structural-search

name	structural-search
description	Use structural code search and rewrite tools (ast-grep, comby, tree-sitter) for code analysis and refactoring

Structural Code Tools

ast-grep (sg)

Language-aware structural search/replace using AST patterns.

• sg --pattern 'console.log($$$ARGS)' --lang js — find all console.log calls
• sg --pattern '$FUNC($$$ARGS)' --rewrite 'newFunc($$$ARGS)' --lang py — rename function calls
• Best for: language-specific refactors, finding code by syntactic structure

comby

Language-aware structural search/replace with simple hole-matching syntax.

• comby ':[fn](:[args])' 'new_:[fn](:[args])' .py — rename function calls
• comby 'if :[cond] { :[body] }' 'when :[cond] { :[body] }' .rs — syntax migration
• Best for: cross-format patterns (configs, HTML, etc.), simpler than ast-grep

tree-sitter

Dump/inspect the AST of a file to understand its structure.

• tree-sitter parse file.py — show full AST
• Best for: understanding code structure before making changes, unfamiliar languages