docs(vex): split vex into its own reference, refresh for v1.16.0
- Add vex.md: install (prebuilt binaries + self-update), GPU/CUDA setup, jina-code+CUDA recommendation (CUDA essential, too slow on CPU), vex mcp install, full command set (bundle/paths/reachable/diff/history, search scope+metadata filters), CLAUDE.md integration, caveats - Shrink claude-code-tools.md section vex to a blurb + links - Note v1.16.0 capabilities in the vex-vs-ast-index benchmark (not re-benchmarked) - README: bump date, index vex.md, refresh vex descriptions
This commit is contained in:
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
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# Claude Code Facts
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> Last updated: 2026-06-01
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> Last updated: 2026-06-11
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A collection of interesting and useful facts, tips, tools, and guides for working with Claude and Claude Code.
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@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ A collection of interesting and useful facts, tips, tools, and guides for workin
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### [Claude Code Tools & Extensions](claude-code-tools.md)
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MCP servers, skills, and plugins that extend Claude Code — including Context7 (library docs), AST Index, and vex (fast code search with semantic embeddings).
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MCP servers, skills, and plugins that extend Claude Code — including Context7 (library docs), AST Index, and vex (hybrid code search; summarized here with a link to its full reference).
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### [Gitea Release Workflow (Minimal)](gitea-release-workflow.md)
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@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ Review of code signing options for Windows executables — Azure Trusted Signing
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How to configure parallel job capacity for Gitea Act Runner on TrueNAS. Covers the `CONFIG_FILE` env var requirement, custom `config.yaml` mount, and capacity tuning.
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### [vex — Hybrid Code Search Reference](vex.md)
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Full reference for the `vex` code-search tool (current release **v1.16.0**) — install (prebuilt Windows/macOS/Linux binaries + `self-update`, or build-from-source), **GPU / CUDA acceleration** with the `jina-code` embedder recommendation, MCP-server registration (`vex mcp install`), the recommended `.vex.toml`, the complete command set (call graph, git history, scope/metadata search filters), and CLAUDE.md integration.
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### [Code Search: vex vs ast-index — Benchmark Notes](code-search-vex-vs-ast-index.md)
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Point-in-time benchmark of `vex` and `ast-index` on a real mixed-language repo — indexing footprint, query latency, precision findings, and when to fall back from one to the other. Refreshed for `vex 1.9.1` / `ast-index 3.41.0`, with a summary of what flipped since the previous snapshot.
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Point-in-time benchmark of `vex` and `ast-index` on a real mixed-language repo — indexing footprint, query latency, precision findings, and when to fall back from one to the other. Latency/quality tables pinned to `vex 1.9.1` / `ast-index 3.41.0`, with a summary of what flipped since the previous snapshot and a vex 1.16.0 capability-update note (see [vex.md](vex.md) for the current command set).
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+4
-92
@@ -70,99 +70,11 @@ Fast code search skill for Claude Code — find classes, symbols, usages, implem
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### vex
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Fast hybrid code search — combines tree-sitter AST parsing, FST symbol lookup, BM25 body search, and optional ONNX semantic embeddings. Ships as a CLI (`vex search`, `vex usages`, `vex callers`, `vex similar`, `vex duplicates`, `vex pattern`, etc.) plus an optional MCP server (`vex-mcp`) that exposes the same operations to Claude Code as ~17 structured tools. Useful as a peer or replacement for AST Index when you want semantic / concept-level search in addition to exact symbol lookup.
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Fast hybrid code search — tree-sitter AST parsing, FST symbol lookup, BM25 body search, a persistent call graph, optional ONNX semantic embeddings, and (v1.16) a query-time git-history walker. Ships as a CLI plus an optional `vex-mcp` MCP server exposing 20+ structured tools to Claude Code. A strong peer or replacement for AST Index when you want semantic / concept-level search, call-graph navigation, and symbol-level git archaeology alongside exact symbol lookup.
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- **Repository:** <https://github.com/tenatarika/vex>
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- **Languages:** 18+ via tree-sitter — Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, Go, Rust, Java, Kotlin, C#, Ruby, Swift, C++, PHP, Bash, Lua, CSS, HTML, YAML, TOML, SQL, Markdown.
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- **Install (Linux/macOS):**
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```bash
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brew tap tenatarika/tap && brew install vex
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```
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Latest release also ships prebuilt tarballs for `linux-x86_64` and `darwin-aarch64`.
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- **Install (Windows — build from source, ~3 min):**
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As of v1.5.0 there is **no prebuilt Windows binary** in the release assets, so a Rust toolchain (≥1.80) is required:
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```bash
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git clone https://github.com/tenatarika/vex.git "$HOME/Documents/vex"
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cd "$HOME/Documents/vex"
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cargo build --release --workspace
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cp target/release/vex.exe target/release/vex-mcp.exe "$HOME/.cargo/bin/"
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```
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`~/.cargo/bin/` (i.e. `%USERPROFILE%\.cargo\bin`) is already on PATH on any system with `cargo` installed, so both binaries become globally callable immediately.
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- **Per-project bootstrap:**
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```bash
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cd <your-project>
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vex init # creates .vex.toml
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vex index --path . # plain index, sub-second, no downloads
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# or, for semantic / concept-level search:
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vex index --path . --semantic # downloads ~86 MB ONNX model on first run
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```
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Recommended `.vex.toml` for serious use:
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```toml
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semantic = true # enable meaning-based search (vex similar, vex duplicates, --semantic queries)
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auto_update = true # incrementally refresh the index before each search
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```
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- **Register `vex-mcp` with Claude Code (user scope — available across all projects):**
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```bash
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# Windows
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claude mcp add vex -s user -- "$HOME/.cargo/bin/vex-mcp.exe"
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# macOS / Linux
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claude mcp add vex -s user -- "$HOME/.cargo/bin/vex-mcp"
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```
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`vex-mcp` defaults `VEX_ROOT` to the current working directory, so a single global registration works for every project — individual tool calls can also override per-call via a `project_root` argument.
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- **Key commands / MCP tools:** `search` (symbol + semantic), `show` (full body), `usages`, `callers`, `callees`, `implementations`, `outline`, `pattern` (ast-grep–style structural match), `similar` (semantic, requires `--semantic` index), `duplicates`, `status`, `grep` (regex fallback, no index needed), `update` (incremental reindex).
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- **Wire it into `CLAUDE.md` (recommended):**
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Installing the binaries and building an index isn't enough — Claude won't reliably prefer `vex` over `Grep`/`Read` unless a `CLAUDE.md` tells it to.
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**Start from upstream**, don't duplicate. The vex README maintains a canonical `CLAUDE.md` snippet — see [`README.md` → "CLAUDE.md Integration"](https://github.com/tenatarika/vex#claudemd-integration). Paste it into your **global** `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` (applies to every project) or a **project-local** `./CLAUDE.md` (overrides global per repo).
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**Then graft on these local additions** — they go beyond what upstream covers and are worth keeping wherever you install vex:
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1. **MCP server line** — add this near the top of the snippet so Claude knows the MCP route exists:
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> Equivalent **MCP tools** are also available via the `vex` MCP server when registered (`claude mcp add vex -s user`) — prefer them inside a Claude Code session for cheaper token output; use the Bash CLI from subagents, hooks, and scripts.
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2. **Skip-vex rule** — add to the Rules block:
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> **Skip vex** for non-code text — config files (YAML/JSON/TOML), docs, log strings, free-form prose — and for files in languages vex doesn't parse. Fall back to the next tool in the priority chain that's actually capable for the case (typically Grep/Glob for free-form text).
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3. **Subagent reminder** — add to the Rules block:
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> **Subagents** (Plan/Explore/general-purpose) don't inherit project CLAUDE.md or the parent's MCP toolset — explicitly tell them in the prompt to use `vex` via Bash for code search.
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4. **`auto_update` accuracy fix** — upstream says "Run `vex update` after modifying source files if `auto_update` is not enabled." With `auto_update = true` it runs before *each search*, so during a Claude session the manual update is rarely needed. Reword as:
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> **Run `vex update` manually after editing** only if `auto_update = false`; with `auto_update = true`, vex auto-refreshes before each search.
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5. **`--semantic` cost note** — append to the `vex index --semantic` line in the Indexing block:
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> downloads ~86 MB ONNX model on first run, enables `vex search --semantic`, `vex similar`, `vex duplicates`.
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**When to put it in global vs project CLAUDE.md:**
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- **Global (`~/.claude/CLAUDE.md`)** — preferred default once `vex-mcp` is registered at user scope. Vex becomes the recommendation for every project as soon as the index is built.
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- **Project-local (`./CLAUDE.md`)** — for overrides (different fallback chain, monorepo-specific `--filter` paths, language-specific `--kind` defaults, or excluding vex on repos where it isn't set up).
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- **Caveats (as of v1.5.0):** vex is a young tool under active development. Known quirks: `implementations` doesn't detect generic-parameterized subclasses (`class Foo(Base[T])`); `usages` is text-flavored and matches inside comments/docstrings; first-time Windows install requires building from source. Verify load-bearing results against `ast-index` or `Grep`. The benchmark notes below capture more specific findings on a real repo.
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- **vex vs AST Index — when each wins:** Both tools cover similar ground, but they're not interchangeable. For a point-in-time head-to-head on a real mixed-language repo (Python / Kotlin / TypeScript / JavaScript) with measured latency, quality differences, and version-pinned findings, see [`code-search-vex-vs-ast-index.md`](code-search-vex-vs-ast-index.md). Headline: keep `vex` as primary, fall back to `ast-index changed --base <branch>` for code-review diffs (no vex equivalent) and to `ast-index symbol`/`usages` when vex's textual matches are too noisy.
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- **Repository:** <https://github.com/tenatarika/vex> · **Current release:** v1.16.0 (`vex self-update` to upgrade in place).
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- **Full reference → [vex.md](vex.md)** — install (prebuilt Windows/macOS/Linux + `self-update`, or build-from-source), **GPU / CUDA acceleration** (strongly prefer `jina-code` + CUDA; it's too slow on CPU), `vex mcp install`, the recommended `.vex.toml`, the full command set (`bundle`, `paths`, `reachable`, `diff`, `history`, search scope/metadata filters), CLAUDE.md integration, and caveats.
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- **Benchmark vs AST Index → [code-search-vex-vs-ast-index.md](code-search-vex-vs-ast-index.md)** — point-in-time head-to-head. Headline: keep `vex` primary; fall back to `ast-index changed --base <branch>` for code-review diffs and to `ast-index symbol` / `usages` when you want textual matches.
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### Packaged Skills
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@@ -11,6 +11,24 @@
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> this revision. See ["Changes since the 2026-05-18 snapshot"](#changes-since-the-2026-05-18-snapshot)
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> at the bottom for a summary.
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> **Capability update — vex 1.16.0 (capabilities only, NOT re-benchmarked):** the
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> latency and quality tables below remain pinned to **vex 1.9.1**, but vex's feature
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> surface has moved on. New since 1.9.1 (no fresh measurements taken here):
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>
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> - **`vex history <Symbol>`** (v1.16) — query-time git-log walker returning every
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> historical version of a symbol (`--diff`, `--since`/`--until`, `--author`, `--kind`);
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> opt-in indexed sidecar via `vex index --history`. No ast-index equivalent.
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> - **`vex mcp install` / `uninstall` / `list`** (v1.15.0) — idempotent MCP-server
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> registration for Claude Code / Cursor (replaces hand-editing the agent config).
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> - **Scope & metadata search filters** on `vex search` / `vex usages` — `--kind`,
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> `--include`/`--exclude`, `--since`/`--since-branched`/`--changed-only`, `--visibility`,
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> `--async-only`, `--static-only`, `--sealed-only`, `--why`.
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> - **`vex gpu`** execution-provider probe; **`vex watch`** continuous reindex;
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> **`vex init --agents-md`**; prebuilt Windows `vex` + `vex-mcp` binaries.
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>
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> See **[vex.md](vex.md)** for the full current reference (install, GPU/CUDA, config,
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> command set). Re-run the tables below on 1.16.0 before citing the numbers.
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## Test environment
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| Aspect | Value |
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@@ -94,6 +112,7 @@ Three real queries from the test repo (re-run on 2026-05-26):
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- `vex bundle --mode {symbol,pr-impact,project}` — one call replaces the `show → callers → callees → similar` round trip; pr-impact mode bundles changed symbols + transitive callers + reachable tests for code review.
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- `vex eval` — built-in ranking eval harness for CI regression.
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- `vex capabilities` — machine-readable feature matrix.
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- **Since v1.10–v1.16 (see the capability-update note at the top + [vex.md](vex.md)):** `vex history` (symbol-level git archaeology), `vex mcp install`/`uninstall`/`list` (idempotent MCP registration), `vex gpu` (EP probe), `vex watch` (continuous reindex), and scope/metadata search filters (`--kind`, `--include`/`--exclude`, `--since`/`--changed-only`, `--visibility`, `--async-only`, `--why`).
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## Practical recommendation
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@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
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# vex — Hybrid Structural + Semantic Code Search
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> **Current release:** v1.16.0 · Companion doc: [code-search-vex-vs-ast-index.md](code-search-vex-vs-ast-index.md) (vex-vs-ast-index benchmark notes).
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>
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> Split out of [claude-code-tools.md](claude-code-tools.md) — that file keeps a short blurb and links here.
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|
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Fast hybrid code search — combines tree-sitter AST parsing, FST symbol lookup, BM25 body search, a persistent call graph, optional ONNX semantic embeddings, and (v1.16) a query-time git-history walker. Ships as a CLI (`vex search`, `vex usages`, `vex callers`, `vex bundle`, `vex history`, `vex pattern`, etc.) plus an optional MCP server (`vex-mcp`) that exposes the same operations to Claude Code as 20+ structured tools. Useful as a peer or replacement for AST Index when you want semantic / concept-level search, call-graph navigation, and symbol-level git archaeology in addition to exact symbol lookup.
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- **Repository:** <https://github.com/tenatarika/vex>
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- **Current release:** v1.16.0 — verify with `vex self-update --check`, upgrade in place with `vex self-update` (works on Windows/macOS/Linux).
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- **Languages:** 18+ via tree-sitter — Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, Go, Rust, Java, Kotlin, C#, Ruby, Swift, C++, PHP, Bash, Lua, CSS, HTML, YAML, TOML, SQL, Markdown.
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|
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## Install
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- **Linux / macOS:**
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|
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```bash
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brew tap tenatarika/tap && brew install vex
|
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```
|
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|
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The [release assets](https://github.com/tenatarika/vex/releases/latest) also ship prebuilt tarballs — as of v1.16.0, both `vex` and `vex-mcp` for `x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu`, `aarch64-apple-darwin`, and `x86_64-pc-windows-msvc`.
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- **Windows (prebuilt, no Rust needed):**
|
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|
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Recent releases (confirmed through v1.16.0) ship **prebuilt Windows binaries** — `vex-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.tar.gz` and `vex-mcp-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.tar.gz`. Download both, drop `vex.exe` + `vex-mcp.exe` onto your PATH (e.g. `%USERPROFILE%\.cargo\bin` or any PATH dir), then keep them current in place:
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|
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```bash
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vex self-update # --check previews the latest version; -y skips the prompt
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```
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|
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`vex self-update` replaces the running binary in place on Windows, macOS, and Linux — no package manager required.
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|
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- **Build from source** (fallback — unreleased commits, or a **CUDA-enabled GPU build**; needs Rust ≥1.80):
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
git clone https://github.com/tenatarika/vex.git "$HOME/Documents/vex"
|
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cd "$HOME/Documents/vex"
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cargo build --release --workspace # add --features gpu-cuda for CUDA-accelerated embedding
|
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cp target/release/vex.exe target/release/vex-mcp.exe "$HOME/.cargo/bin/"
|
||||
```
|
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|
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`~/.cargo/bin/` (i.e. `%USERPROFILE%\.cargo\bin`) is already on PATH on any system with `cargo` installed, so both binaries become globally callable immediately.
|
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|
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## GPU / CUDA acceleration
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|
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Semantic indexing (`--semantic`) is the only GPU-accelerated path — the GPU absorbs the heavier embedding cost on cold/large builds. Search queries themselves are CPU-bound and already fast. vex picks an ONNX Runtime **execution provider** at embed time:
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|
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| Provider | Where it comes from | Notes |
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|---|---|---|
|
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| **CPU** | always available | fine for `minilm-l6-v2`; **impractically slow for `jina-code`** |
|
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| **CUDA** | **source build only** — `cargo build --release --features gpu-cuda` + NVIDIA CUDA toolkit | the only GPU path that works with `jina-code` |
|
||||
| **DirectML** | Windows prebuilt | **incompatible with `jina-code`** (see warning below) |
|
||||
| **CoreML** | macOS prebuilt | Apple Silicon |
|
||||
|
||||
**Setup (NVIDIA + CUDA, Windows or Linux):**
|
||||
|
||||
1. Build vex with the CUDA feature — **the prebuilt binaries do not include CUDA**:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
git clone https://github.com/tenatarika/vex.git && cd vex
|
||||
cargo build --release --features gpu-cuda
|
||||
cp target/release/vex.exe target/release/vex-mcp.exe "$HOME/.cargo/bin/" # drop .exe on Linux
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Requires a matching CUDA toolkit and the ONNX Runtime CUDA execution provider available to the binary.
|
||||
|
||||
2. Verify the provider actually engages on this machine:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
vex gpu # actively probes every compiled EP; --enable pins VEX_DEVICE for all projects
|
||||
vex status # should print: GPU: yes (CUDA)
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
3. Index on the GPU:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
vex index --semantic --embedder jina-code --device cuda
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**⚠️ `jina-code` is incompatible with DirectML (Windows).** The code-specialized `jina-code` embedder has ops the DirectML EP cannot place — forcing `--gpu` / `--device directml` fails with `DML EP can only be used with CPU EPs`. So on Windows, `jina-code` runs on **CUDA (source build)** or **CPU only** — never on the prebuilt DirectML path. The default `device = "auto"` handles this gracefully (falls back to CPU) and is safe for `auto_update` incremental rebuilds.
|
||||
|
||||
**Recommendation — `jina-code` + CUDA is strongly preferred, and CUDA is essential for it:**
|
||||
|
||||
- **Strongly recommended whenever you have (or can build) CUDA on an NVIDIA GPU: `embedder = "jina-code"` + `device = "cuda"`.** The 768-dim, code-specialized model gives **noticeably better code-search results** than the default — this is the setup to aim for, and the GPU absorbs its heavier embed cost.
|
||||
- **CUDA is essential for `jina-code`, not a nice-to-have.** On CPU the model is **too slow to be practical** — the cold embed of a real repo drags badly — and on Windows it can't use DirectML at all. So if a CUDA build is genuinely out of reach, **do not force `jina-code` onto CPU**; fall back to the default `embedder = "minilm-l6-v2"`, which is CPU-fast and good enough for symbol + semantic search.
|
||||
- **Rule of thumb: CUDA → `jina-code`; no CUDA → `minilm-l6-v2`.** Never pair `jina-code` with CPU or DirectML.
|
||||
|
||||
## Per-project setup
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
cd <your-project>
|
||||
vex init # creates .vex.toml (add --agents-md to also emit an AGENTS.md for Cursor/Codex/Aider/Cline)
|
||||
vex index --path . # plain index, sub-second, no downloads
|
||||
# or, for semantic / concept-level search:
|
||||
vex index --path . --semantic # downloads ~86 MB ONNX model on first run
|
||||
# optional: bake a git-history sidecar so `vex history` is ~ms instead of shelling to git log:
|
||||
vex index --path . --semantic --history
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Recommended `.vex.toml` for serious use:
|
||||
|
||||
```toml
|
||||
semantic = true # enable meaning-based search (vex similar, vex duplicates, --semantic queries)
|
||||
auto_update = true # incrementally refresh the index before each search when stale
|
||||
|
||||
# Embedder — CUDA is the deciding factor (see "GPU / CUDA acceleration" above):
|
||||
# CUDA available → jina-code (STRONGLY recommended: code-specialized 768-dim, best results)
|
||||
# no CUDA (CPU/DML) → minilm-l6-v2 (default, CPU-fast; jina-code is too slow on CPU and can't use DirectML)
|
||||
embedder = "jina-code" # alternatives: minilm-l6-v2 (default), bge-base-en-v1.5, bge-large-en-v1.5, mxbai-large
|
||||
device = "cuda" # essential for jina-code; "auto" (default) falls back to CPU safely. Run `vex gpu` to probe.
|
||||
|
||||
# Git history (v1.16): `vex history <Symbol>` walks git log at QUERY TIME with no
|
||||
# index and no config needed — it works even on a repo vex hasn't indexed yet, so
|
||||
# there is intentionally no .vex.toml key to enable it. To make it FST-fast (~ms)
|
||||
# on long-lived repos, build the opt-in indexed sidecar with `vex index --history`
|
||||
# (adds ~5-30s to a cold build and ~10% to index size); `vex status` then shows a
|
||||
# "History:" line. Re-run after a `vex self-update` so newer history extractors populate.
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
## Register the MCP server
|
||||
|
||||
- **v1.15.0+ — one idempotent command:**
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
vex mcp install --agent claude-code # also: cursor, or `--agent all` to fan out across every supported agent
|
||||
vex mcp list # show current entries across all supported agents
|
||||
vex mcp uninstall --agent claude-code # idempotent removal
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
`vex mcp install` defaults `--binary-path` to the `vex-mcp` sibling of the running `vex` (PATH fallback otherwise) and `--project-root` (→ `VEX_ROOT`) to the cwd. Use `--server-name` to register distinct entries per repo (`vex-api` / `vex-client`); `--dry-run` previews the write; `--force` overwrites a differing entry. Supported agents today: `claude-code`, `cursor` (with `codex-cli`, `windsurf`, `cline`, `continue`, `zed` landing).
|
||||
|
||||
- **Manual equivalent** (still works — e.g. for a custom binary path or non-default scope):
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Windows
|
||||
claude mcp add vex -s user -- "$HOME/.cargo/bin/vex-mcp.exe"
|
||||
|
||||
# macOS / Linux
|
||||
claude mcp add vex -s user -- "$HOME/.cargo/bin/vex-mcp"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
`vex-mcp` defaults `VEX_ROOT` to the current working directory, so a single global registration works for every project — individual tool calls can also override per-call via a `project_root` argument.
|
||||
|
||||
## Command reference
|
||||
|
||||
- **Key commands / MCP tools:** `search` (symbol + semantic, with scope/metadata filters — see below), `show` (full body), `usages` (`--strict` for binder-resolved refs), `callers`, `callees`, `implementations`, `outline`, `pattern` (ast-grep–style structural match), `similar` (semantic, requires `--semantic` index), `duplicates`, `check` (fast multi-symbol existence), `grep` (regex fallback, no index needed), `update` (incremental reindex), `status`, `capabilities` (machine-readable feature matrix).
|
||||
|
||||
- **Call-graph & impact (call-graph index, ~ms queries):** `callers` / `callees` (direct), `paths --from A --to B` (all caller chains between two symbols), `reachable --target T` (everything that transitively reaches `T`), `bundle --mode {symbol,pr-impact,project}` (one call replaces the `show → callers → callees → similar` round trip; `pr-impact` bundles changed symbols + transitive callers + reachable tests for review), `diff --base <rev>` (symbol-level git-rev diff).
|
||||
|
||||
- **Git history (v1.16):** `history <Symbol>` walks git log and returns every historical version of a symbol — query-time, no index needed, works even on un-indexed repos. Flags: `--diff` (unified diffs between consecutive versions), `--since` / `--until` (date), `--author`, `--kind`, `--branch`, `--depth`, `--limit`. Opt into an indexed sidecar with `vex index --history` for ~ms lookups.
|
||||
|
||||
- **Search scope & metadata filters:** `vex search` and `vex usages` accept `--kind fn,method`, `--include` / `--exclude '<glob>'` (repeatable), `--since <rev>` / `--since-branched` / `--changed-only` (restrict to git-changed files), plus on `search`: `--visibility pub|priv`, `--async-only` / `--no-async`, `--static-only`, `--sealed-only`, `--context-path <file>` (proximity boost), and `--why` (JSON trace of per-channel FST / BM25 / semantic hit counts — use when results look wrong).
|
||||
|
||||
- **Maintenance / diagnostics:** `self-update` (in-place upgrade), `gpu [device]` (probe which execution provider actually engages; `--enable` pins `VEX_DEVICE`), `watch` (continuous incremental reindex), `completions <shell>`, `init --agents-md` (emit an `AGENTS.md`), `eval` (ranking-regression harness for CI).
|
||||
|
||||
## Wire it into `CLAUDE.md`
|
||||
|
||||
Installing the binaries and building an index isn't enough — Claude won't reliably prefer `vex` over `Grep`/`Read` unless a `CLAUDE.md` tells it to.
|
||||
|
||||
**Start from upstream**, don't duplicate. The vex README maintains a canonical `CLAUDE.md` snippet — see [`README.md` → "CLAUDE.md Integration"](https://github.com/tenatarika/vex#claudemd-integration). Paste it into your **global** `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` (applies to every project) or a **project-local** `./CLAUDE.md` (overrides global per repo).
|
||||
|
||||
**Then graft on these local additions** — they go beyond what upstream covers and are worth keeping wherever you install vex:
|
||||
|
||||
1. **MCP server line** — add this near the top of the snippet so Claude knows the MCP route exists:
|
||||
|
||||
> Equivalent **MCP tools** are also available via the `vex` MCP server when registered (`vex mcp install --agent claude-code`, or manually `claude mcp add vex -s user`) — prefer them inside a Claude Code session for cheaper token output; use the Bash CLI from subagents, hooks, and scripts (and for CLI-only features like `pattern`, `paths`, `reachable`, `diff`, `history`, and the `--strict` / `--why` flags).
|
||||
|
||||
2. **Skip-vex rule** — add to the Rules block:
|
||||
|
||||
> **Skip vex** for non-code text — config files (YAML/JSON/TOML), docs, log strings, free-form prose — and for files in languages vex doesn't parse. Fall back to the next tool in the priority chain that's actually capable for the case (typically Grep/Glob for free-form text).
|
||||
|
||||
3. **Subagent reminder** — add to the Rules block:
|
||||
|
||||
> **Subagents** (Plan/Explore/general-purpose) don't inherit project CLAUDE.md or the parent's MCP toolset — explicitly tell them in the prompt to use `vex` via Bash for code search.
|
||||
|
||||
4. **`auto_update` accuracy fix** — upstream says "Run `vex update` after modifying source files if `auto_update` is not enabled." With `auto_update = true` it runs before *each search*, so during a Claude session the manual update is rarely needed. Reword as:
|
||||
|
||||
> **Run `vex update` manually after editing** only if `auto_update = false`; with `auto_update = true`, vex auto-refreshes before each search.
|
||||
|
||||
5. **`--semantic` cost note** — append to the `vex index --semantic` line in the Indexing block:
|
||||
|
||||
> downloads ~86 MB ONNX model on first run, enables `vex search --semantic`, `vex similar`, `vex duplicates`.
|
||||
|
||||
**When to put it in global vs project CLAUDE.md:**
|
||||
|
||||
- **Global (`~/.claude/CLAUDE.md`)** — preferred default once `vex-mcp` is registered at user scope. Vex becomes the recommendation for every project as soon as the index is built.
|
||||
- **Project-local (`./CLAUDE.md`)** — for overrides (different fallback chain, monorepo-specific `--filter` paths, language-specific `--kind` defaults, or excluding vex on repos where it isn't set up).
|
||||
|
||||
## Caveats (as of v1.16.0)
|
||||
|
||||
vex is young but maturing fast — several earlier quirks are now fixed: `implementations` detects generic-parameterized subclasses (`class Foo(Base[T])`) since v1.7.0; `usages` is AST-precise by default with binder-resolved `--strict` refs (Rust/TS/Python/C#/C++) since v1.8.0 — no longer the text-flavored matcher it once was; prebuilt Windows binaries removed the build-from-source requirement.
|
||||
|
||||
**Still invisible to `usages` in both modes:** decorator-based dispatch (`@router.get`), string-resolved targets (Celery task names, Uvicorn factory strings), reflection / `getattr`, and dynamic imports — before any rename or delete, backstop with `vex grep '\bName\b'`. Verify load-bearing results against `ast-index` or `Grep`.
|
||||
|
||||
## vex vs AST Index — when each wins
|
||||
|
||||
Both tools cover similar ground, but they're not interchangeable. For a point-in-time head-to-head on a real mixed-language repo (Python / Kotlin / TypeScript / JavaScript) with measured latency, quality differences, and version-pinned findings, see [`code-search-vex-vs-ast-index.md`](code-search-vex-vs-ast-index.md). Headline: keep `vex` as primary, fall back to `ast-index changed --base <branch>` for code-review diffs (no vex equivalent) and to `ast-index symbol`/`usages` when vex's textual matches are too noisy.
|
||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user