Memory for ADHD
Memory for ADHD is a Visual Studio Code extension for quickly offloading distracting thoughts without forcing you to organize them during capture.
It does not ask for tags, priority, due dates, projects, or destinations while you are trying to get back to work. Press the shortcut, write the thought, press Enter, and continue.
Features
- Capture a memo from a single-line input.
- Save useful editor context automatically: workspace, file, cursor position, selected range, selected text, language ID, and Git branch.
- Review saved memos from the Activity Bar.
- Triage memos with only three choices:
Do Now, Later, and Discard.
- Keep active memos visible as
Doing, with a Complete action when they are done.
- Store memos globally, per workspace, or in a custom folder.
Usage
- Run
Memory for ADHD: Add Memo from the Command Palette.
- Type the thought you want to get out of your head.
- Press Enter.
When the memo is saved, Done appears briefly in the status bar. Empty or whitespace-only input is ignored.
Keyboard Shortcut
- macOS:
cmd+ctrl+enter
- Windows/Linux:
ctrl+alt+enter
Review Memos
Open the Memory Activity Bar view to see saved memos.
+: add a memo- Checklist: review memos one at a time
- Database: choose the storage location
- Refresh: reload the list
The review card intentionally keeps decisions small.
Do Now: marks the memo as Doing and opens the saved file context when availableLater: keeps the memo for laterDiscard: removes the memo from the visible review listComplete: deletes a memo that is currently Doing
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
memoryForAdhd.storageLocation |
global |
Where memos are stored. Choose global, workspace, or custom. |
memoryForAdhd.customStoragePath |
empty |
Folder used when memoryForAdhd.storageLocation is custom. |
Memos are stored as JSON Lines in memories.jsonl.
Privacy
Memory for ADHD stores memos locally. It does not send data to external services, classify content with AI, sync to the cloud, or send telemetry.
The extension may store the following editor context with each memo:
- workspace name
- workspace-relative file path
- cursor position and selected range
- selected text
- language ID
- Git branch name
Absolute file paths are not stored. If you create a memo while sensitive text is selected, that selected text is saved in the local memo file.
Limitations
- No tags, priorities, due dates, folders, dashboards, or project management features.
- No voice input, AI classification, or external sync.
- Concurrent writes to the same storage file from multiple Visual Studio Code processes are not a supported workflow.
Development
npm install
npm run compile
npm run test
npm run package
To run the extension locally, open this folder in Visual Studio Code and start Run and Debug: Run Memory for ADHD Extension.
License
MIT
