fix(ctx_memory): honor category in update

crates/mc-module/src/memory_render.rs

@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@
 //! is the slice-4d integration decision, already ruled; the byte render here is pure.
 
 use crate::decay_render::{render_decayed_compartments, DecayRenderCompartment};
-use mc_store::{StoredMemory, StoredMemoryMutation, WorkspaceMembership};
+use mc_store::{
+    StoredMemory, StoredMemoryMutation, WorkspaceMembership, MEMORY_VISIBILITY_MUTATION_CATEGORY,
+};
 use std::cmp::Ordering;
 use std::collections::HashSet;
 
@@ -325,11 +327,23 @@ pub fn render_memory_updates(
         vec!["These memories changed since the snapshot below — trust these:".to_string()];
     for m in mutations {
         match m.mutation_type.as_str() {
-            "update" => lines.push(format!(
-                "  <updated id=\"{}\">{}</updated>",
-                m.target_memory_id,
-                escape_xml_content(m.new_content.as_deref().unwrap_or(""))
-            )),
+            "update" => {
+                let category_attr = match &m.category {
+                    Some(category)
+                        if category != MEMORY_VISIBILITY_MUTATION_CATEGORY
+                            && !category.is_empty() =>
+                    {
+                        format!(" category=\"{}\"", escape_xml_attr(category))
+                    }
+                    _ => String::new(),
+                };
+                lines.push(format!(
+                    "  <updated id=\"{}\"{}>{}</updated>",
+                    m.target_memory_id,
+                    category_attr,
+                    escape_xml_content(m.new_content.as_deref().unwrap_or(""))
+                ));
+            }
             "superseded" => match m.superseded_by_id {
                 Some(by) if resolvable_ids.contains(&by) => lines.push(format!(
                     "  <superseded id=\"{}\" by=\"{by}\"/>",

crates/mc-module/testdata/memory-update-delta-parity.json

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "first_delta": "<memory-updates>\nThese memories changed since the snapshot below — trust these:\n  <updated id=\"1\">updated &lt;alpha&gt; &amp; stable</updated>\n  <removed id=\"2\"/>\n</memory-updates>",
-  "second_delta": "<memory-updates>\nThese memories changed since the snapshot below — trust these:\n  <updated id=\"1\">updated &lt;alpha&gt; &amp; stable</updated>\n  <removed id=\"2\"/>\n  <superseded id=\"3\" by=\"4\"/>\n  <updated id=\"4\">merged &lt;delta&gt; &amp; sources</updated>\n</memory-updates>",
+  "first_delta": "<memory-updates>\nThese memories changed since the snapshot below — trust these:\n  <updated id=\"1\" category=\"CONSTRAINTS\">updated &lt;alpha&gt; &amp; stable</updated>\n  <removed id=\"2\"/>\n</memory-updates>",
+  "second_delta": "<memory-updates>\nThese memories changed since the snapshot below — trust these:\n  <updated id=\"1\" category=\"CONSTRAINTS\">updated &lt;alpha&gt; &amp; stable</updated>\n  <removed id=\"2\"/>\n  <superseded id=\"3\" by=\"4\"/>\n  <updated id=\"4\" category=\"CONSTRAINTS\">merged &lt;delta&gt; &amp; sources</updated>\n</memory-updates>",
   "reconciled_m0": "<project-memory>\n<CONSTRAINTS>\n#1: updated &lt;alpha&gt; &amp; stable\n#4: merged &lt;delta&gt; &amp; sources\n</CONSTRAINTS>\n</project-memory>"
 }

docs/specs/prompt-surface/budget-fixture.json

@@ -58,11 +58,11 @@
       "ctx_reduce": { "chars": 91, "tokens": 31 },
       "ctx_expand": { "chars": 791, "tokens": 177 },
       "ctx_note": { "chars": 1574, "tokens": 378 },
-      "ctx_memory": { "chars": 840, "tokens": 201 },
+      "ctx_memory": { "chars": 912, "tokens": 216 },
       "ctx_search": { "chars": 777, "tokens": 184 },
-      "totalTokens": 971
+      "totalTokens": 986
     },
-    "builtInProviderVisibleTotal": 4720
+    "builtInProviderVisibleTotal": 4735
   },
   "mutableProseBaseline": 3749,
   "integerLightCeiling": 1825,

packages/pi-plugin/src/inject-compartments-pi.ts

@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { isNoContentCompartment } from "@magic-context/core/features/magic-conte
 import {
 	type ContextDatabase,
 	clearCachedM0M1,
+	escapeXmlAttr,
 	escapeXmlContent,
 	GLOBAL_USER_PROFILE_PROJECT_PATH,
 	getCompartments,
@@ -1892,8 +1893,12 @@ function renderMemoryUpdatesBlockPi(args: {
 		}
 		if (mutation.visibilityChanged && mutation.newContent === null) continue;
 		if (mutation.mutationType === "update") {
+			const categoryAttr =
+				mutation.category && mutation.category !== "__mc_visibility__"
+					? ` category="${escapeXmlAttr(mutation.category)}"`
+					: "";
 			lines.push(
-				`  <updated id="${mutation.targetMemoryId}">${escapeXmlContent(mutation.newContent ?? "")}</updated>`,
+				`  <updated id="${mutation.targetMemoryId}"${categoryAttr}>${escapeXmlContent(mutation.newContent ?? "")}</updated>`,
 			);
 			continue;
 		}

packages/plugin/src/features/magic-context/storage-memory-mutation-log.ts

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import type { Database } from "../../shared/sqlite";
 export type MemoryMutationType = "archive" | "delete" | "update" | "superseded";
 
 const MEMORY_MUTATION_TYPES = new Set<string>(["archive", "delete", "update", "superseded"]);
-const MEMORY_VISIBILITY_MUTATION_CATEGORY = "__mc_visibility__";
+export const MEMORY_VISIBILITY_MUTATION_CATEGORY = "__mc_visibility__";
 const MAX_MEMORY_REPLACEMENT_DEPTH = 8;
 
 // Terminal mutations mean the memory LEFT the active set (renders as

packages/plugin/src/features/magic-context/storage.ts

@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ export {
     getMemoryMutation,
     getMemoryMutationsForRender,
     getMemoryMutationsForRenderByProjects,
+    MEMORY_VISIBILITY_MUTATION_CATEGORY,
     type MemoryMutationLogRow,
     type MemoryMutationType,
     queueMemoryMutation,

packages/plugin/src/hooks/magic-context/inject-compartments.test.ts

@@ -3157,6 +3157,55 @@ describe("m[0]/m[1] materialization", () => {
         expect(renderedText(bust[1])).not.toContain("Updated but not resident.");
     });
 
+    it("renders the recategorize category on <updated> in memory-updates", () => {
+        db = makeDb();
+        const projectDirectory = makeProjectDir();
+        const memory = insertMemory(db, {
+            projectPath: PROJECT_PATH,
+            category: "CONFIG_VALUES",
+            content: "old category fact",
+        });
+        const state = readStateFromMeta();
+        const hard = materializeM0({
+            db,
+            sessionId: SESSION_ID,
+            state,
+            projectPath: PROJECT_PATH,
+            projectDirectory,
+            injectDocs: false,
+            memoryInjectionBudgetTokens: 8_000,
+        });
+        expect(hard.renderedMemoryIds).toEqual([memory.id]);
+
+        db.prepare(
+            "UPDATE memories SET content = ?, category = ?, normalized_hash = ?, updated_at = ? WHERE id = ?",
+        ).run("new category fact", "CONSTRAINTS", "new-category-fact", Date.now(), memory.id);
+        queueMemoryMutation(db, {
+            projectPath: PROJECT_PATH,
+            mutationType: "update",
+            targetMemoryId: memory.id,
+            category: "CONSTRAINTS",
+            newContent: "new category fact",
+            queuedAt: 10,
+        });
+
+        const m1 = renderM1(
+            {
+                db,
+                sessionId: SESSION_ID,
+                state,
+                projectPath: PROJECT_PATH,
+                memoryInjectionBudgetTokens: 8_000,
+            },
+            hard.snapshotMarkers,
+            hard.renderedMemoryIds,
+        );
+        const updates = m1.match(/<memory-updates>[\s\S]*?<\/memory-updates>/)?.[0];
+        expect(updates).toContain(
+            `<updated id="${memory.id}" category="CONSTRAINTS">new category fact</updated>`,
+        );
+    });
+
     it("reconcile rematerialization advances the memory mutation cursor and omits memory-updates", () => {
         db = makeDb();
         const projectDirectory = makeProjectDir();

packages/plugin/src/hooks/magic-context/inject-compartments.ts

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import type { MuralWireOptions } from "../../features/magic-context/mural/resolv
 import { isNoContentCompartment } from "../../features/magic-context/no-content-compartment";
 import {
     GLOBAL_USER_PROFILE_PROJECT_PATH,
+    MEMORY_VISIBILITY_MUTATION_CATEGORY,
     getMaxM0MutationId,
     getMaxMemoryMutationId,
     getMaxMemoryMutationIdForProjects,
@@ -2570,8 +2571,12 @@ function renderMemoryUpdatesBlock(args: {
         }
         if (mutation.visibilityChanged && mutation.newContent === null) continue;
         if (mutation.mutationType === "update") {
+            const categoryAttr =
+                mutation.category && mutation.category !== MEMORY_VISIBILITY_MUTATION_CATEGORY
+                    ? ` category="${escapeXmlAttr(mutation.category)}"`
+                    : "";
             lines.push(
-                `  <updated id="${mutation.targetMemoryId}">${escapeXmlContent(mutation.newContent ?? "")}</updated>`,
+                `  <updated id="${mutation.targetMemoryId}"${categoryAttr}>${escapeXmlContent(mutation.newContent ?? "")}</updated>`,
             );
             continue;
         }

packages/plugin/src/shared/prompt-surface-a1-golden.md

@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ Example: ctx_note(action="write", content="Re-run the perf benchmark once the bo
 }
 ```
 
-### ctx_memory — description ~234 tokens, params ~201 tokens (total ~435)
+### ctx_memory — description ~234 tokens, params ~216 tokens (total ~450)
 
 **Description:**
 
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ Example: ctx_memory(action="write", category="CONSTRAINTS", content="Pi stores s
     "type": "string"
   },
   "category": {
-    "description": "What kind of fact this is (required for write; optional merge override)",
+    "description": "What kind of fact this is (required for write; optional on update to recategorize, omitted keeps the current category; optional merge override)",
     "type": "string",
     "enum": [
       "PROJECT_RULES",