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Session Management

Overview

Crystalyse v1.2 introduces comprehensive session management for persistent research workflows. Sessions enable multi-day materials discovery projects with full conversation context retention.

Core Features

Session Persistence

  • SQLite Storage: Conversations stored in crystalyse_sessions.db
  • Multi-user Support: Isolated sessions per user
  • Context Retention: Full conversation history maintained
  • Cross-session Memory: Research insights carried forward

CLI Commands

Starting a New Session

crystalyse chat -u researcher1 -s battery_project -m rigorous

Resume a previous session

crystalyse chat -s battery_project -u researcher1

In-Session Commands

  • /history - View conversation history
  • /clear - Clear current conversation
  • /undo - Remove last interaction
  • /sessions - List all sessions for current user
  • /help - Show available commands
  • /exit - Exit current session

Memory Integration

Sessions integrate with the 4-layer memory system:

  1. Session Memory: Current conversation context
  2. Discovery Cache: Cached computational results
  3. User Memory: Personal preferences and notes
  4. Cross-Session Context: Research patterns and insights

Usage Patterns

Research Project Workflow

# Day 1: Start exploring battery materials
crystalyse chat -u researcher1 -s li_ion_cathodes

# Day 2: Continue with specific compositions
crystalyse chat -s li_ion_cathodes -u researcher1

# Day 3: Compare with previous findings
crystalyse chat -u researcher1 -s comparison_study

Multi-user Collaboration

# Principal investigator starts project
crystalyse chat -u prof_smith -s solar_perovskites

# Graduate student continues analysis  
crystalyse chat -u grad_student -s solar_perovskites_detailed

# Each user maintains isolated workspace

Implementation Details

  • Session IDs: Unique identifiers per user/project combination
  • Database Schema: SQLite with conversation threading
  • Memory Persistence: Automatic save/load on session start/end
  • Error Recovery: Graceful handling of interrupted sessions

Best Practices

  1. Descriptive Session Names: Use clear, project-specific identifiers
  2. User Separation: Maintain distinct user IDs for different researchers
  3. Regular Resumption: Sessions automatically save progress
  4. Memory Management: System handles cache cleanup automatically