| name | search-mesh |
| description | This skill should be used when searching a codebase for one or more keywords across many files, validating whether a match sits inside a specific syntax node (function, class, struct, interface, enum), extracting the smallest syntax-bounded code block around a match instead of reading a whole file, or making a precise single-location text edit. Prefer the search-mesh MCP tools (scan, ast_probe, squeeze, patch) over grep, rg, cat, or sed whenever the search-mesh MCP server is connected. |
| version | 0.1.0 |
search-mesh
search-mesh is an MCP server exposing four codebase-intelligence tools: scan, ast_probe, squeeze, and patch. It is designed to replace common shell-based search/edit habits with faster, syntax-aware, lower-token alternatives.
When To Prefer search-mesh Over Shell Tools
| Instead of | Use | Why |
|---|
grep -r / rg for multiple keywords | scan | Single pass over files for many keywords at once; respects ignore files. |
| Reading a whole file to check what a match belongs to | ast_probe | Confirms a match sits inside a real syntax node (e.g. a function_item, not a comment or string). |
cat/reading an entire file for context around one match | squeeze | Returns only the AST-bounded block (function, class, struct, etc.) around the match. |
sed -i for a single precise edit | patch | Line/column based replacement with post-edit syntax validation for supported languages. |
Only fall back to shell tools (grep, sed, reading whole files) when the search-mesh MCP server is unavailable, or when the task genuinely needs raw text processing search-mesh doesn't cover (e.g. binary files, non-code text formats, multi-file transactional edits).
Tool Reference
scan
Scans one or more directories for multiple keywords in a single pass.
{
"targetDirs": ["src/"],
"keywords": ["TODO", "FIXME", "deprecated"]
}
Returns an array of {file, line, keyword, matchStr}.
ast_probe
Validates whether a text match sits inside a specific syntax node.
{
"filePath": "src/main.rs",
"queryPattern": "delete_user",
"nodeType": "function"
}
Returns {isValid, nodeType, startLine, endLine}.
Supported languages: Rust (.rs), Python (.py), JavaScript (.js/.jsx/.mjs/.cjs), TypeScript (.ts/.tsx).
Common nodeType aliases: function, struct, impl, enum (Rust); function, class (Python, JavaScript); function, class, interface (TypeScript). Raw tree-sitter node kinds also work.
squeeze
Returns the smallest syntax-bounded source block around a match, instead of the whole file.
{
"filePath": "src/main.rs",
"queryPattern": "delete_user",
"nodeType": "function"
}
Returns {file, nodeType, startLine, endLine, text}, or null if no matching block is found. Use this before reading an entire file when only one function/class/struct is actually relevant.
patch
Applies a single precise text replacement using 1-based line/column coordinates. The end coordinate is exclusive.
{
"filePath": "src/main.rs",
"startLine": 10,
"startColumn": 5,
"endLine": 10,
"endColumn": 12,
"replacement": "new_name"
}
Returns {file, bytesWritten, syntaxValid}. syntaxValid is true/false for supported languages, null for unsupported file types. Always check syntaxValid after a patch to supported source files; a false result means the edit likely broke syntax and should be reconsidered.
Workflow Pattern
For "find and understand" tasks:
scan to find raw keyword matches.ast_probe to confirm a match is a real definition (not a comment/string/test fixture).squeeze to pull just that function/class/struct into context instead of the whole file.
For "find and edit" tasks:
scan + ast_probe to locate the exact target.squeeze to read the current block and compute the precise replacement text and coordinates.patch to apply the edit, then check syntaxValid in the response.
