Mini-CoderBrain Release Notes

Version: 2.1.0 Release Date: TBD (In Development) Branch: v2.1-development Status: Feature Complete, Testing Phase

🎯 Release Summary

Mini-CoderBrain v2.1 introduces behavioral intelligence through pattern-based training and customizable AI modes, all while maintaining the zero-duplication token efficiency of v2.0.

Core Philosophy: Behavior training > Technical tools

✨ What’s New in v2.1

1. Behavioral Patterns Library (Week 1)

Zero token impact - Reference-based pattern system

5 Core Patterns:

  • pre-response-protocol.md - MANDATORY 5-step checklist before every response
  • context-utilization.md - How to use memory bank without duplication
  • proactive-behavior.md - When/how to make helpful suggestions
  • anti-patterns.md - Banned behaviors and common mistakes (1200 lines)
  • tool-selection-rules.md - Which tool to use for each task

Benefits:

  • 4,700 lines of behavioral guidance available on-demand
  • Modular and maintainable (update patterns without touching CLAUDE.md)
  • Zero token cost (patterns read only when needed)
  • Comprehensive examples and decision trees

2. Behavior Profiles System (Week 2)

+200 tokens per session - Customizable AI modes

4 Core Profiles:

default (200 tokens)

  • Balanced general development
  • Medium proactivity, standard explanations
  • Best for: Full-stack work, learning projects
  • Personality: Knowledgeable teammate

focus (150 tokens)

  • Deep focus, minimal output
  • Low proactivity, terse responses
  • Best for: Complex bugs, time-sensitive work
  • Personality: Developer in flow state
  • 25% token savings vs default

research (300 tokens)

  • Exploration and learning mode
  • High proactivity, detailed explanations
  • Best for: Understanding codebase, documentation
  • Personality: Senior architect doing knowledge transfer
  • 50% more tokens but deep understanding

implementation (200 tokens)

  • Rapid feature building
  • Medium-high proactivity, action-focused
  • Best for: Prototyping, sprints, MVP development
  • Personality: Fast-moving startup developer

Plus:

  • custom-template.md - Create your own profiles
  • Full customization via markdown files
  • Profile selection in CLAUDE.md
  • Auto-detection in session-start hook

📊 Token Efficiency

V2.1 Token Budget

| Feature | Token Cost | Impact | |———|———–|——–| | Patterns Library | +0 tokens | Read on-demand only | | Behavior Profile | +150-300 tokens | Once per session | | Total Impact | +200 tokens avg | ~0.1% of context window |

Compared to V2.0

  • V2.0: 79.9% token reduction (via load-once principle)
  • V2.1: 79.8% token reduction (maintained efficiency)
  • Result: Still 25% longer conversations before token limit

Profile Token Comparison

focus        ████░░░░░░ 150 tokens (lightest)
default      ██████░░░░ 200 tokens
implementation ██████░░░░ 200 tokens
research     ████████░░ 300 tokens (heaviest)

🚀 Key Features

Pattern Library System

.claude/patterns/
├── README.md                      # Pattern system overview
├── pre-response-protocol.md       # Mandatory checklist
├── context-utilization.md         # Memory bank usage
├── proactive-behavior.md          # When to suggest
├── anti-patterns.md               # What NOT to do
└── tool-selection-rules.md        # Tool selection guide

Usage: AI reads patterns on-demand when guidance needed (not injected into every prompt)

Behavior Profiles System

.claude/profiles/
├── README.md                      # Profile system overview
├── default.md                     # Balanced mode (200 tokens)
├── focus.md                       # Deep focus (150 tokens)
├── research.md                    # Exploration (300 tokens)
├── implementation.md              # Rapid build (200 tokens)
└── custom-template.md             # Template for custom profiles

Usage: Set in CLAUDE.md, loaded once at session start

🔧 How to Use

Using Patterns

Patterns are automatically referenced by the AI when needed - no user action required.

For advanced users: Read patterns directly to understand behavioral rules:

@.claude/patterns/pre-response-protocol.md
@.claude/patterns/anti-patterns.md

Selecting a Profile

In CLAUDE.md (persistent):

# Behavior Profile (v2.1+)
behavior_profile: "focus"  # default / focus / research / implementation / custom

Session status displays active profile:

🧠 [MINI-CODERBRAIN: ACTIVE] - mini-coder-brain
🎯 Focus: Authentication implementation
📂 Context: .claude/memory/ (loaded)
🎭 Profile: focus
⚡ Ready for development

Creating Custom Profiles

  1. Copy template: 
    cp .claude/profiles/custom-template.md .claude/profiles/my-profile.md
  2. Customize settings: 
    output_style: terse
proactivity: low
explanation_depth: minimal
communication: efficient
  3. Set in CLAUDE.md: 
    behavior_profile: "my-profile"
  4. Test and refine based on experience

🎯 Profile Selection Guide

Choose default when:

  • General full-stack development
  • Learning new project
  • Balanced work (features + bugs + docs)
  • Unsure which profile to use

Choose focus when:

  • Need deep concentration
  • Complex implementation work
  • Time-sensitive delivery
  • Want minimal distractions

Choose research when:

  • Understanding new codebase
  • Learning project patterns
  • Reading documentation
  • Exploring architecture

Choose implementation when:

  • Rapid feature development
  • Prototyping new ideas
  • Iterating quickly
  • Well-defined specifications

📚 Documentation

User Guides

  • .claude/patterns/README.md - Pattern library overview
  • .claude/profiles/README.md - Profile system guide
  • .claude/profiles/custom-template.md - Create custom profiles

Developer Documentation

  • docs/v2-planning/WEEK-1-PROGRESS.md - Pattern library development
  • docs/v2-planning/WEEK-2-PROGRESS.md - Profiles system development
  • docs/v2-planning/V2.1-BRANCH-WORKFLOW.md - Development workflow
  • docs/v2-planning/V2.1-RELEASE-NOTES.md - This document

🔄 Migration from V2.0

Automatic Migration

V2.1 is fully backward compatible with V2.0:

  • Default profile = V2.0 behavior
  • No CLAUDE.md changes required
  • All V2.0 features work unchanged

Optional Upgrade Path

  1. Review new patterns (understand behavioral rules)
  2. Try different profiles (experiment with modes)
  3. Create custom profile (if defaults don’t fit)
  4. Share feedback (help improve system)

Breaking Changes

None - V2.1 is fully backward compatible

🎓 Design Philosophy

Behavior Training > Tools

v2.1 adds zero new tools - instead focuses on:

  • Documenting WHAT makes Mini-CoderBrain work
  • Enabling customization of HOW it works
  • Making behavioral training explicit and reusable

Modular Architecture

Patterns (Week 1):

  • WHAT to do (pre-response checklist, tool selection)
  • Universal rules (apply to all profiles)
  • Reference material (read on-demand)

Profiles (Week 2):

  • HOW to do it (communication style, output length)
  • Context-specific behavior (different per task)
  • Active configuration (loaded at session start)

Relationship:

  • Profiles reference patterns for guidance
  • Patterns provide universal behavioral rules
  • Profiles customize the application of those rules

🧪 Testing Status

Week 1 (Pattern Library)

✅ All 5 patterns extracted and documented ✅ CLAUDE.md updated to reference patterns ✅ Token impact verified: +0 tokens ✅ Committed to v2.1-development branch

Week 2 (Behavior Profiles)

✅ All 4 core profiles created ✅ Custom profile template ready ✅ Profile detection implemented ✅ Token impact verified: +200 tokens avg ✅ Committed to v2.1-development branch

Testing Phase (Current)

⏳ Real-world testing in development sessions ⏳ User feedback collection ⏳ Profile refinement based on usage ⏳ Example custom profiles creation

🚧 Known Limitations

Current Limitations

  1. Profile switching: Requires session restart (change CLAUDE.md)
  2. No metrics yet: Can’t track profile effectiveness automatically
  3. Limited examples: Only 4 core profiles + template
  4. No visualization: No dashboard for profile comparison

Planned Improvements (v2.2+)

  1. Environment variable profile override (single session)
  2. Smart metrics system (track effectiveness)
  3. Example custom profiles (backend, frontend, devops)
  4. Profile effectiveness dashboard

📊 Performance Metrics

Development Velocity

Week 1: 1 day (Pattern library extraction) Week 2: 1 day (Behavior profiles system) Total: 2 days for complete v2.1 feature set

Code Metrics

Files Created: 18 new files Lines Added: ~7,000 lines (patterns + profiles + docs) Token Impact: +200 tokens per session (~0.1% increase) Backward Compatibility: 100% (zero breaking changes)

Quality Metrics

Documentation: Comprehensive (README, templates, guides) Examples: 4 core profiles + extensive examples in patterns Testability: All features testable in real sessions Maintainability: Modular architecture, easy to extend

🎯 Success Criteria

V2.1 Goals

  • Extract behavioral patterns from CLAUDE.md
  • Create pattern library with zero token impact
  • Design customizable behavior profiles
  • Implement 4 core profiles + template
  • Maintain backward compatibility
  • Keep token efficiency (79%+ reduction)
  • Real-world testing and validation
  • User feedback and refinement

Success Metrics

Pattern Library:

  • ✅ 5 patterns extracted (4,700 lines)
  • ✅ Zero token impact verified
  • ✅ Comprehensive examples included

Behavior Profiles:

  • ✅ 4 core profiles created
  • ✅ Custom template ready
  • ✅ Profile detection working
  • ✅ Token impact minimal (+200 avg)

Overall:

  • ✅ Backward compatible (100%)
  • ✅ Token efficient (79.8% reduction maintained)
  • ⏳ User satisfaction (pending feedback)

🙏 Acknowledgments

V2.1 Development: Built on the foundation of Mini-CoderBrain v2.0’s success, v2.1 makes the core insight explicit: behavior training is more valuable than technical tools.

Key Insights:

  1. Pattern library makes behavioral rules reusable
  2. Profiles enable context-appropriate behavior
  3. Token efficiency can be maintained while adding features
  4. Modularity enables future extensibility

🔜 What’s Next

V2.2 (Planned)

  • Smart metrics system (track profile effectiveness)
  • Environment variable profile override
  • Example custom profiles (domain-specific)
  • Profile effectiveness dashboard

V2.5 (Future)

  • Meta-framework (generalize beyond coding)
  • Non-coding examples (writing, research, PM)
  • Training template generator
  • Case studies and lessons learned

V3.0 (Aspirational)

  • Adaptive learning (self-improving patterns)
  • Feedback loop (user corrections → pattern updates)
  • Community learning (share anonymized patterns)
  • Pattern marketplace

📝 Changelog

[2.1.0] - TBD (In Development)

Added

  • Behavioral Patterns Library (.claude/patterns/)
    • 5 core patterns (4,700 lines total)
    • Zero token impact (read on-demand)
    • Comprehensive examples and guides
  • Behavior Profiles System (.claude/profiles/)
    • 4 core profiles (default, focus, research, implementation)
    • Custom profile template
    • Profile selection in CLAUDE.md
    • Auto-detection in session-start hook

Changed

  • CLAUDE.md: Added behavior_profile setting
  • CLAUDE.md: Updated session bootstrapping to reference patterns
  • session-start.sh: Added profile detection and display
  • Core Features: Added pattern library and profiles

Performance

  • Token cost: +200 tokens avg per session (~0.1% increase)
  • Token efficiency: 79.8% reduction (maintained from v2.0)
  • Conversation length: 25% longer before token limit (maintained)

🔗 Resources

Documentation

Development

Community

Version: 2.1.0-dev Status: Feature Complete, Testing Phase Release: TBD (After real-world testing and feedback) Compatibility: Fully backward compatible with v2.0