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ast-grep

Guide for writing ast-grep rules to perform structural code search and analysis. Use when users need to search codebases using Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) patterns, find specific code structures, or perform complex code queries that go beyond simple text search.

Author Herrington Darkholme Published Updated Read 2 min
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■ INSTALL // npx @self.md/cli install ast-grep
AuthorHerrington Darkholme
Namespace@ast-grep/ast-grep-marketplace
Category#general
Version1.0.0
Stars★ 464
Downloads↓ 2
Verification[ ✓ ] self.md verified
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Guide for writing ast-grep rules to perform structural code search and analysis. Use when users need to search codebases using Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) patterns, find specific code structures, or perform complex code queries that go beyond simple text search.

Installation

npx claude-plugins install @ast-grep/ast-grep-marketplace/ast-grep

Contents

Folders: skills

Included Skills

This plugin includes 1 skill definition:

ast-grep

Guide for writing ast-grep rules to perform structural code search and analysis. Use when users need to search codebases using Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) patterns, find specific code structures, or perform complex code queries that go beyond simple text search. This skill should be used when users ask to search for code patterns, find specific language constructs, or locate code with particular structural characteristics.

View skill definition

Overview

This skill helps translate natural language queries into ast-grep rules for structural code search. ast-grep uses Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) patterns to match code based on its structure rather than just text, enabling powerful and precise code search across large codebases.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when users:

  • Need to search for code patterns using structural matching (e.g., “find all async functions that don’t have error handling”)
  • Want to locate specific language constructs (e.g., “find all function calls with specific parameters”)
  • Request searches that require understanding code structure rather than just text
  • Ask to search for code with particular AST characteristics
  • Need to perform complex code queries that traditional text search cannot handle

General Workflow

Follow this process to help users write effective ast-grep rules:

Step 1: Understand the Query

Clearly understand what the user wants to find. Ask clarifying questions if needed:

  • What specific code pattern or structure are they looking for?
  • Which programming language?
  • Are there specific edge cases or variations to consider?
  • What should be included or excluded from matches?

Step 2: Create Example Code

Write a simple code snippet that represents what the user wants to match. Save this to a temporary file for testing.

Example: If searching for “async functions that use await”, create a test file:

// test_exa

...(truncated)

</details>

## Source

[View on GitHub](https://github.com/ast-grep/agent-skill)
[!] SKILL TAGS //
#general #ast-grep#code-search#ast#structural-search#pattern-matching#refactoring