[BUG] Slash command '/basic-memory:Continue Conversation (MCP)' fails with whitespace parsing error

[groksrc]

Bug Description

The slash command /basic-memory:Continue Conversation (MCP) is not recognized by Claude Desktop and returns an "Unknown slash command" error due to whitespace parsing issues in the command name.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Install Basic Memory v0.14.4 via MCP
2. Configure Basic Memory MCP server in Claude Desktop
3. Attempt to use the slash command /basic-memory:Continue Conversation (MCP)
4. See error message

Expected Behavior

The slash command should be recognized and execute the "Continue Conversation" functionality, allowing users to continue previous conversations from their Basic Memory knowledge base.

Actual Behavior

Claude Desktop returns the error:

Unknown slash command: basic-memory:Continue

The command parser appears to be truncating the command name at the first whitespace character, interpreting /basic-memory:Continue Conversation (MCP) as just /basic-memory:Continue.

Environment

• OS: macOS 14.5 (likely affects all platforms)
• Python version: 3.12+
• Basic Memory version: 0.14.4
• Installation method: uv tool install
• Claude Desktop version: Latest

Additional Context

This appears to be a cross-platform issue affecting the MCP slash command registration. The whitespace in the command name "Continue Conversation (MCP)" is causing the command parser to fail.

Important Note: This issue may affect all Basic Memory slash commands that contain whitespace in their names. Other commands with spaces or special characters in their names may also be impacted by this parsing bug.

Possible Solution

Two potential approaches:

1. Fix the command parser: Update the MCP command registration to properly handle whitespace in command names
2. Rename the command: Use underscores or hyphens instead of spaces, such as:
   • /basic-memory:Continue_Conversation_MCP
   • /basic-memory:continue-conversation-mcp
   • /basic-memory:continue-conversation

The second approach might be more reliable since many command parsers have issues with whitespace in command identifiers.

[groksrc]

@claude take a look at this and see if you can identify the problem.

[claude]

Claude finished @groksrc's task —— View job • claude/issue-288-20250905-1500 • Create PR ➔

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MCP Slash Command Whitespace Bug - Fixed ✅

I've successfully identified and fixed the slash command parsing issue.

Todo List

• Search for MCP slash command definitions in the codebase
• Analyze command registration and parsing logic
• Identify the root cause of whitespace parsing issue
• Determine best solution approach
• Implement the fix
• Run code quality checks
• Test the changes if possible

Root Cause Analysis

The problem was with all three MCP prompts that contained spaces in their names:

1. "Continue Conversation" → /basic-memory:Continue Conversation → truncated to /basic-memory:Continue
2. "Share Recent Activity" → /basic-memory:Share Recent Activity → truncated to /basic-memory:Share
3. "Search Knowledge Base" → /basic-memory:Search Knowledge Base → truncated to /basic-memory:Search

Claude Desktop's slash command parser truncates commands at the first whitespace character, which is why users were seeing "Unknown slash command: basic-memory:Continue".

Solution Implemented

I renamed all three MCP prompts to use dash-separated names that are compatible with slash command parsers:

Files Changed:

• src/basic_memory/mcp/prompts/continue_conversation.py:21 - "Continue Conversation" → "continue-conversation"
• src/basic_memory/mcp/prompts/recent_activity.py:19 - "Share Recent Activity" → "recent-activity"
• src/basic_memory/mcp/prompts/search.py:20 - "Search Knowledge Base" → "search-knowledge-base"

New Working Slash Commands

After this fix, users will be able to use:

• ✅ /basic-memory:continue-conversation (instead of failing at /basic-memory:Continue)
• ✅ /basic-memory:recent-activity (instead of failing at /basic-memory:Share)
• ✅ /basic-memory:search-knowledge-base (instead of failing at /basic-memory:Search)

This approach is more robust than trying to fix Claude Desktop's parser, which we don't control.