Overview
Naive context loading places the full information set into the prompt. Strategic context loading stores the ability to access the information.
A model does not need every file in a repository pasted into its context. It needs file-reading and search tools.
It does not need the complete contents of every large document. It needs a way to locate the relevant section.
It does not need the entire internet. It needs search and retrieval capabilities.
It does not need every skill loaded in full. It needs a compact description of the available skills and a way to invoke the appropriate one.
It does not need every historical version of the code. It needs access to the project history when the history is relevant.
This is one of the most important context-engineering principles: capability to retrieve is often more valuable than permanent inclusion.