ELF Session Search Command

Search through Claude Code session history using natural language queries.

Purpose

The /search command helps you find:

• Previous prompts and conversations
• Work on specific topics
• Files modified in past sessions
• Context from earlier iterations
• Related discussions across sessions

Usage Examples

/search what was my last prompt?
/search what was I working on yesterday?
/search find prompts about git
/search show me recent conversations
/search where did I edit the router?

How It Works

When you invoke /search:

1. Extract your query from the command
2. Search session logs - Parse JSONL files from ~/.claude/projects/
3. Find matches - Natural language matching against user messages
4. Show results - Display relevant prompts and context
5. Answer your question - Use results to provide context

Session Log Format

Session data is stored in:

• Location: ~/.claude/projects/[project-name]/*.jsonl
• Format: Line-delimited JSON with message objects
• Content: User prompts and Claude responses
• Indexed: Most recent files first (by mtime)

Each JSONL file contains:

• type: "user" - Your prompts
• type: "assistant" - My responses
• Skips: Subagent logs (agent-*.jsonl)

Implementation Steps

1. Scan session directory: ls -t ~/.claude/projects/*/*.jsonl
2. Skip agent logs: Filter out agent-*.jsonl
3. Read JSONL: Parse JSON line-by-line
4. Extract messages: Filter for “user” and “assistant” types
5. Search: Match your query against content
6. Display: Show matching prompts with context

Search Capabilities

• Topic search - Find discussions about specific subjects
• Temporal search - Find work from yesterday, last week, etc.
• File-based search - Find when you last edited a file
• Tool search - Find when you used specific tools
• Pattern search - Find similar problems or approaches

Integration with ELF

The search command integrates with the building’s session summaries. After search:

• Relevant heuristics might be suggested
• Related failures/successes found
• Continuous context preserved

This helps you avoid repeating past mistakes and leverage previous insights.

Search Tips

• Use specific keywords - “router” not just “code”
• Try natural language - System understands intent
• Include context - “when I worked on auth” not just “auth”
• Check timeframe - Session logs are dated