PREREQUISITE: LSP tools are deferred. Load first: ToolSearch({query:"select:LSP"})
CRITICAL: LSP returns EMPTY for .cjs files. Use ripgrep for .cjs instead.
Compiler-level code intelligence skill. Uses Claude Code's native LSP tool to provide
type-safe navigation: go-to-definition, find-references, hover info, call hierarchies,
and workspace symbol search. Includes an automated diagnostics runner for dead-code
detection and broken-import scanning. Complements text search (ripgrep), semantic search
(code-semantic-search), and structural search (code-structural-search) with compiler-
verified precision.
- Navigate to symbol definitions across the workspace (goToDefinition)
- Find all references to a symbol (findReferences)
- Get type information and documentation on hover (hover)
- List all symbols in a document (documentSymbol)
- Search symbols across the workspace by name (workspaceSymbol)
- Navigate to interface/abstract method implementations (goToImplementation)
- Build call hierarchy trees: callers (incomingCalls) and callees (outgoingCalls)
- Prepare call hierarchy items at a position (prepareCallHierarchy)
- **Automated diagnostics**: Run dead-code and broken-import scans via `lsp-diagnostics-runner.cjs`
When to Use
Use lsp-navigator when you need compiler-verified precision rather than text-based heuristics:
Tracing where a symbol is defined (following imports, re-exports, index files)
Finding every callsite of a function before refactoring
Verifying parameter types and return types without reading the whole file
Building complete call hierarchy trees for architecture review
Validating that imports resolve correctly after a move/rename
Checking what methods an interface requires vs. what a class provides
Use the diagnostics runner (lsp-diagnostics-runner.cjs) when you need:
Bulk dead-code detection across many files (exports with zero importers)
Broken import scanning (require() paths that don't resolve)
Codebase health checks as part of QA or proactive-audit workflows
Do NOT use for:
Discovering code you don't have a position for yet (use pnpm search:code first)
Searching text inside comments or string literals (use ripgrep)
Finding code by pattern shape (use code-structural-search)
Operation Reference
Operation
Purpose
Best For
goToDefinition
Find where a symbol is defined
Navigating to source of imported functions/classes
findReferences
Find all usages of a symbol
Impact analysis before refactoring
hover
Get type info and docs
Verifying parameter types, checking API contracts
documentSymbol
List all symbols in a file
File structure overview, finding entry points
workspaceSymbol
Search symbols by name
Finding functions/classes across the workspace
goToImplementation
Find implementations of interface
Tracing concrete behavior of abstract types
prepareCallHierarchy
Get call hierarchy item ⚠️ Always call this BEFORE incomingCalls/outgoingCalls or you get silent empty results.
Setting up for incoming/outgoing call analysis
incomingCalls
Find all callers
Understanding who depends on this function
outgoingCalls
Find all callees
Understanding what a function depends on
All operations require: filePath (absolute path), line (1-based), character (1-based).
Search Intelligence Decision Table
Question
Tool
Why
"Where is foo defined?"
lsp-navigator (goToDefinition)
Compiler-precise, follows imports/re-exports
"Who calls foo?"
lsp-navigator (incomingCalls)
Complete call graph, not just text matches
"What type does foo return?"
lsp-navigator (hover)
Compiler-resolved types, including generics
"Find all usages of foo"
lsp-navigator (findReferences)
Compiler-aware, excludes comments/strings
"Find files about authentication"
code-semantic-search
Conceptual search, not tied to symbol names
"Find foo in all .cjs files"
ripgrep (rg -F "foo")
Fastest for exact text, works without LSP
"Find all async functions"
code-structural-search
AST pattern matching, language-agnostic
"What functions are in this file?"
lsp-navigator (documentSymbol)
Structured symbol list with types
"Find class X across workspace"
lsp-navigator (workspaceSymbol)
Name-based but compiler-indexed
"Find code similar to this pattern"
code-semantic-search
Embedding-based similarity
"Find all try-catch blocks"
code-structural-search
AST pattern: try { $$ } catch ($E) { $$ }
"What does this function call?"
lsp-navigator (outgoingCalls)
Full dependency graph of a function
"Find foo in comments too"
ripgrep
LSP excludes non-code; rg searches all text
Decision Flowchart:
START: What do you need?
|
+--> Need compiler-verified type/definition/reference info?
| YES --> lsp-navigator
| NO
| |
+--> Need conceptual/intent-based code discovery?
| YES --> code-semantic-search / pnpm search:code
| NO
| |
+--> Need AST pattern matching (structural shape)?
| YES --> code-structural-search
| NO
| |
+--> Need exact text/literal match?
YES --> ripgrep / rg -F
Updated Search Hierarchy
The complete search preference order (see also code-standards.md):
Note: lsp-navigator sits at position 2 because once you know a symbol/location (found via position 1), LSP provides the most precise navigation. Discovery (position 1) is still needed to find initial entry points.
Workflow Patterns
Use Case 1: Developer Passive Self-Correction
After editing a file, verify types and references are correct:
// After editing src/auth/jwt.ts line 45// Step 1: Verify the function signature is correctlsp_hover({ filePath: '/abs/path/src/auth/jwt.ts', line: 45, character: 10 });
// Step 2: Check that imported symbol resolveslsp_goToDefinition({ filePath: '/abs/path/src/auth/jwt.ts', line: 3, character: 15 });
// Step 3: Verify references haven't brokenlsp_findReferences({ filePath: '/abs/path/src/auth/jwt.ts', line: 45, character: 10 });
Pattern: Edit → hover to verify types → goToDefinition to verify imports resolve → findReferences to verify callers still work.
Use Case 2: Specialist Active Discovery
Creator/updater agents trace execution flows:
// Tracing how a hook is called// Step 1: Find the function definitionlsp_goToDefinition({
filePath: '/abs/path/.claude/hooks/routing/routing-guard.cjs',
line: 15,
character: 5,
});
// Step 2: Find all callerslsp_prepareCallHierarchy({
filePath: '/abs/path/.claude/hooks/routing/routing-guard.cjs',
line: 15,
character: 5,
});
lsp_incomingCalls({
filePath: '/abs/path/.claude/hooks/routing/routing-guard.cjs',
line: 15,
character: 5,
});
// Step 3: Find what this function callslsp_outgoingCalls({
filePath: '/abs/path/.claude/hooks/routing/routing-guard.cjs',
line: 15,
character: 5,
});
Pattern: goToDefinition (anchor) → prepareCallHierarchy → incomingCalls (who calls me?) → outgoingCalls (what do I call?).
Use Case 3: QA Instant Static Analysis
QA agent checks types without running full test suite:
// After a code change, verify types across affected files// Step 1: Get all symbols in the changed filelsp_documentSymbol({ filePath: '/abs/path/src/middleware/auth.ts', line: 1, character: 1 });
// Step 2: For each exported symbol, check references still resolvelsp_findReferences({ filePath: '/abs/path/src/middleware/auth.ts', line: 10, character: 15 });
// Step 3: Hover over key interfaces to verify type contractslsp_hover({ filePath: '/abs/path/src/middleware/auth.ts', line: 5, character: 20 });
Pattern: documentSymbol (what changed?) → findReferences (who's affected?) → hover (do types still match?).
Use Case 4: Reflection Structural Post-Mortems
Reflection agent verifies agent claims:
// Agent claimed it called `validateToken(token: string)` but review suggests wrong signature// Step 1: Check actual typelsp_hover({ filePath: '/abs/path/src/auth/validate.ts', line: 12, character: 10 });
// If hover shows `validateToken(token: JWTPayload)` not `string`, agent hallucinated// Step 2: Check if the parameter type was changed recentlylsp_findReferences({ filePath: '/abs/path/src/auth/validate.ts', line: 12, character: 25 });
Pattern: hover (ground-truth type check) → findReferences (impact of the actual signature).
Use Case 5: Automated Dead Code Detection
Use documentSymbol → findReferences as an automated sweep to detect exported symbols
with zero external references. This pattern powers the lsp-diagnostics-runner.cjs script.
// Step 1: List all symbols in the filelsp_documentSymbol({
filePath: '/abs/path/.claude/lib/memory/memory-manager.cjs',
line: 1,
character: 1,
});
// Step 2: For each exported symbol, check for external referenceslsp_findReferences({
filePath: '/abs/path/.claude/lib/memory/memory-manager.cjs',
line: 42,
character: 15,
});
// If results contain only the defining file → potential dead export
Automated script: .claude/tools/cli/lsp-diagnostics-runner.cjs implements this pattern
using ripgrep as a fallback (since LSP has limited CJS support — see Anti-Patterns table).
# Run dead-exports check on all lib files
node .claude/tools/cli/lsp-diagnostics-runner.cjs --check dead-exports --format markdown
# Exclude archived directories
node .claude/tools/cli/lsp-diagnostics-runner.cjs --check dead-exports --exclude-pattern "_archive"
Note on hook exports (false positives): Hook files (.claude/hooks/**) export functions
for testability but are invoked via stdin/stdout protocol, not require(). Their exports
appear as dead code because test suites use dynamic require; the diagnostics runner
marks hook export findings as LOW severity for this reason.
Use Case 6: Hook Wiring Verification
Verify that hooks registered in .claude/settings.json exist on disk and their internal
require() chains resolve without errors.
// Step 1: Locate the hook registration in settings.json// (use ripgrep — LSP won't index JSON well for CJS references)// rg "routing-guard" .claude/settings.json// Step 2: Confirm the hook file exists and resolves its importslsp_goToDefinition({
filePath: '/abs/path/.claude/hooks/routing/routing-guard.cjs',
line: 1,
character: 1,
});
// Step 3: Check the exports the hook provides (for testability audit)lsp_documentSymbol({
filePath: '/abs/path/.claude/hooks/routing/routing-guard.cjs',
line: 1,
character: 1,
});
Hybrid approach (more reliable for .cjs files): Combine ripgrep for settings.json
registration lookup with require.resolve() for import chain validation:
# Find all registered hooks
node -e "const s = require('./.claude/settings.json'); console.log(JSON.stringify(s.hooks, null, 2))"# Verify a hook's require chain resolves
node -e "require('./.claude/hooks/routing/routing-guard.cjs'); console.log('OK')"
Diagnostics Runner Tool (RECOMMENDED for .cjs codebases)
An automated scanner that finds dead code, broken imports, and unreferenced functions using
ripgrep + require.resolve(). Use this instead of manual LSP calls for bulk analysis of
.cjs CommonJS files (where native LSP has limited support).
Dead export in non-hook file — probably unused code
LOW
Dead export in hook file — expected (hooks export for testing)
When Agents Should Use This
qa / proactive-audit: Run as part of codebase health checks
code-reviewer: Check for dead exports in changed files before approving
architect: Audit module dependencies and find disconnected subsystems
code-simplifier: Identify dead code candidates for removal
developer: Verify new exports are actually imported somewhere after implementation
Important: Hook Export False Positives
Hook files (.claude/hooks/**) export functions for testability but are invoked via
stdin/stdout JSON protocol, not require(). Their exports always appear as "dead"
because no production code imports them — only test files do. The runner marks these
as LOW severity automatically. Do not treat hook dead-exports as bugs.
Standard Invocation Pattern
// Invoke as a skill for guidance, then use native LSP tool directlySkill({ skill: 'lsp-navigator' });
// Then call LSP operations natively:// lsp_goToDefinition({ filePath, line, character })// lsp_findReferences({ filePath, line, character })// lsp_hover({ filePath, line, character })// lsp_documentSymbol({ filePath, line, character })// lsp_workspaceSymbol({ filePath, line, character })// lsp_goToImplementation({ filePath, line, character })// lsp_prepareCallHierarchy({ filePath, line, character })// lsp_incomingCalls({ filePath, line, character })// lsp_outgoingCalls({ filePath, line, character })
Agent-Specific Contracts
developer (always)
Use lsp-navigator to self-correct after edits:
After writing/editing code: hover to verify types, goToDefinition to verify imports
Before completing a refactor: findReferences to verify no callsites were missed
When unsure about an API: hover on the call site to see the actual signature
qa (always)
Use lsp-navigator for lightweight static analysis:
documentSymbol on changed files to inventory what was modified
findReferences on exported symbols to find affected test targets
hover on type boundaries to verify type contracts match test assumptions
code-reviewer (always)
Use lsp-navigator to improve review accuracy:
findReferences when a renamed function might have missed callsites
goToDefinition to trace where imported symbols come from
hover to verify reviewer understands the actual type being used
architect (always)
Use lsp-navigator for architectural analysis:
incomingCalls + outgoingCalls to build dependency maps
workspaceSymbol to find all implementations of a pattern
goToImplementation on interfaces to trace concrete implementations
code-simplifier (always)
Use lsp-navigator for safe refactoring:
findReferences before renaming — must be exhaustive, not text-based
goToDefinition to understand the full scope of a symbol before changing it
hover to verify types before extracting functions
advanced-debugging (always)
Use lsp-navigator for root cause analysis:
prepareCallHierarchy + incomingCalls to trace how a buggy path is reached
outgoingCalls to understand what a suspect function depends on
hover to verify types at boundary points where errors occur
reflection-agent (contextual)
Use lsp-navigator to verify agent claims:
hover to ground-truth type claims made by agents
findReferences to verify "all callsites updated" claims are accurate
security-architect (contextual)
Use lsp-navigator to trace data flows:
outgoingCalls from entry points to trace how user input propagates
findReferences on security-critical functions to verify all usages are safe
goToImplementation on interfaces to find all concrete implementations that handle sensitive data
Enforcement Hooks
Input validated against schemas/input.schema.json before execution.
Output contract defined in schemas/output.schema.json.
Pre-execute hook: hooks/pre-execute.cjs validates filePath is absolute and line/character are positive integers before invoking any LSP operation.
Iron Laws
ALWAYS provide absolute file paths — LSP requires full paths; relative paths cause silent failures or wrong-file resolution.
ALWAYS use 1-based line and character numbers — LSP protocol is 1-based; 0-based offsets produce off-by-one navigation errors.
NEVER use LSP for text discovery — LSP requires a known position to start from; use ripgrep or search:code to find initial entry points, then LSP to navigate from there.
ALWAYS verify the LSP server is active for the file's language — not all languages have LSP support in the workspace; fall back to ripgrep/structural search if LSP returns empty results.
ALWAYS use prepareCallHierarchy before incomingCalls/outgoingCalls — the call hierarchy operations require a prepared item from prepareCallHierarchy at the target position.
Anti-Patterns
Anti-Pattern
Why It Fails
Correct Approach
Using LSP to "search for" a concept
LSP needs a position, not a query
Use search:code for discovery, then LSP for navigation
Relative file paths
LSP resolves against workspace root; may hit wrong file
Always use absolute paths
0-based line numbers
Off-by-one errors; navigates to wrong symbol
LSP is 1-based for both line and character
Skipping prepareCallHierarchy
incomingCalls/outgoingCalls need a prepared item
Always call prepareCallHierarchy first
Using LSP instead of rg for text-in-comments
LSP only sees code symbols, not text in comments/strings
Use ripgrep for text that includes non-code content
Trusting empty LSP results as "no references"
Language server may not be running or file may not be indexed
Verify LSP is active; fall back to ripgrep if empty
Using LSP on .cjs CommonJS files expecting TypeScript types
CJS files may have limited LSP support depending on workspace config
Fall back to ripgrep or structural search for .cjs files
CJS File Limitations (Reflection from LSP Deep Dive)
In practice, most LSP operations (goToDefinition, findReferences, hover) return empty
results for .cjs CommonJS files in this workspace. The TypeScript language server does not
fully index CJS modules without explicit jsconfig.json or tsconfig.json coverage.
What this means:
For .cjs files: prefer ripgrep (rg -F) for reference counting and require.resolve() for import validation.
LSP documentSymbol may work on .cjs files for listing top-level exports, but is unreliable.
The hybrid approach (ripgrep + require.resolve()) proved more effective than LSP for the agent-studio codebase's .cjs hook and lib files.
Recommendation: Use LSP as the primary tool for .ts and .js (ESM) files. For .cjs files,
treat LSP as a secondary option and fall back to ripgrep immediately if LSP returns empty results.
Windows Path Normalization (SE-01)
On Windows, path.relative() and other Node.js path utilities return backslash (\) separators
instead of forward slashes. LSP operations and file path comparisons expect forward-slash paths.
Rules for Windows compatibility:
Always normalize paths before passing them to LSP operations: filePath.replace(/\\/g, '/')
When comparing LSP result paths to local paths, normalize both sides
The diagnostics runner (lsp-diagnostics-runner.cjs) handles this via its normalizePath() utility
Use [^/\\]* in regex patterns if path normalization is uncertain
Do NOT use path.relative() output directly in regex or glob patterns without normalizing
This is Sharp Edge SE-01 in the codebase. See .claude/rules/safety-rules.md for full details.
Memory Protocol (MANDATORY)
Before starting:
Read .claude/context/memory/learnings.md
After completing:
New pattern -> .claude/context/memory/learnings.md
Issue found -> .claude/context/memory/issues.md
Decision made -> .claude/context/memory/decisions.md
ASSUME INTERRUPTION: If it's not in memory, it didn't happen.
Language Server Quick Reference
Language
Server
Install
C/C++
clangd
apt install clangd / brew install llvm
Go
gopls
go install golang.org/x/tools/gopls@latest
Python
pyright
npm i -g pyright
Rust
rust-analyzer
rustup component add rust-analyzer
Java
jdtls
brew install jdtls / Eclipse JDT LS release
TS/JS
typescript-language-server
npm i -g typescript-language-server
Lua
lua-language-server
brew install lua-language-server
Bash
bashls
npm i -g bash-language-server
JSON
jsonls
npm i -g vscode-langservers-extracted
YAML
yamlls
npm i -g yaml-language-server
TOML
taplo
cargo install taplo-cli
Markdown
marksman
brew install marksman / GitHub releases
Note: Claude Code activates these automatically when installed — no manual start required.
LSP for .cjs files remains unreliable; use ripgrep as primary for CommonJS files.
Hookify Pattern
Auto-enable LSP server selection via a PostToolUse(Read) hook: