search_pattern

The search_pattern tool provides powerful regex-based code search with intelligent file filtering and context options. It's the ideal choice when you need to find exact text patterns, specific syntax, or code that follows a particular structure.

How It Works

Stellarion uses a high-performance regex engine (ripgrep) optimized for code search. It automatically respects .gitignore patterns and excludes common noise like node_modules, build artifacts, and compiled files.

When to Use

• Finding exact text matches: Specific strings, identifiers, or keywords
• Searching for code markers: TODOs, FIXMEs, HACKs, or custom annotations
• Locating specific function calls: API usage, deprecated methods, library calls
• Finding deprecated API usage: Identify code that needs migration
• Syntax-based searches: Import statements, export patterns, decorators

Parameters

MCP Command Syntax

mcp__stellarion__search_pattern pattern:"regex" path:src/ fileTypes:["ts","js"] contextLines:2

Examples

Find TODO Comments

Natural Language:

Find all TODO, FIXME, and HACK comments in the codebase

Direct MCP Call:

mcp__stellarion__search_pattern pattern:"TODO|FIXME|HACK" contextLines:1

Returns: All developer annotations with one line of context

Find Console Statements

Natural Language:

Show me all console.log, console.warn, and console.error calls

Direct MCP Call:

mcp__stellarion__search_pattern pattern:"console\\.(log|warn|error)" excludeTests:true

Returns: All console statements in production code (excluding tests)

Find Async Functions

Natural Language:

Find all async function declarations

Direct MCP Call:

mcp__stellarion__search_pattern pattern:"async function|async \\w+\\(" fileTypes:["ts","js"]

Returns: All async function declarations in TypeScript and JavaScript files

Find Import Statements

Natural Language:

Find all imports from React

Direct MCP Call:

mcp__stellarion__search_pattern pattern:"import.*from ['\"]react['\"]" fileTypes:["tsx","jsx"]

Returns: All React imports in JSX/TSX files

Find Export Declarations

Natural Language:

Show me all named exports in the project

Direct MCP Call:

mcp__stellarion__search_pattern pattern:"export (class|interface|type|function|const)" path:src/

Returns: All named export declarations in the src directory

Find Deprecated API Usage

Natural Language:

Find usage of the old authentication API

Direct MCP Call:

mcp__stellarion__search_pattern pattern:"oldAuthService\\.|legacyLogin\\(" contextLines:3

Returns: All usage of deprecated auth methods with surrounding context

Find Error Handling Patterns

Natural Language:

Find all try-catch blocks

Direct MCP Call:

mcp__stellarion__search_pattern pattern:"try\\s*\\{" contextLines:5 multiline:true

Returns: All try blocks with context showing the catch handling

Find Specific Decorators

Natural Language:

Find all @Injectable decorators

Direct MCP Call:

mcp__stellarion__search_pattern pattern:"@Injectable\\(.*\\)" fileTypes:["ts"]

Returns: All classes with the Injectable decorator

Output Format

Each result includes:

Regex Tips

Escaping Special Characters

Use \\ to escape regex special characters:

Common Patterns

Combining with Other Tools

Pattern search works well with other Stellarion tools:

1. Find, then analyze: Use search_pattern to find code, then get_code_element to extract full implementations
2. Find, then measure: Use search_pattern to locate files, then batch_analyze for complexity metrics
3. Pattern + semantic: Use search_pattern for exact matches, search_semantic for conceptual matches

Tips for Effective Searches

1. Start simple: Begin with a basic pattern and refine if needed
2. Use file type filters: Narrow results with fileTypes:["ts","tsx"]
3. Exclude tests: Add excludeTests:true when searching production code
4. Add context: Use contextLines:2 to understand matches in context
5. Limit results: Use limit:50 for faster results on large codebases