CONTEXT CONSTRUCTION (THE CONTEXT BUILDER)

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING • Why compose the system prompt from modular blocks? ◦ Answer: Blocks are easier to read, test, update, reuse, and refresh automatically than one hand-written block. • What makes a good system reminder? ◦ Answer: It is short, specific, sensibly triggered, and placed near the end of the context. • Where should the most important instructions go in a long context? ◦ Answer: Near the beginning and again near the end, since attention is often weaker in the middle. • What is an anchor in context selection? ◦ Answer: An item such as the original task or a key constraint that is always kept, even as older messages are dropped. • Why label retrieved documents clearly as data? ◦ Answer: So the model does not mistake text inside a document for instructions, which helps defend against prompt injection.