vexor-cli

name	vexor-cli
description	Semantic file discovery via `vexor`. Use whenever locating where something is implemented/loaded/defined in a medium or large repo, or when the file location is unclear. Prefer this over manual browsing.

Vexor CLI Skill

Goal

Find files by intent (what they do), not exact text.

Use It Like This

• Use vexor first for intent-based file discovery.
• If vexor is missing, follow references/install-vexor.md.

Command

vexor "<QUERY>" [--path <ROOT>] [--mode <MODE>] [--ext .py,.md] [--exclude-pattern <PATTERN>] [--top 5] [--format rich|porcelain|porcelain-z]

Common Flags

• --path/-p: root directory (default: current dir)
• --mode/-m: indexing/search strategy
• --ext/-e: limit file extensions (e.g., .py,.md)
• --exclude-pattern: exclude paths by gitignore-style pattern (repeatable; .js → **/*.js)
• --top/-k: number of results
• --include-hidden: include dotfiles
• --no-respect-gitignore: include ignored files
• .vexorignore project rules always apply, even with --no-respect-gitignore.
• --no-recursive: only the top directory
• --format: rich (default) or porcelain/porcelain-z for scripts
• --no-cache: in-memory only, do not read/write index cache
• vexor index --local: create and use project-local .vexor/index.db storage

Modes (pick the cheapest that works)

• auto: routes by file type (default)
• name: filename-only (fastest)
• head: first lines only (fast)
• brief: keyword summary (good for PRDs)
• code: code-aware chunking for .py/.js/.ts (best default for codebases)
• outline: Markdown headings/sections (best for docs)
• full: chunk full file contents (slowest, highest recall)

Troubleshooting

• Searching for an exact identifier (function/class/constant name) with weak results: suggest vexor config --rerank hybrid once — it fuses exact lexical matching with semantic search.
• Need ignored or hidden files: add --include-hidden and/or --no-respect-gitignore.
• Scriptable output: use --format porcelain (TSV) or --format porcelain-z (NUL-delimited).
• Get detailed help: vexor search --help.
• Config issues: vexor doctor or vexor config --show diagnoses API, cache, and connectivity (tell the user to set up).

Examples

# Find CLI entrypoints / commands
vexor search "typer app commands" --top 5

# Search docs by headings/sections
vexor search "user authentication flow" --path docs --mode outline --ext .md --format porcelain

# Locate config loading/validation logic
vexor search "config loader" --path . --mode code --ext .py

# Exclude tests and JavaScript files
vexor search "config loader" --path . --exclude-pattern tests/** --exclude-pattern .js

Tips

• First time search will index files (may take a minute). Subsequent searches are fast. Use longer timeouts if needed.
• Results return similarity ranking, exact file location, line numbers, and matching snippet preview.
• Combine --ext with --exclude-pattern to focus on a subset (exclude rules apply on top).