codebase-search

name	codebase-search
description	Use when analyzing codebases requiring search patterns, dependency tracing, or architecture discovery. Invoke for ripgrep patterns, call graph analysis, security scanning.

Codebase Search

ripgrep patterns, AST analysis, and dependency tracing for understanding unfamiliar codebases quickly.

When to Use This Skill

• Exploring unfamiliar codebases
• Finding function definitions and usages
• Tracing dependencies between modules
• Discovering architecture and entry points
• Investigating security patterns
• Analyzing test coverage

Core Workflow

1. Discover - Find entry points, main functions, API handlers
2. Trace - Follow dependencies and call graphs
3. Analyze - Understand patterns and architecture
4. Document - Record findings for future reference

Reference Guide

Load detailed patterns based on language:

Topic	Reference	Load When
Go	references/go-patterns.md	Searching Go codebases
Python	references/python-patterns.md	Searching Python codebases
TypeScript	references/typescript-patterns.md	Searching TypeScript/JavaScript codebases
Rust	references/rust-patterns.md	Searching Rust codebases
Java	references/java-patterns.md	Searching Java codebases
Ruby	references/ruby-patterns.md	Searching Ruby codebases
Analysis	references/analysis-patterns.md	Dependency, security, performance analysis

Knowledge Reference

ripgrep (rg) - Primary Search Tool

rg [OPTIONS] PATTERN [PATH...]

Option	Description
-n	Show line numbers (default)
-i	Case-insensitive search
-w	Match whole words only
-l	List files with matches only
-c	Count matches per file
-A N	Show N lines after match
-B N	Show N lines before match
-C N	Show N lines of context
--type	Filter by file type
--glob	Filter by glob pattern

fd - File Finding

fd [PATTERN] [PATH...]
fd -e go           # Find by extension
fd -t f            # Files only
fd -t d            # Directories only

Constraints

MUST DO

• Use --type filters for performance
• Exclude generated code with --glob "!generated/*"
• Start broad, then narrow searches
• Use context (-C 5) for understanding
• Verify search results by reading actual code

MUST NOT DO

• Search without file type filters in large repos
• Trust search results without verification
• Ignore .gitignore patterns
• Search binary files

Output Templates

When reporting search findings, provide:

1. Search command used
2. Number of matches found
3. Key files/locations
4. Brief analysis of patterns found