qmd

name	qmd
description	Use when searching markdown knowledge bases, notes, and docs with QMD.
version	1.0.0
author	Cody Tucker
license	MIT
metadata	{"hermes":{"tags":["knowledge","markdown","search","qmd"],"related_skills":["obsidian-cli","obsidian-markdown","obsidian-bases"]}}
prerequisites	{"commands":["qmd"]}

QMD

Use QMD as the fast local search engine for markdown content.

When to Use

• Search notes, journals, docs, and transcripts.
• Look up exact terms, code identifiers, or names.
• Do semantic search when the right vocabulary is unclear.

Query Modes

Type	Best for
lex	Exact keywords, phrases, names, code
vec	Natural-language questions
hyde	Hard topics where a hypothetical answer improves retrieval
expand	Let QMD derive query variants automatically

Good Query Patterns

Lex

• Keep it to 2-5 sharp terms.
• Use quotes for exact phrases: "connection pool"
• Exclude terms with -term.
• Code identifiers are good lex queries.

Vec

• Ask a full question.
• Include system or project context when relevant.

HyDE

• Write a short 50-100 word version of the answer you expect.
• Use the vocabulary likely to appear in strong matches.

Common Commands

qmd status
qmd query "how does the rate limiter handle burst traffic"
qmd query $'lex: rate limiter\nvec: how are bursts handled'
qmd query $'expand: how does the payment service process refunds'
qmd query --json --explain "consistency tradeoffs"
qmd search "exact keywords"
qmd get "#abc123"
qmd multi-get "journals/2026-*.md" -l 40

MCP Query Shape

{
  "searches": [
    { "type": "lex", "query": "CAP theorem consistency" },
    { "type": "vec", "query": "tradeoff between consistency and availability" }
  ],
  "collections": ["docs"],
  "limit": 10
}

Retrieval Guidance

• Use lex first when you know the domain terms.
• Combine lex and vec for best recall.
• Add intent when a query is ambiguous.
• Put the strongest search first.
• Use get or multi-get after search to inspect the actual source material.

Setup Reminder

If QMD is not installed or configured, check qmd status. Typical setup is:

qmd collection add ~/notes --name notes
qmd embed