The latest articles on DEV Community by ArcticFoxz (@arcticfoxz_255bbe944bc015). https://dev.to/arcticfoxz_255bbe944bc015 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4113356%2F6c99b2fd-36e1-4335-9fd4-f13ff7ee9a69.gif https://dev.to/arcticfoxz_255bbe944bc015 en ArcticFoxz Mon, 07 Sep 2026 07:11:16 +0000 https://dev.to/arcticfoxz_255bbe944bc015/built-a-local-pre-processing-plugin-for-claude-code-after-research-measuring-real-metrics-3500-485n https://dev.to/arcticfoxz_255bbe944bc015/built-a-local-pre-processing-plugin-for-claude-code-after-research-measuring-real-metrics-3500-485n <p>Hi everyone,</p> <p>I wanted to share a project I’ve been developing for my own workflow with Claude Code, and hopefully get some feedback and ideas from the community on where to take it next.</p> <h3> How it started </h3> <p>Working on large-scale, complex projects, I needed better control over context, token consumption, and security. Before building my own tool, I tested various plugins in the market. As someone who likes to measure and verify metrics independently, I ran tests on actual context usage and noticed that under large, messy repository conditions, results often varied from what was expected.</p> <p>Since my projects involve sensitive codebases, I wanted a <strong>deterministic local pre-processing layer</strong> that sanitizes, budgets, and organizes data <em>before</em> anything is passed to Claude Code—ensuring zero unexpected data leaks and absolute predictability.</p> <h3> The struggle &amp; research </h3> <p>What started as a simple helper script turned into a serious engineering effort. I went through over 1,000 research papers and technical docs to refine context retention, token budgeting, and local redaction.</p> <p>Building reliability tooling is a constant battle against edge cases: silent context loss, false successes, cross-platform path quirks (like Windows process locks), and state drift. </p> <p>My rule became: <em>Never believe a bug is fixed until a test proves it.</em> </p> <p>Today, the plugin (<code>chamnan</code>) is at <strong>v1.22.1</strong>. It's built in pure Python (standard library only, zero external packages) and backed by <strong>3,500+ automated tests</strong>.</p> <h3> What it actually does (It's NOT an AI, it's a pre-processing / reliability layer) </h3> <ul> <li> <strong>Deterministic Context Budgeting:</strong> Pre-indexes and trims repository context before passing it to Claude Code (slashed Quick Index overhead dramatically in real-world tests).</li> <li> <strong>Local Security &amp; Redaction:</strong> Runs local choke-point scrubbing so secrets and internal strings never leave your machine.</li> <li> <strong>Agent Continuity / Memory:</strong> Keeps track of session decisions, lessons, and project history locally inside <code>.chamnan/</code> so Claude Code doesn't waste tokens re-discovering architecture across sessions.</li> <li> <strong>Monorepo &amp; Multi-adapter support:</strong> Designed to handle nested checkouts, messy directory trees, and OS-specific edge cases cleanly.</li> </ul> <h3> Looking for community feedback </h3> <p>I dogfood this daily, but since I built it to share with other developers working on large or privacy-conscious projects, I'd love to hear your thoughts:</p> <ol> <li>What edge cases or repository structures have broken your Claude Code workflows in the past?</li> <li>What safety verifications or context features would you like to see in a local helper plugin?</li> </ol> <p>If you're interested in the architecture or test setup, you can check out the repository here: <a href="https://github.com/ArcticFox2029/chamnan" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/ArcticFox2029/chamnan</a></p> <p>Appreciate any feedback!<br> <a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fchzf4ia0mqjel66pmz1r.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fchzf4ia0mqjel66pmz1r.png" alt=" " width="800" height="450"></a></p> ai python showdev security