Tools and Workflows

Tools and Workflows

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Built-in tools

Category	Representative tools	Purpose
File reading	read_file, list_files, find_files	Read text or multimodal files, browse directories, and find paths
File editing	write_file, apply_diff, insert_code, delete_code, delete_file	Create, rewrite, patch, or remove files
Search	search_in_files	Text search, regular expressions, and replacement
Terminal	execute_command	Commands, builds, tests, and development tasks
Language services	get_symbols, goto_definition, find_references	VS Code symbols, definitions, and references
Document workflows	Design, Plan, Progress, and Review tools	Create and maintain structured engineering artifacts
Task management	todo_update and related tools	Track steps and state for the current task
History and knowledge	history_search, read_skill	Search conversation history and load Skills on demand
Media	Image generation, crop, resize, rotate, background removal	Generate and process image assets
Memory	memory_wake, memory_note, memory_recall, and others	Restore, record, search, and maintain persistent memory

Tool names in Settings are localized, while model calls use stable English identifiers. GrayCode corrects some common argument type errors automatically and strips unknown fields with a warning.

Auto-execution and confirmation

Use Settings → Auto Execute to decide which tools run immediately and which require confirmation. Keep confirmation enabled for high-risk operations such as file deletion, arbitrary commands, and access outside the workspace.

File writes normally show a diff first. A new file may be briefly pre-created as an empty file so the diff can render. Rejecting or cancelling removes that file and any still-empty parent directories created for it; cleanup failures are reported explicitly.

Parallelism and conflict protection

Adjacent read-only tools can run in parallel to reduce cumulative lookup latency. Write tools use process-wide path locks so the main conversation and Sub-Agents cannot modify the same file or directory concurrently. On a lock conflict, work elsewhere and retry after the current writer finishes.

Repeated calls with the same failing arguments are short-circuited so the model is prompted to try a different approach.

Recommended workflows

Quick investigation

1. Describe the symptom and reproduction conditions in Ask or Code mode.
2. Search relevant symbols, logs, and call sites first.
3. Ask for evidence, root cause, and impact.
4. Approve the solution, then edit and run focused tests.

Complex feature

1. Use Design to define goals, non-goals, constraints, interfaces, and risks.
2. Use Plan to split the approved design into verifiable steps.
3. Implement in Code mode while updating TODO and Progress.
4. Use Review to inspect the complete diff, edge cases, and test coverage.

Read-only review

In Review or Ask mode, state “review only; do not modify files.” Request findings with severity, exact file and line, trigger conditions, and evidence. If no issues are found, ask for the reviewed scope and remaining risks.

Outside-workspace access

File tools such as read_file and write_file have independent outside-workspace policies. If a path is denied, inspect the corresponding tool under Settings → Tools. Do not broaden access merely to bypass a safety boundary.