search-router

SKILL.md

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