cx

Semantic code navigation with cx CLI. Use when you need to understand code structure before reading files, find symbol definitions, trace references before refactoring, or explore large codebases efficiently. Triggers: 'cx overview', 'cx symbols', 'cx definition', 'cx references', 'code structure', 'find function', 'where is X defined', 'who calls X', 'semantic navigation'.

Use cx for semantic code navigation before reading whole files. Start narrow and only expand context when the task requires it.

Core Workflow

Follow this escalation order:

1. cx overview <path> to understand a file or directory.
2. cx symbols to discover named symbols.
3. cx definition or cx references to inspect a symbol or its semantic usages.
4. Read a full file only when semantic navigation cannot answer the question.

Use cx before exploring code, editing a named symbol, refactoring, or resuming work after context compression. For ambiguous names, find candidates with cx symbols --name "*partial*", then narrow definition with --from.

Before Running cx

• Use supported source languages or Markdown; do not use cx for YAML, JSON, TOML, binary files, anonymous functions, dynamic dispatch, or non-symbol regions.
• Work inside a git repository, or provide --root <path>.
• Ensure the required language grammar is installed. Run cx overview . for a first-use probe; its missing-grammar output includes the install command.

cx is read-only. Use normal read and edit tools for changes or for full-file context.

Optional References

Run cx skill references to list expanded guidance, then run cx skill references <name> to print one reference on demand.