symdex-code-search

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

This skill should be used when finding, tracing, or understanding code in a repository with SymDex available. Trigger it for requests like "where is this defined?", "who calls this?", "what route handles this path?", "show me the file outline", "search this codebase by intent", or any task that would otherwise rely on broad Read/Grep/Glob exploration.

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Sourcehusnainpk/symdex

Added on2026-04-13

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add husnainpk/symdex symdex-code-search

SKILL.md Content

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SymDex Code Search

Use SymDex before broad file browsing. Use it to save tokens by retrieving the exact code the agent needs instead of scanning whole files. SymDex currently covers 16 language surfaces, including Python, Go, Kotlin, Dart, Swift, and Vue script blocks.

Start Here

If the SymDex CLI reports a newer release, prefer upgrading before long sessions.
Confirm the repo id.
If the repo id is already known, pass
```
repo
```
on every scoped tool call.
If the repo id is unknown, call
```
list_repos
```
and match the current worktree.
Check freshness with
```
get_index_status(repo)
```
.
If the current worktree is not indexed, call
```
index_folder(path=".")
```
.
If the workspace already has
```
.symdex
```
, treat it as the intended local SymDex state and reuse it.
Reuse the returned
```
repo
```
id for the rest of the task.

If SymDex is unavailable or indexing fails, say so clearly and fall back to normal file reads only as needed.

Core Rules

Search first.
Pass
```
repo
```
whenever you know it.
Prefer
```
get_symbol
```
or
```
get_file_outline
```
over full-file reads.
Use call graph and route tools before manual tracing.
Re-check
```
get_index_status
```
after major edits or worktree switches.
Read full files only when editing, reviewing unsupported or generated content, or when SymDex cannot answer.
Optimize for lower-token retrieval, not broad context loading.
If a search tool returns
```
roi
```
or
```
roi_summary
```
, mention the approximate token savings briefly in your response.
If the repo uses workspace-local SymDex state (
```
./.symdex
```
), stay inside that workspace so the same index is auto-discovered.

Tool Selection

Need	Tool
Index the current worktree	`index_folder`
Register and index a repo explicitly	`index_repo`
Find a function, class, or method by name	`search_symbols`
Find code by intent or behavior	`semantic_search`
Find literal text or regex matches	`search_text`
Read exact source for one symbol	`get_symbol`
Get a file outline before reading	`get_file_outline`
Get a repo map or summary	`get_repo_outline` or `get_file_tree`
Trace who calls a symbol	`get_callers`
Trace what a symbol calls	`get_callees`
Find HTTP routes	`search_routes`
Check repo freshness	`get_index_status`
Get code metrics and language mix	`get_repo_stats`
List indexes	`list_repos`
Clean deleted-worktree indexes	`gc_stale_indexes`

Typical Flow

Confirm the repo id and freshness.
Index with
```
index_folder
```
if needed.

Start with

search_symbols

,

semantic_search

, or

search_text

.

Narrow to
```
get_symbol
```
or
```
get_file_outline
```
.

Use

get_callers

,

get_callees

,

search_routes

, or

get_repo_stats

for deeper analysis.

Fall back to direct file reads only when SymDex cannot answer precisely enough.

Decision Guide

"Where is X defined?" ->
```
search_symbols
```
"What does this do?" ->
```
semantic_search
```
, then
```
get_symbol
```
"Who uses this?" ->
```
get_callers
```
"What does this call?" ->
```
get_callees
```
"Where is the endpoint?" ->
```
search_routes
```
"Show me the file structure first" ->
```
get_file_outline
```
"Give me a repo-level picture" ->
```
get_repo_outline
```
or
```
get_repo_stats
```
"Is the index current?" ->
```
get_index_status
```

Good Trigger Phrases

"Find the function that validates JWTs"
"Who calls this route handler?"
"Show me the outline of this file"
"Search for the code that parses webhook payloads"
"Find the HTTP route for
```
/api/checkout
```
"
"Give me the repo summary before I edit anything"

Editing

When you need to edit code:

Use SymDex to find the exact symbol or file location.
Read only that file or symbol slice.
Make the smallest change needed.

Use Normal Browsing Only When Needed

SymDex is unavailable.
The repo is not indexed and cannot be indexed in the current environment.
The target file type is unsupported or generated.
You need surrounding context that the symbol-level response does not provide.

Output Checklist

Repo id confirmed or derived
Index freshness checked
SymDex tool chosen before broad file reads
Exact symbol or file outline used before whole-file reads when possible
Direct file reads used only when SymDex could not answer cleanly