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Gabb Code Navigation

Search Strategy Decision Flow

When you need to find code, follow this order:

1. Task names specific file/function? → Read directly (skip exploration)
2. Looking for a code construct by name? → gabb_symbol
3. Looking for text content (strings, error messages)? → Grep
4. Need to understand file layout? → gabb_structure

gabb_symbol - Workspace Symbol Search

Search for symbols (functions, classes, methods) by name across the workspace.

When to use:

• Task mentions a function/class/method name to find or fix
• You need to find where something is defined
• Grep would return too many false positives

Example:

gabb_symbol name="update_proxy_model_permissions"
→ function update_proxy_model_permissions [prod] migrations/0011_update_proxy_permissions.py:5:1

Use Grep instead when:

• Searching for error messages or string literals
• Looking for text patterns, not code identifiers

gabb_structure - File Layout Preview

First: Assess if exploration is needed (see MCP instructions). For trivial tasks with obvious targets, go directly to the file.

If exploring: Before reading large or unfamiliar code files, consider using gabb_structure to preview the layout. This saves tokens when you only need part of a large file.

Recommended for:

• Large files (>100 lines) where you only need part
• Unfamiliar codebases where you're exploring
• Files you'll read multiple times

Skip when:

• You already know exactly what you're looking for
• The file is likely small (<100 lines)
• You can answer from existing context
• Files you've already seen structure for in this conversation
• You're searching for string literals, regex patterns, or error messages (gabb_structure shows symbols, not strings—use Grep directly)

Supported Languages

Usage Patterns

Symbol Search

gabb_symbol name="MyClass"
→ class MyClass [prod] src/models.py:45:1

File Structure Preview

1. gabb_structure file="src/large_file.rs"
   → Returns symbol names, kinds, line numbers (NO source code)

2. Read file_path="src/large_file.rs" offset=150 limit=50
   → Read only the section you need

What gabb_structure Output Looks Like

/path/to/file.rs:450
Summary: 15 functions, 3 structs | 450 lines
Key types: MyStruct (10 methods)

MyStruct st 10
 new fn 12
 process fn 17
helper fn 30
main fn 50

The output shows:

• File path and line count
• Summary stats (function count, struct count, line count)
• Key types with method counts
• Compact symbol tree: name kind_abbrev line with single-space indent for children

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