Claude Code's only saving grace is that it's pretty good from a fresh session - it can largely find and re-load into context what it needs to load. If I see my context ticking down, I ask it to give me a summary and TODO list, and either copy it, or have it put that into a docstring of what it's working on. Then just start a fresh session on that file. Shouldn't need to do this, for sure, but it gets it done in a pinch.
My largest gripe with Claude Code, and with encouraging my team to use it, is that checkpoints/rollbacks are still not implemented in the VS Code GUI, leading to a wildly inconsistent experience between terminal and GUI users: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/10352
> checkpoints/rollbacks are still not implemented in the VS Code GUI
Rollbacks have been broken for me in the terminal for over a month. It just didn’t roll back the code most of the time. I’ve totally stopped using the feature and instead just rely on git. Is this this case for others?
I've been using /rewind in claude code (the terminal, not using vscode at all) quite a bit recently without issue - if that's the feature you're asking about.
Not discounting at all that you might "hold it" differently and have a different experience. E.g. I basically avoid claude code having any interaction with the VCS at all - and I could easily VCS interaction being a source of bugs with this sort of feature.
I mean double tapping escape, going back up the history, and choosing the “restore conversation and code” option. Sometimes bits of code are restored, but rarely all changes.
It worked when first released but hasn’t for ages now.
Anecdotal evidence of course but I have one long-running session in a terminal for over a month now. I work with it daily, compacts several times a day, I rollback conversation sometimes.
All with no issues.
Unsure what your use case is, but compaction makes it lose anormous amount of context. Claude code is better used on a task-by-task basis; things get bad. The whole purpose of init and CLAUDE.md is to prevent long chats from losing context and approach more surgically.
For the last month I've been working on a relatively big feature in a larger project.
I often compact the session when starting a new feature, often have to remind claude to read the claude.md etc. I still use it as if it was a new session regularly, it frequently doesn't remember what it did an hour ago, etc.
But the compact seems to work which is a very different experience than the one of the GP, who kills the session when it reaches the context limit and writes explicit summary files.
I've been using beads for longer term stuff (todo kinda stuff), have you given that a try?
I literally just posted in another comment that people shouldn't be worried about killing their current session/context window. I used to get worried about compaction and losing context, but now when I feel like things are slipping I kill it quick and start a new session.
My largest gripe with Claude Code, and with encouraging my team to use it, is that checkpoints/rollbacks are still not implemented in the VS Code GUI, leading to a wildly inconsistent experience between terminal and GUI users: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/10352