| name | codegraph-edit |
| description | Use this skill whenever you need to modify source files in a repo where the codegraph tools are available. Apply changes by sending a unified diff to codegraph_patch instead of using edit/write to rewrite file contents. Triggers when the user asks to "edit a file", "modify code", "apply a patch", "make a change to <symbol>", or any time you would otherwise reach for edit/write on source code. |
| version | 0.1.0 |
codegraph-edit
When this skill is active, edit source files by emitting a unified diff to codegraph_patch, not by calling the built-in edit or write tools. Patches are smaller, easier for the user to review, and the patch tool validates context lines so silent corruption fails loudly.
The rule
- DO produce a unified diff and apply it with
codegraph_patch.
- DO NOT use the built-in
edit or write tools on tracked source files. Reserve those for new files, non-source artifacts, or when the user explicitly asks for a full rewrite.
- DO NOT re-read a whole file and
write a near-identical body. That wastes tokens.
Producing a patch
Use standard unified-diff format with at least 3 lines of context:
--- a/src/server.rs
+++ b/src/server.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
fn handle_request(req: Request) -> Response {
let id = req.id();
- log::info!("got request {}", id);
+ log::debug!("got request {}", id);
dispatch(req)
}
Tips for keeping patches reliable:
- Pull the current source with
codegraph_snippet first so the context lines match exactly — whitespace and trailing characters matter.
- Keep one logical change per patch. Multiple unrelated hunks across a file are fine; multiple unrelated changes should be separate patches so a failure leaves the rest unaffected.
Applying a patch
Call codegraph_patch with file and diff. Dry-run first when you're unsure the context will line up: set check: true — it parses and applies the diff in memory only. If it fails, fix the patch (usually stale context) and re-run before applying for real.
When the patch fails
- Re-pull the target region with
codegraph_snippet and rebuild the diff against the actual current bytes.
- Don't fall back to
write to "just overwrite the file" — fix the patch.
- If the file is outside the working directory and you have permission, set
allow_outside: true.
What still uses edit/write
- Creating brand-new files (
codegraph_patch modifies existing ones).
- Non-source artifacts where a diff is awkward (binary files, generated output).
- Cases where the user explicitly asks for a full-file rewrite.
For everything else: diff first, patch second, no direct writes.
