grepai-search-tips

What this skill does

# GrepAI Search Tips

This skill provides tips and best practices for writing effective semantic search queries.

## When to Use This Skill

- Improving search result quality
- Learning semantic search techniques
- Understanding how to phrase queries
- Troubleshooting poor search results

## Semantic Search Mindset

Think differently from text search:

| Text Search (grep) | Semantic Search (GrepAI) |
|--------------------|--------------------------|
| Search for exact text | Search for meaning/intent |
| "getUserById" | "retrieve user from database by ID" |
| Literal match | Conceptual match |

## Query Writing Principles

### 1. Describe Intent, Not Implementation

❌ **Bad:** `getUserById`
✅ **Good:** `fetch user record from database using ID`

❌ **Bad:** `handleError`
✅ **Good:** `error handling and response to client`

❌ **Bad:** `validateInput`
✅ **Good:** `check if user input is valid and safe`

### 2. Use Descriptive Language

❌ **Bad:** `auth`
✅ **Good:** `user authentication and authorization`

❌ **Bad:** `db`
✅ **Good:** `database connection and queries`

❌ **Bad:** `config`
✅ **Good:** `application configuration loading`

### 3. Be Specific About Context

❌ **Bad:** `validation`
✅ **Good:** `validate email address format`

❌ **Bad:** `parse`
✅ **Good:** `parse JSON request body`

❌ **Bad:** `send`
✅ **Good:** `send email notification to user`

### 4. Use 3-7 Words

| Length | Example | Quality |
|--------|---------|---------|
| Too short | "auth" | ⚠️ Vague |
| Good | "user authentication middleware" | ✅ Specific |
| Too long | "the code that handles user authentication and validates JWT tokens in the middleware layer" | ⚠️ Verbose |

### 5. Use English

Embedding models are trained primarily on English:

❌ `authentification utilisateur` (French)
✅ `user authentication`

Even if your code comments are in another language, English queries work best.

## Query Patterns

### Finding Code by Behavior

```bash
grepai search "validate user credentials before login"
grepai search "send notification when order is placed"
grepai search "calculate total price with discounts"
grepai search "retry failed HTTP requests"
```

### Finding Code by Purpose

```bash
grepai search "middleware that checks authentication"
grepai search "function that formats dates"
grepai search "service that sends emails"
grepai search "handler for payment processing"
```

### Finding Error Handling

```bash
grepai search "handle errors from API calls"
grepai search "catch and log exceptions"
grepai search "error response to client"
grepai search "validation error messages"
```

### Finding Data Operations

```bash
grepai search "save user to database"
grepai search "query products by category"
grepai search "cache frequently accessed data"
grepai search "transform data before storage"
```

### Finding Configuration

```bash
grepai search "load configuration from environment"
grepai search "database connection settings"
grepai search "API keys and secrets management"
grepai search "feature flags and toggles"
```

### Finding Security Code

```bash
grepai search "password hashing and verification"
grepai search "input sanitization to prevent injection"
grepai search "rate limiting for API endpoints"
grepai search "CORS configuration"
```

## Iterative Refinement

If results aren't good, iterate:

### Start Broad

```bash
grepai search "authentication"
# Results too varied
```

### Add Context

```bash
grepai search "JWT authentication"
# Better, but still broad
```

### Be Specific

```bash
grepai search "JWT token validation middleware"
# Precise results
```

## Using Synonyms

Semantic search understands synonyms. Try different phrasings:

```bash
# These may return similar results:
grepai search "user authentication"
grepai search "user login verification"
grepai search "credential validation"
grepai search "identity verification"
```

## Domain-Specific Terms

Use your domain vocabulary:

```bash
# E-commerce
grepai search "shopping cart checkout process"
grepai search "inventory stock management"

# Finance
grepai search "transaction processing"
grepai search "payment reconciliation"

# Healthcare
grepai search "patient record retrieval"
grepai search "appointment scheduling"
```

## Question-Style Queries

Natural questions work well:

```bash
grepai search "how are users authenticated"
grepai search "where is the database connection configured"
grepai search "what happens when a request fails"
grepai search "how are errors logged"
```

## Avoiding Common Mistakes

### ❌ Don't Use Exact Function Names

If you know the exact name, use grep:
```bash
grep -r "getUserById" .  # Text search
```

GrepAI is for when you don't know the exact name:
```bash
grepai search "retrieve user from database"  # Semantic search
```

### ❌ Don't Be Too Abstract

```bash
# Too abstract
grepai search "business logic"

# More concrete
grepai search "calculate order total with tax"
```

### ❌ Don't Use Code Syntax

```bash
# Don't do this
grepai search "function() { return }"

# Do this
grepai search "function that returns early"
```

### ❌ Don't Over-Specify

```bash
# Over-specified (mentions irrelevant details)
grepai search "async function in TypeScript file that uses axios to fetch"

# Better
grepai search "fetch data from external API"
```

## Interpreting Results

### High Scores (0.85+)

Strong match. The code likely does what you described.

### Medium Scores (0.70-0.84)

Related code. May be what you want, or adjacent functionality.

### Low Scores (0.60-0.69)

Loosely related. Consider refining your query.

### Very Low Scores (<0.60)

Weak match. The concept may not exist in the codebase, or query needs rework.

## When GrepAI Doesn't Find Results

1. **Check the index:** `grepai status`
2. **Verify files are indexed:** Not in ignore patterns?
3. **Try simpler query:** Remove specificity
4. **Try different words:** Use synonyms
5. **Check if code exists:** Maybe it doesn't yet!

## Quick Reference Card

| Situation | Query Style |
|-----------|-------------|
| Know the behavior | "validates email format" |
| Know the domain | "payment processing flow" |
| Exploring | "how errors are handled" |
| Finding entry points | "main application startup" |
| Finding dependencies | "where database is connected" |

## Output Format

Tips summary:

```
📝 GrepAI Search Tips

✅ DO:
- Describe intent, not implementation
- Use 3-7 descriptive words
- Use English queries
- Iterate and refine

❌ DON'T:
- Use exact function names (use grep)
- Write too short queries ("auth")
- Write too long queries
- Use code syntax in queries

Example transformations:
  "auth"            → "user authentication and login"
  "getUserById"     → "fetch user by ID from database"
  "handleError"     → "error handling and logging"
```