llmgrep
Version: 3.1.0
Pattern-based code search for Magellan databases. Fast, deterministic symbol search with LLM-optimized JSON output.
Positioning: Read-only query tool for codebases indexed by Magellan. Use to find symbols, references, and call relationships. Emits structured JSON for AI-assisted code understanding.
Purpose
llmgrep queries Magellan databases. Built for:
- AI Assistants — Structured JSON output designed for LLM consumption
- Developers — Fast symbol search without IDE overhead
- Tooling — Scriptable code analysis with precise byte spans
Features
- Symbol search — Find functions, structs, traits by name or regex
- Reference lookup — Find all callers/callees of a function
- Call graph traversal — Navigate caller → callee relationships
- AST filtering — Filter by node kind, nesting depth, complexity
- Geometric backend — Native .geo file support with chunk retrieval
- Path normalization — Consistent path handling across platforms
- Explicit ambiguity handling — Structured results for disambiguation
Quick Start
# Install
# Create Geometric database (recommended)
# Search symbols
# Find references
Installation
Backends
| Backend | File | Features | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geometric | .geo |
Full search + chunk retrieval + path normalization | Default |
| SQLite | .db |
Full search | Legacy (always available) |
| Native-V3 | .v3 |
O(1) KV operations + autocomplete | Reserved (disabled) |
Geometric (.geo) features:
- Path normalization before queries
- Explicit ambiguity error handling
- Code chunk retrieval (no file I/O)
- No SQLite dependencies
Backend detection is automatic — no flags needed. Detects by file extension (.geo) and header bytes.
Requirements
- Magellan 3.0.0+ — Required for indexing
- sqlitegraph 2.0.7+ — Included automatically
Documentation
- MANUAL.md — Complete command reference and examples
- CHANGELOG.md — Version history
- API_INTEGRATION.md — Magellan contract details
- INVARIANTS.md — Behavior guarantees
What llmgrep Does NOT Do
- ❌ Index code (use Magellan)
- ❌ Type checking or semantic analysis
- ❌ Background file watching
- ❌ Code editing (use splice)
- ❌ CFG analysis (use Mirage)
License
GPL-3.0-only. See LICENSE.