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* style(docs): update background color scheme to neutral tones Update documentation background colors from purple-tinted theme to neutral gray tones. Changed light mode from lavender (#F0E6FF) to off-white (#fafaf9) and dark mode from pure black (#000000) to dark gray (#0f0f0f) for improved visual consistency. * refactor(docs): remove gradient decoration from theme config Remove the "decoration": "gradient" property from the documentation theme configuration. This simplifies the theme settings by removing the gradient decoration option from the color configuration object. * docs: change documentation font family to Geist Mono Replace Roboto with Geist Mono as the default font family in the documentation configuration. This updates the visual styling of the documentation to use a monospace font, which may improve readability for code-heavy content. * docs: update branding and restructure navigation - Replace robot panel logos with new Cline brand logos - Add icons to navbar links (Docs, GitHub, Discord) - Restructure navigation from groups to tabs format - Add icons to navigation items for improved UX - Include new Docs link in navbar with book icon This update modernizes the documentation appearance and improves navigation hierarchy for better user experience. * docs: restructure navigation with hierarchical groups and pages Restructured documentation navigation from flat menu to organized groups: - Removed redundant "Docs" link from navbar - Migrated from "menu" to "groups/pages" structure - Added comprehensive page organization with nested groups: * Introduction, Getting Started, Features * Prompting Skills, Cline's Tools, Enterprise Solutions * MCP Servers, Provider Configuration - Organized features into logical subgroups (@ Mentions, Commands, Customization, Slash Commands) - Improved documentation discoverability and hierarchy This change provides better content organization and easier navigation for users exploring different aspects of Cline documentation. * docs: remove contextual options from documentation config Remove the contextual configuration section containing the "copy" option from docs.json. This simplifies the documentation configuration by removing unused contextual menu options. * docs(multiroot): improve workspace documentation with limitations and technical details - Add important note about experimental limitations affecting Cline rules and checkpoints - Add "How it works" section explaining automatic workspace detection and tracking - Reorganize technical behavior section with detailed subsections for workspace detection, path resolution, and command execution - Document workspace hint syntax for explicit file references (@workspaceName:path) - Standardize heading capitalization to sentence case for consistency - Improve overall content organization and clarity for better user understanding This update provides users with clearer information about the multiroot feature's current state, its limitations, and how to effectively use workspace hints when working with multiple project folders. * docs: restructure overview page with enhanced visual layout - Convert plain markdown sections to CardGroup and Card components with icons - Add tabbed interface for Plan & Act Mode explanation - Update description from "development assistant" to "coding agent" - Reorganize content for improved readability and visual hierarchy - Enhance feature presentations with icon-based cards Improves user experience by transforming the overview documentation into a more visually appealing and scannable format using modern documentation components. * docs: improve installation guide with enhanced structure and UX Restructure the Cline installation documentation to improve readability and user experience: - Add prominent note highlighting 2-minute installation time - Convert prerequisites into visual card components for better clarity - Transform installation steps into structured Step components for easier following - Add manual installation instructions for JetBrains IDEs - Include feature compatibility accordion for JetBrains users - Enhance visual hierarchy with improved component usage (CardGroup, Steps, Accordion) - Simplify language and improve descriptions throughout This makes the installation process clearer for new users and reduces friction during onboarding. * style(docs): remove text opacity reduction for better readability * docs: refactor model selection guide with visual step-by-step instructions - Replace tab-based layout with linear step-by-step flow - Add screenshots for each configuration step (config, provider, API, model) - Reorganize content structure for improved clarity and user experience - Add quickstart options and streamlined provider recommendations - Improve navigation with visual aids to help users configure Cline faster * docs: add installation screenshots and context management guide * docs: flatten provider config structure in documentation Remove the "Alternative Providers" grouping and move all provider configuration pages (OpenRouter, Cerebras, DeepSeek, Groq, xAI Grok, Mistral AI, Doubao, Fireworks, and ZAI) to the main provider configuration list. This simplifies the documentation navigation by treating all providers equally rather than categorizing some as alternatives. * docs: restructure context management docs and improve content clarity **Changes:** - Reorganized documentation structure by moving context management from `/best-practices` to `/prompting` section for better categorization - Added URL redirect to maintain backward compatibility for old links - Updated navigation references in welcome page to point to new location - Improved readability of context management explanations with more narrative, conversational prose - Enhanced context window documentation by adding cache tokens indicator and using emoji-based formatting for better visual clarity - Streamlined Cline Memory Bank setup instructions from 4 to 3 steps - Updated context bar screenshot to use newer image asset **Why:** Better documentation organization and improved user experience through clearer explanations of how Cline builds and manages context during tasks. * docs(context-management): convert Quick Reference to Info component Replace blockquote formatting with Info component for the Quick Reference section in the context management documentation. This improves visual presentation and maintains consistency with documentation standards. Also removes trailing whitespace at the end of the file for cleaner formatting. * docs: add Cline Enterprise overview and restructure enterprise section - Add comprehensive enterprise overview documentation covering security, governance, observability, and developer experience features - Rename "Enterprise & Security" navigation group to "Enterprise" - Consolidate enterprise documentation by replacing 4 pages with 2: new overview page and security concerns - Document BYOI (Bring Your Own Inference), SSO authentication, and role-based access control capabilities This restructuring provides a clearer entry point for enterprise users and consolidates previously scattered enterprise information into a cohesive overview document. * docs(enterprise): streamline enterprise overview and update font - Change documentation font from Geist Mono to Geist Sans - Add enterprise website link card for detailed information - Remove Developer Experience, Proven at Scale, and Pricing sections - Consolidate Flexible Inference section content - Simplify enterprise overview to focus on core capabilities These changes reduce redundancy by directing users to the enterprise website for pricing and detailed features while keeping the docs focused on technical implementation and core capabilities. * clean-images * Update docs/getting-started/installing-cline.mdx Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * Update docs/styles.css Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * docs(cline-cli): add platform availability warning to overview Add a prominent warning callout indicating that Cline CLI is currently in preview and only supports macOS and Linux, with Windows support coming soon. This sets clear expectations for users about platform compatibility. Also remove redundant introductory text in the "What you can build with this" section to improve content clarity. --------- Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
160 lines
5.3 KiB
Plaintext
160 lines
5.3 KiB
Plaintext
---
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title: "Context Window Guide"
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description: "Understanding and managing AI model context windows"
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---
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## What is a Context Window?
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A context window is the maximum amount of text an AI model can process at once. Think of it as the model's "working memory" - it determines how much of your conversation and code the model can consider when generating responses.
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<Note>
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**Key Point**: Larger context windows allow the model to understand more of your codebase at once, but may increase costs and response times.
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</Note>
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## Context Window Sizes
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### Quick Reference
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| Size | Tokens | Approximate Words | Use Case |
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|------|--------|------------------|----------|
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| **Small** | 8K-32K | 6,000-24,000 | Single files, quick fixes |
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| **Medium** | 128K | ~96,000 | Most coding projects |
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| **Large** | 200K | ~150,000 | Complex codebases |
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| **Extra Large** | 400K+ | ~300,000+ | Entire applications |
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| **Massive** | 1M+ | ~750,000+ | Multi-project analysis |
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### Model Context Windows
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| Model | Context Window | Effective Window* | Notes |
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|-------|---------------|------------------|-------|
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| **Claude Sonnet 4.5** | 1M tokens | ~500K tokens | Best quality at high context |
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| **GPT-5** | 400K tokens | ~300K tokens | Three modes affect performance |
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| **Gemini 2.5 Pro** | 1M+ tokens | ~600K tokens | Excellent for documents |
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| **DeepSeek V3** | 128K tokens | ~100K tokens | Optimal for most tasks |
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| **Qwen3 Coder** | 256K tokens | ~200K tokens | Good balance |
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*Effective window is where model maintains high quality
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## Managing Context Efficiently
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### What Counts Toward Context
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1. **Your current conversation** - All messages in the chat
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2. **File contents** - Any files you've shared or Cline has read
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3. **Tool outputs** - Results from executed commands
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4. **System prompts** - Cline's instructions (minimal impact)
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### Optimization Strategies
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#### 1. Start Fresh for New Features
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```
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/new - Creates a new task with clean context
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```
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Benefits:
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- Maximum context available
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- No irrelevant history
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- Better model focus
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#### 2. Use @ Mentions Strategically
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Instead of including entire files:
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- `@filename.ts` - Include only when needed
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- Use search instead of reading large files
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- Reference specific functions rather than whole files
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#### 3. Enable Auto-compact
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Cline can automatically summarize long conversations:
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- Settings → Features → Auto-compact
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- Preserves important context
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- Reduces token usage
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## Context Window Warnings
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### Signs You're Hitting Limits
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| Warning Sign | What It Means | Solution |
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|-------------|---------------|----------|
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| **"Context window exceeded"** | Hard limit reached | Start new task or enable auto-compact |
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| **Slower responses** | Model struggling with context | Reduce included files |
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| **Repetitive suggestions** | Context fragmentation | Summarize and start fresh |
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| **Missing recent changes** | Context overflow | Use checkpoints to track changes |
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### Best Practices by Project Size
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#### Small Projects (< 50 files)
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- Any model works well
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- Include relevant files freely
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- No special optimization needed
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#### Medium Projects (50-500 files)
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- Use 128K+ context models
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- Include only working set of files
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- Clear context between features
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#### Large Projects (500+ files)
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- Use 200K+ context models
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- Focus on specific modules
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- Use search instead of reading many files
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- Break work into smaller tasks
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## Advanced Context Management
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### Plan/Act Mode Optimization
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Leverage Plan/Act mode for better context usage:
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- **Plan Mode**: Use smaller context for discussion
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- **Act Mode**: Include necessary files for implementation
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Configuration:
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```
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Plan Mode: DeepSeek V3 (128K) - Lower cost planning
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Act Mode: Claude Sonnet (1M) - Maximum context for coding
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```
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### Context Pruning Strategies
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1. **Temporal Pruning**: Remove old conversation parts
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2. **Semantic Pruning**: Keep only relevant code sections
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3. **Hierarchical Pruning**: Maintain high-level structure, prune details
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### Token Counting Tips
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#### Rough Estimates
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- **1 token ≈ 0.75 words**
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- **1 token ≈ 4 characters**
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- **100 lines of code ≈ 500-1000 tokens**
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#### File Size Guidelines
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| File Type | Tokens per KB |
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|-----------|---------------|
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| **Code** | ~250-400 |
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| **JSON** | ~300-500 |
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| **Markdown** | ~200-300 |
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| **Plain text** | ~200-250 |
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## Context Window FAQ
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### Q: Why do responses get worse with very long conversations?
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**A:** Models can lose focus with too much context. The "effective window" is typically 50-70% of the advertised limit.
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### Q: Should I use the largest context window available?
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**A:** Not always. Larger contexts increase cost and can reduce response quality. Match the context to your task size.
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### Q: How can I tell how much context I'm using?
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**A:** Cline shows token usage in the interface. Watch for the context meter approaching limits.
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### Q: What happens when I exceed the context limit?
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**A:** Cline will either:
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- Automatically compact the conversation (if enabled)
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- Show an error and suggest starting a new task
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- Truncate older messages (with warning)
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## Recommendations by Use Case
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| Use Case | Recommended Context | Model Suggestion |
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|----------|-------------------|------------------|
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| **Quick fixes** | 32K-128K | DeepSeek V3 |
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| **Feature development** | 128K-200K | Qwen3 Coder |
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| **Large refactoring** | 400K+ | Claude Sonnet 4.5 |
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| **Code review** | 200K-400K | GPT-5 |
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| **Documentation** | 128K | Any budget model |
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