| name | ast-grep |
| description | Agent Skill for syntax-aware code search using `ast-grep`. Use when searching for code. Good at finding code patterns, structures, or relationships that are difficult to express with plain text search |
| compatibility | Requires the ast-grep CLI command `ast-grep`; `sg` may be available as a shorter alias. |
ast-grep Ad Hoc Search
Use ast-grep for syntax-aware, structural source-code search when text search is too broad or fragile. This skill covers only one-off CLI searches with ast-grep run.
Command Basics
Run:
ast-grep run --help
To understand how to use ast-grep run for ad hoc searches.
Useful options for ad hoc search:
-p, --pattern '<pattern>': AST pattern to match.-l, --lang <lang>: pattern language such as ts, tsx, js, py, rs, go, java, yaml, or json.--globs '<glob>': include or exclude paths; repeat as needed and prefix exclusions with !.-A, -B, -C: show after, before, or surrounding context lines.--json=stream: output one JSON object per match for downstream processing.--heading never: print file paths inline, which is useful for piping.--stdin: search code provided on stdin.--debug-query=ast: show how the pattern parses; requires --lang.--selector <kind>: match a specific AST node from the parsed pattern.
Pattern Rules of Thumb
- Patterns must be valid code, or close enough for the target tree-sitter parser to recover. If a fragment is ambiguous or incomplete, add surrounding context or use
--selector to target the intended node.
- Quote patterns with single quotes so the shell does not expand
$META variables.
$NAME matches one named AST node. Metavariable names use uppercase letters, digits, and underscores.$$$ARGS matches zero or more AST nodes, commonly arguments, parameters, or statements.- Reusing the same metavariable name requires the same syntax to appear in each position, such as
$A == $A.
- Use names starting with underscore, such as
$_, for throwaway non-capturing matches.
- Use
$$OP only when you need to capture unnamed syntax nodes such as some operators; most ad hoc searches should start with normal $META variables.
Search Strategy
- Prefer ast-grep over
rg when the user describes code shape rather than exact text, for example "calls with any arguments", "same variable on both sides", "functions decorated with", or "imports from this module".
- Prefer
rg first when searching comments, strings, documentation, arbitrary text, or exact identifiers without structural constraints.
- Combine both tools when useful: use
rg to discover candidate files or terms, then ast-grep to verify syntax-aware matches.
- Keep patterns simple. If a one-liner pattern needs complex relational logic, tell the user that persistent ast-grep rules are outside this skill's scope and ask whether they want to switch to rule authoring.
