search-router

# Search Tool Router Use the most token-efficient search tool for each query type. ## When to Use - Searching for code patterns - Finding where something is implemented - Looking for specific identifiers - Understanding how code works ## Decision Tree ``` Query Type? ├── CODE EXPLORATION (symbols, call chains, data flow) │ → TLDR Search - 95% token savings │ DEFAULT FOR ALL CODE SEARCH - use instead of Grep │ Examples: "spawn_agent", "DataPoller", "redis usage" │ Command: tldr search "query" . │ ├── STRUCTURAL (AST patterns) │ → AST-grep (/ast-grep-find) - ~50 tokens output │ Examples: "def foo", "class Bar", "import X", "@decorator" │ ├── SEMANTIC (conceptual questions) │ → TLDR Semantic - 5-layer embeddings (P6) │ Examples: "how does auth work", "find error handling patterns" │ Command: tldr semantic search "query" │ ├── LITERAL (exact text, regex) │ → Grep tool - LAST RESORT │ Only when TLDR/AST-grep don't apply │ Examples: error messages, config values, non-code text │ └── FULL CONTEXT (need complete understanding) → Read tool - 1500+ tokens Last resort after finding the right file ``` ## Token Efficiency Comparison | Tool | Output Size | Best For | |------|-------------|----------| | **TLDR** | **~50-500** | **DEFAULT: Code symbols, call graphs, data flow** | | **TLDR Semantic** | **~100-300** | **Conceptual queries (P6, embedding-based)** | | AST-grep | ~50 tokens | Function/class definitions, imports, decorators | | Grep | ~200-2000 | LAST RESORT: Non-code text, regex | | Read | ~1500+ | Full understanding after finding the file | ## Examples ```bash # CODE EXPLORATION → TLDR (DEFAULT) tldr search "spawn_agent" . tldr search "redis" . --layer call_graph # STRUCTURAL → AST-grep /ast-grep-find "async def $FUNC($$$):" --lang python # SEMANTIC → TLDR Semantic tldr semantic search "how does authentication work" # LITERAL → Grep (LAST RESORT - prefer TLDR) Grep pattern="check_evocation" path=opc/scripts # FULL CONTEXT → Read (after finding file) Read file_path=opc/scripts/z3_erotetic.py ``` ## Optimal Flow ``` 1. AST-grep: "Find async functions" → 3 file:line matches 2. Read: Top match only → Full understanding 3. Skip: 4 irrelevant files → 6000 tokens saved ``` ## Related Skills - `/tldr-search` - **DEFAULT** - Code exploration with 95% token savings - `/ast-grep-find` - Structural code search - `/morph-search` - Fast text search