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

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