Vexor CLI Skill

Goal

Find files by intent (what they do), not exact text.

Use It Like This

• Use vexor first for intent-based file discovery.

• If vexor is missing, follow references/install-vexor.md.

Command

vexor "<QUERY>" [--path <ROOT>] [--mode <MODE>] [--ext .py,.md] [--exclude-pattern <PATTERN>] [--top 5] [--format rich|porcelain|porcelain-z]

Common Flags

• --path/-p : root directory (default: current dir)

• --mode/-m : indexing/search strategy

• --ext/-e : limit file extensions (e.g., .py,.md )

• --exclude-pattern : exclude paths by gitignore-style pattern (repeatable; .js → **/*.js )

• --top/-k : number of results

• --include-hidden : include dotfiles

• --no-respect-gitignore : include ignored files

• --no-recursive : only the top directory

• --format : rich (default) or porcelain /porcelain-z for scripts

• --no-cache : in-memory only, do not read/write index cache

Modes (pick the cheapest that works)

• auto : routes by file type (default)

• name : filename-only (fastest)

• head : first lines only (fast)

• brief : keyword summary (good for PRDs)

• code : code-aware chunking for .py/.js/.ts (best default for codebases)

• outline : Markdown headings/sections (best for docs)

• full : chunk full file contents (slowest, highest recall)

Troubleshooting

• Need ignored or hidden files: add --include-hidden and/or --no-respect-gitignore .

• Scriptable output: use --format porcelain (TSV) or --format porcelain-z (NUL-delimited).

• Get detailed help: vexor search --help .

• Config issues: vexor doctor or vexor config --show diagnoses API, cache, and connectivity (tell the user to set up).

Examples

Find CLI entrypoints / commands

vexor search "typer app commands" --top 5

Search docs by headings/sections

vexor search "user authentication flow" --path docs --mode outline --ext .md --format porcelain

Locate config loading/validation logic

vexor search "config loader" --path . --mode code --ext .py

Exclude tests and JavaScript files

vexor search "config loader" --path . --exclude-pattern tests/** --exclude-pattern .js

Tips

• First time search will index files (may take a minute). Subsequent searches are fast. Use longer timeouts if needed.

• Results return similarity ranking, exact file location, line numbers, and matching snippet preview.

• Combine --ext with --exclude-pattern to focus on a subset (exclude rules apply on top).