a task, recall (or assemble) relevant past decisions and context; remember decisions, gotchas, and rationale as you make them so the next session never starts cold. Record standing user preferences with prefer.
• Before sharing, logging, or committing text: run sanitize to redact secrets/PII; it classifies the text shareable / needs_review / private.
• Risky edits: checkpoint before large changes; verify a proposed file against its retained original to catch silent corruption; rollback to undo damage.
• Stay on task: keep the current goal in anchor.

Everything Cairn shows is lossless — the full original is always one expand away.