Vector DB Search
Semantic (meaning-based) search against the ChromaDB vector store. Use for Phase 2 of the 3-phase search protocol -- after the RLM Summary Ledger (Phase 1) returns insufficient results.
Scripts
Script Role
scripts/query.py
Semantic search -- CLI entry point
scripts/operations.py
Core Parent-Child retrieval library
scripts/vector_config.py
Profile config helper (vector_profiles.json )
scripts/vector_consistency_check.py
Integrity validation
Write operations (ingest, cleanup) are handled by dedicated agents: vdb-ingest , vdb-cleanup .
When to Use
-
Phase 1 (RLM Summary Ledger) returned no match or insufficient detail
-
User asks "how does X work?" / "find code that does Y"
-
You need specific snippets, not just file-level summaries
Execution Protocol
- Verify ChromaDB is running
curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:8110/api/v1/heartbeat
If connection refused: run vector-db-launch skill (plugins/vector-db/skills/vector-db-launch/SKILL.md ). For first-time setup: run vector-db-init skill (plugins/vector-db/skills/vector-db-init/scripts/init.py ).
- Select Profile and Search
Profiles are project-defined in vector_profiles.json (see vector-db-init skill). Any number can exist. Discover what's available:
cat .agent/learning/vector_profiles.json
Common default is knowledge -- your project may define more (e.g. separate profiles for code vs docs). When topic is ambiguous, search all profiles.
python3 ./scripts/query.py
"your natural language question" --profile knowledge --limit 5
Results include ranked parent chunks with RLM Super-RAG context pre-injected.
Architectural Constraints (Electric Fence)
NEVER -- direct database reads
Do not cat , strings , or sqlite3 the .vector_data/ directory. Binary blobs will corrupt your context window and the retrieval pipeline.
ALWAYS -- use the API
All access goes through query.py . No exceptions.
Source Transparency Declaration (L5 Pattern)
When search returns empty results, explicitly state:
Not Found in Vector Store Searched profile: [profile_name] for "[query]" Profile covers: [scope] Not searched: [out-of-scope areas]