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Taste – Zero-config session-taste packer for AI agents

Taste, a zero-configuration tool for AI agents, compresses context from 56K to 1.9K tokens by automatically learning coding patterns from git history and session logs, enabling agents to write project-specific code with 97% less token usage.

read9 min views1 publishedJun 19, 2026
Taste – Zero-config session-taste packer for AI agents
Image: source

Zero-config. Auto-learns. Just works.

97% smaller context · Auto-learns your style · Works with any agent

Compresses AI agent context from 56K tokens to 1.9K tokens. Learns your coding patterns from git history and session logs. Results vary by project size and session history.

You know the problem. You start an AI agent session. It reads your entire project: session logs, git diffs, READMEs, config files. It writes code that doesn't match your style. It wastes tokens and produces generic, bloated code.

taste puts a stop to that. It learns your patterns. It compresses your context. It makes your agents write code like you do.

You ask for a rate limiter. Your agent reads 56K tokens of context, installs a library, writes a generic implementation, and asks about your Redis setup.

With taste:

taste

More examples in examples/.

Five metrics, one goal: make your agents write better code with less context.

Metric Without taste With taste Improvement
Token usage 56,000 1,950 97% reduction
Context quality Generic Project-specific Better
Pattern learning Manual Automatic Zero-config
Agent support Single Multiple 3+ agents
Setup time Hours Seconds Instant

97% smaller context, auto-learns your style, and works with any agent. Every pattern taste learns is marked in the code with confidence scores. Reproduce it yourself: run taste learn

in any project. Method and raw numbers: benchmarks/. Real-world examples: examples/.

That is the byproduct, not the pitch. These are average numbers, and they vary by project. Larger projects with more session history see better compression. Smaller projects with less history see smaller savings. And all of this is iterative: each time you run taste learn

, it learns more patterns, which makes the next compression better. The rule was never "fewest tokens." It is: learn only what the project needs, and never skip validation, error handling, security, or accessibility. The context ends up small because it is necessary, not trimmed, and that is the part that stays useful. Better code quality is a side effect of learning your style, and that is the part that matters.

Before compressing context, taste learns your patterns:

1. Collect session data    → git diffs, session logs, taste config
2. Create summary          → compact format, essential information only
3. Analyze with agent      → calls opencode or claude
4. Extract patterns        → naming, architecture, imports, error handling, style
5. Update taste config     → append to TASTE.md, update .agent-taste.json

Lazy, not negligent: validation, error handling, security, and accessibility patterns are never skipped.

The most effort taste will ever ask of you:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dvcoolarun/taste-ai/main/install.sh | bash
git clone https://github.com/dvcoolarun/taste-ai.git
cd taste-ai
chmod +x taste
cp taste ~/.local/bin/
taste help

That was it. It would be proud. It won't say it.

taste

taste learn

taste learn --depth 5

taste learn --dry-run
taste init
taste show
Command What it does
taste
Pack session context into .session-doc.md
taste pack [file]
Pack to specific output file
taste init
Create default .agent-taste.json
taste show
Show current taste config
taste learn
Learn patterns from recent sessions (agent-assisted)
taste help
Show help

taste learn analyzes your coding sessions and extracts patterns:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Data Collection                            │
│  - Last 3-5 session logs                               │
│  - Last 3-5 prompt logs                                │
│  - Git diffs (last 3-5 commits)                        │
│  - Current taste config                                │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Summary Creation                           │
│  - Compact format (18KB typical)                       │
│  - Token-efficient structure                           │
│  - Essential information only                          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Agent Analysis                             │
│  - Calls opencode or claude                            │
│  - Uses pattern extraction prompt                      │
│  - Returns structured patterns                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Pattern Extraction                         │
│  - NAMING conventions → TASTE.md                       │
│  - ARCHITECTURE patterns → TASTE.md                    │
│  - IMPORTS style → TASTE.md                            │
│  - ERROR_HANDLING patterns → TASTE.md                  │
│  - STYLE preferences → TASTE.md                        │
│  - BANNED_PATTERNS → .agent-taste.json                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Auto-Update                                │
│  - Positive patterns → TASTE.md                        │
│  - Banned patterns → .agent-taste.json                 │
│  - Preserve existing patterns                          │
│  - Avoid duplicates                                    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Category What It Learns Output Location
NAMING Function naming conventions (snake_case, camelCase, etc.) TASTE.md
ARCHITECTURE Project structure patterns, dependency management TASTE.md
IMPORTS Import style, ordering, lazy vs eager imports TASTE.md
ERROR_HANDLING Try/catch patterns, error propagation TASTE.md
STYLE Code formatting, function length, comments TASTE.md
BANNED_PATTERNS What NOT to do, with reasons .agent-taste.json

taste learns both positive patterns (what to do) and negative patterns (what NOT to do). Banned patterns are extracted from user corrections, past mistakes, and feedback.

Example banned patterns:

{
  "banned_patterns": [
    "--single-process_Chromium_flag_on_macOS (reason: causes crashes, documented failure)",
    "hardcoding_connection_URLs_or_env_specific_values (reason: caused 'Queue service unavailable' failure)",
    "jumping_to_implementation_before_design_alignment (reason: wasted work when pricing model wasn't confirmed)",
    "removing_comments_during_code_rewrites (reason: user explicitly called out and expects preservation)",
    "using_browser_only_Node_APIs_in_subprocess (reason: ErrorEvent caused ReferenceError)"
  ]
}

Why banned patterns matter:

Specific- Not generic ("don't use classes") but concrete ("don't use --single_process_Chrome_flag")** Actionable**- Clear reasons that explain WHY it's banned** Learned from mistakes**- "was replaced with page.setContent" shows historical context** Platform-aware**- "crashes on macOS" shows environment-specific knowledge

How banned patterns work:

  • Agent extracts BANNED_PATTERNS from session data
  • Patterns are written to .agent-taste.json

as a JSON array - When you run taste

, banned patterns are included in.session-doc.md

  • Agents read the banned patterns and avoid those patterns

Each pattern includes a confidence score (0-1):

0.9-1.0: Very high confidence (seen multiple times)** 0.8-0.9**: High confidence (seen consistently)** 0.7-0.8**: Medium confidence (seen occasionally)** 0.6-0.7**: Low confidence (seen once or twice)<0.6: Not included (insufficient evidence)

Each time you run taste learn

, it:

Reads your latest session logs and git diffsAnalyzes patterns with an AI agentExtracts structured patterns with confidence scoresUpdates your taste config (TASTE.md, .agent-taste.json)Preserves existing patterns and avoids duplicates

The more you use taste, the better it learns your style. Pattern confidence increases as it sees the same patterns across multiple sessions.

taste

opencode .
taste

claude .
taste

Source: `.agent-taste.json`
``` json
{
  "flavor": "Functional TypeScript, strict types, zero dependencies",
  "banned_patterns": ["classes", "any", "console.log"],
  "style": "Implicit returns, max 20 lines per function"
}
Branch: main

Last 5 commits:
abc1234 refactor: extract auth to /core
def5678 feat: add token validation

Changed files (last commit):
src/auth.ts | 12 +++---
src/utils.ts | 5 +++-
### `taste learn` Output

taste: Analyzing last 3 sessions... taste: Collecting session data... taste: Summary created: 18818 bytes taste: Calling opencode for analysis...

LEARNED PATTERNS (last 3 sessions):

NAMING:

  • functions_describe_action_verbs (confidence: 0.9)
  • classes_use_PascalCase_Prefixed (confidence: 0.9)
  • variables_underscore_separated_snake_case (confidence: 0.8)

ARCHITECTURE:

  • Python_FastAPI_fronts_with_Node_subprocess_backend_via_stdin_stdout_bridge
  • async_job_queue_with_redis_backend_and_RQ_worker
  • dual_storage_PDF_disk_and_Redis_cache

IMPORTS:

  • lazy_import_inside_endpoint_to_avoid_side_effects
  • from_stdlib_then_third_party_then_local_grouped
  • explicit_imports_not_star_imports_used

ERROR_HANDLING:

  • log_then_raise_precise_HTTPException_with_detail
  • check_rate_limit_before_database_operation
  • refund_credits_by_saving_values_before_session_closes

STYLE:

  • short_direct_corrections_fix_agent_behavior_precisely
  • comment_preservation_expected_across_rewrites

BANNED_PATTERNS:

  • --single-process_Chromium_flag_on_macOS (reason: causes crashes, documented failure)
  • hardcoding_connection_URLs_or_env_specific_values (reason: caused 'Queue service unavailable' failure)
  • jumping_to_implementation_before_design_alignment (reason: wasted work when pricing model wasn't confirmed)
  • removing_comments_during_code_rewrites (reason: user explicitly called out and expects preservation)
  • using_browser_only_Node_APIs_in_subprocess (reason: ErrorEvent caused ReferenceError)

Updated: TASTE.md, .agent-taste.json

## Auto-Capture

taste learn automatically captures your current session if no recent session files exist:

``` bash
taste learn

What it captures:

  • Git history (last 3 commits + diffs)
  • Current taste config ( .agent-taste.json

orTASTE.md

) - Last 3-5 session log summaries

What it does NOT capture:

  • Terminal histories
  • Agent session logs
  • Full file contents

Before taste:

Raw context:
- Session logs: ~40,000 words
- Git diffs: ~10,000 words
- README.md: ~1,000 words
- Session notes: ~500 words
Total: ~51,000 words (~66,000 tokens)

After taste:

Compressed context:
- Taste config: ~120 words
- Git summary: ~200 words
- Session notes: ~200 words
- Agent config: ~500 words
Total: ~1,500 words (~1,950 tokens)

Savings:

Words: 51,000 → 1,500 (97% reduction)** Tokens**: 66,000 → 1,950 (97% reduction)

Create ~/.config/taste/base.json

for global settings:

{
  "flavor": "Standard idiomatic development",
  "banned_patterns": [],
  "style": "Prefer clarity over brevity"
}

Create .agent-taste.json

in your project root:

{
  "flavor": "Functional TypeScript, strict types, zero dependencies",
  "banned_patterns": [
    "classes",
    "any",
    "console.log"
  ],
  "style": "Implicit returns, max 20 lines per function"
}

After running taste learn, banned patterns are automatically populated:

{
  "flavor": "Standard idiomatic development",
  "banned_patterns": [
    "--single-process_Chromium_flag_on_macOS (reason: causes crashes, documented failure)",
    "hardcoding_connection_URLs_or_env_specific_values (reason: caused 'Queue service unavailable' failure)",
    "jumping_to_implementation_before_design_alignment (reason: wasted work when pricing model wasn't confirmed)",
    "removing_comments_during_code_rewrites (reason: user explicitly called out and expects preservation)",
    "using_browser_only_Node_APIs_in_subprocess (reason: ErrorEvent caused ReferenceError)"
  ],
  "style": "Prefer clarity over brevity",
  "learned": {}
}

Does it need a config file? No. An optional .agent-taste.json

or TASTE.md

can be created, but nothing is required. taste works with zero configuration.

What if I really need that 120-line cache class? You don't. Insist anyway and taste will learn your pattern. Slowly. Correctly. While looking at you.

Does it scale? The context you never waste scales infinitely. Zero tokens wasted, zero generic code, 100% style matching since forever.

Why "taste"? You know exactly why.

  • bash 4.0+
  • git
  • opencode or claude (for taste learn

)

  • Multi-agent support (claude, codex, commandcode)
  • Session auto-capture (daemon mode)
  • Global taste config ( ~/.config/taste/

) - JSON output for agents

  • Integration with more agent harnesses

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

  • Fork the repository
  • Create your feature branch ( git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature

) - Commit your changes ( git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'

) - Push to the branch ( git push origin feature/amazing-feature

) - Open a Pull Request

MIT. The shortest license that works.

── more in #ai-agents 4 stories · sorted by recency
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