docs: add grepai benchmark data to search tools workflow
Add real-world benchmark section with YoanDev's grepai vs grep comparison (Excalidraw 155k TS, Jan 2026). Includes honest disclosure of limitations (benchmark by tool maintainer). Source: https://yoandev.co/grepai-benchmark Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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guide/workflows/search-tools-mastery.md
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guide/workflows/search-tools-mastery.md
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# Search Tools Mastery: Combining rg, grepai, Serena & ast-grep
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> **Master the art of code search by combining the right tools for maximum efficiency**
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**Author**: Florian BRUNIAUX | Contributions from Claude (Anthropic)
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**Reading time**: ~20 minutes
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**Last updated**: January 2026
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---
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## Table of Contents
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1. [Quick Reference Matrix](#quick-reference-matrix)
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2. [Tool Comparison](#tool-comparison)
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3. [Decision Tree](#decision-tree)
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4. [Combined Workflows](#combined-workflows)
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5. [Real-World Scenarios](#real-world-scenarios)
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6. [Performance Optimization](#performance-optimization)
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7. [Common Pitfalls](#common-pitfalls)
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---
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## Quick Reference Matrix
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| I need to... | Use This Tool | Command Example |
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|--------------|---------------|-----------------|
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| Find exact text | `rg` (Grep tool) | `rg "authenticate" --type ts` |
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| Find by meaning | `grepai` | `grepai search "user login flow"` |
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| Find function definition | `Serena` | `serena find_symbol --name "login"` |
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| Find structural pattern | `ast-grep` | `ast-grep "async function $F"` |
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| See who calls function | `grepai` | `grepai trace callers "login"` |
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| Get file structure | `Serena` | `serena get_symbols_overview` |
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| Refactor across files | `Serena + ast-grep` | Combined workflow |
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| Explore unknown codebase | `grepai → Serena` | Discovery pattern |
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---
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## Tool Comparison
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### Complete Feature Matrix
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| Feature | rg (ripgrep) | grepai | Serena | ast-grep |
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|---------|--------------|--------|--------|----------|
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| **Search Type** | Regex/text | Semantic (meaning) | Symbol-aware | AST structure |
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| **Technology** | Pattern matching | Embeddings (Ollama) | Symbol parsing | Abstract Syntax Tree |
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| **Speed** | ⚡ ~20ms | 🐢 ~500ms | ⚡ ~100ms | 🕐 ~200ms |
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| **Setup** | ✅ None (built-in) | ⚠️ Ollama + install | ⚠️ MCP config | ⚠️ npm install |
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| **Integration** | ✅ Native (`Grep`) | ⚠️ MCP server | ⚠️ MCP server | ⚠️ Plugin |
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| **Privacy** | ✅ 100% local | ✅ 100% local | ✅ 100% local | ✅ 100% local |
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| **Context needed** | None | None | Project indexation | None |
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| **Languages** | All (text) | All | TS/JS/Py/Rust/Go | TS/JS/Py/Rust/Go/C++ |
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| **Call graph** | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
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| **Symbol tracking** | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
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| **Session memory** | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
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| **False positives** | Medium | Low | Very low | Very low |
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| **Learning curve** | Low | Medium | Low | High |
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### Token Cost Comparison
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| Tool | Typical Query | Tokens Consumed | Results Returned |
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|------|---------------|-----------------|------------------|
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| **rg** | "authenticate" | ~500 | Exact matches only |
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| **grepai** | "auth flow" | ~2000 | Intent-based matches |
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| **Serena** | find_symbol | ~1000 | Symbol + context |
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| **ast-grep** | AST pattern | ~1500 | Structural matches |
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**Key insight**: rg is 4x more token-efficient but 10x less intelligent than semantic tools.
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---
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## Decision Tree
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### Level 1: What Do You Know?
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```
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Do you know the EXACT text/pattern?
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│
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├─ YES → Use rg (ripgrep)
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│ ├─ Known function name: rg "createSession"
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│ ├─ Known import: rg "import.*React"
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│ └─ Known pattern: rg "async function"
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│
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└─ NO → Go to Level 2
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```
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### Level 2: What Are You Looking For?
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```
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What's your search intent?
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│
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├─ "Find by MEANING/CONCEPT"
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│ → Use grepai
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│ └─ Example: grepai search "payment validation logic"
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│
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├─ "Find FUNCTION/CLASS definition"
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│ → Use Serena
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│ └─ Example: serena find_symbol --name "UserController"
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│
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├─ "Find by CODE STRUCTURE"
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│ → Use ast-grep
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│ └─ Example: async without error handling
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│
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└─ "Understand DEPENDENCIES"
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→ Use grepai trace
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└─ Example: grepai trace callers "validatePayment"
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```
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### Level 3: Optimization
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```
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Found too many results?
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│
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├─ rg → Add --type filter or narrow path
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├─ grepai → Add --path filter or use trace
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├─ Serena → Filter by symbol type (function/class)
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└─ ast-grep → Add constraints to pattern
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```
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---
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## Combined Workflows
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### Workflow 1: Exploring Unknown Codebase
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**Goal**: Understand a new project quickly
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**Step-by-step**:
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```bash
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# 1. SEMANTIC DISCOVERY (grepai)
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# Find files related to authentication
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grepai search "user authentication and session management"
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# → Output: auth.service.ts, session.middleware.ts, user.controller.ts
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# 2. STRUCTURAL OVERVIEW (Serena)
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# Understand each file's structure
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serena get_symbols_overview --file auth.service.ts
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# → Output:
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# - class AuthService
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# - login(email, password)
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# - logout(sessionId)
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# - validateSession(token)
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# 3. DEPENDENCY MAPPING (grepai trace)
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# See how login is used
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grepai trace callers "login"
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# → Output: Called by UserController, ApiGateway, AdminPanel
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# 4. EXACT SEARCH (rg)
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# Find specific implementation details
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rg "validateSession" --type ts -A 5
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# → Output: Full function with 5 lines of context
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```
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**Result**: Complete understanding in 4 commands (vs 30+ file reads)
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---
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### Workflow 2: Large-Scale Refactoring
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**Goal**: Rename `createSession` → `initializeUserSession` across 50+ files
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**Step-by-step**:
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```bash
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# 1. IMPACT ANALYSIS (grepai trace)
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# Understand full scope
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grepai trace callers "createSession"
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# → Output: 47 callers across 23 files
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grepai trace callees "createSession"
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# → Output: Calls validateUser, createToken, storeSession
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# 2. STRUCTURAL VALIDATION (ast-grep)
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# Ensure consistent usage pattern
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ast-grep "createSession($$$ARGS)"
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# → Output: All invocations with their argument patterns
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# 3. SYMBOL-AWARE REFACTORING (Serena)
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# Precise renaming
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serena find_symbol --name "createSession" --include-body true
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# → Get exact definition + all references
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serena replace_symbol_body \
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--name "createSession" \
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--new-name "initializeUserSession"
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# → Rename across all files maintaining structure
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# 4. VERIFICATION (rg)
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# Confirm no old references remain
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rg "createSession" --type ts
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# → Should return 0 results
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```
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**Result**: Safe refactoring with full dependency awareness
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---
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### Workflow 3: Security Audit
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**Goal**: Find security vulnerabilities
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**Step-by-step**:
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```bash
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# 1. SEMANTIC DISCOVERY (grepai)
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# Find security-sensitive code
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grepai search "SQL query construction"
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grepai search "user input validation"
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grepai search "password handling"
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# 2. STRUCTURAL PATTERNS (ast-grep)
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# Find specific vulnerability patterns
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# SQL injection risks
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ast-grep 'db.query(`${$VAR}`)'
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# XSS risks
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ast-grep 'innerHTML = $VAR'
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# Missing error handling
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ast-grep -p 'async function $F($$$) { $$$BODY }' \
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--without 'try { $$$TRY } catch'
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# 3. DEPENDENCY TRACING (grepai)
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# See where vulnerable code is called
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grepai trace callers "executeQuery"
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# → Identify all entry points
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# 4. EXACT VERIFICATION (rg)
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# Confirm findings
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rg "innerHTML\s*=" --type ts
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rg "password" --type ts | rg -v "hashed"
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```
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**Result**: Comprehensive security audit in minutes
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---
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## Real-World Benchmarks
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### grepai vs grep (Janvier 2026)
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**Contexte**: Benchmark sur Excalidraw (155k lignes TypeScript)
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**Auteur**: YoanDev (mainteneur de grepai - biais potentiel)
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**Méthodologie**: 5 questions de découverte de code identiques
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| Métrique | grep | grepai | Différence |
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|----------|------|--------|------------|
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| Tool calls | 139 | 62 | **-55%** |
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| Input tokens | 51k | 1.3k | **-97%** |
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**À retenir**: Recherche sémantique réduit drastiquement les tokens en identifiant les fichiers pertinents dès la première tentative, évitant l'exploration itérative.
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**Limitations**:
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- Benchmark par le mainteneur de l'outil
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- Single-project validation (TypeScript only)
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- Pas de validation indépendante à ce jour
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**Source**: [yoandev.co/grepai-benchmark](https://yoandev.co/grepai-benchmark)
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> **Note**: Ce benchmark reflète l'état de janvier 2026. Les performances peuvent évoluer avec les mises à jour de Claude Code et grepai.
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---
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### Workflow 4: Framework Migration
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**Goal**: Migrate React class components → hooks
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**Step-by-step**:
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```bash
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# 1. INVENTORY (ast-grep)
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# Find all class components
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ast-grep 'class $C extends React.Component'
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# → Output: 34 components to migrate
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# 2. DEPENDENCY ANALYSIS (grepai)
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# Understand component relationships
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for component in $(ast-grep 'class $C extends' --json | jq -r '.[].name'); do
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grepai trace callers "$component"
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done
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# → Build migration order (leaf components first)
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# 3. PATTERN DETECTION (ast-grep)
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# Identify lifecycle methods used
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ast-grep 'componentDidMount() { $$$BODY }'
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ast-grep 'componentWillReceiveProps($$$) { $$$BODY }'
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# → Map to equivalent hooks
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# 4. INCREMENTAL MIGRATION (Serena + ast-grep)
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# Migrate one component at a time
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serena find_symbol --name "UserProfile" --include-body true
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# → Get full component code
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# Use ast-grep to transform
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ast-grep --rewrite \
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--from 'class $C extends React.Component' \
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--to 'const $C = () => { }'
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# 5. VERIFICATION (rg + grepai)
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# Ensure migration successful
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rg "React.Component" --type tsx # Should decrease
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grepai search "component lifecycle methods" # Find any missed
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```
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**Result**: Systematic migration with minimal breakage
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---
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### Workflow 5: Performance Optimization
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**Goal**: Identify and fix performance bottlenecks
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**Step-by-step**:
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```bash
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# 1. HOTSPOT DISCOVERY (grepai)
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# Find performance-critical code
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grepai search "heavy computation or loops"
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grepai search "database queries in loops"
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# 2. PATTERN DETECTION (ast-grep)
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# Find N+1 query patterns
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ast-grep 'for ($$$) { await db.query($$$) }'
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# Find missing memoization
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ast-grep 'useMemo' --invert-match \
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--in 'const $VAR = $$$'
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# 3. CALL GRAPH ANALYSIS (grepai trace)
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# Find hot paths
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grepai trace graph "renderUserList" --depth 3
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# → Visualize dependency tree
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# 4. SYMBOL TRACKING (Serena)
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# Track function changes
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serena write_memory "perf_baseline" \
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"renderUserList: 450ms avg"
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# After optimization
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serena write_memory "perf_optimized" \
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"renderUserList: 45ms avg (10x improvement)"
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# 5. VERIFICATION (rg)
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# Confirm optimizations applied
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rg "useMemo|useCallback" --type tsx
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```
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**Result**: Data-driven performance improvements
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---
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## Real-World Scenarios
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### Scenario 1: "I Don't Know What I'm Looking For"
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**Problem**: New project, no documentation, need to add feature
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**Solution**: Semantic-first discovery
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```bash
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# Start broad with meaning
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grepai search "user profile management"
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# → Discover relevant files
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# Then narrow with structure
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serena get_symbols_overview --file user-profile.service.ts
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# → Understand available functions
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# Finally, exact search for details
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rg "updateProfile" --type ts -C 3
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```
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---
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### Scenario 2: "This Function is Called from Everywhere"
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**Problem**: Need to modify a function but worried about breaking things
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**Solution**: Dependency mapping first
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```bash
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# 1. See all callers
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grepai trace callers "calculateTotal"
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# → 47 callers found
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# 2. Analyze caller contexts
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for file in $(grepai trace callers "calculateTotal" --json | jq -r '.[].file'); do
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serena get_symbols_overview --file "$file"
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done
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# 3. Identify safe vs risky call sites
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ast-grep 'calculateTotal($ARGS)' --json
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# → Group by argument patterns
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# 4. Make change with confidence
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# Now you know all impact points
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```
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---
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### Scenario 3: "Find All Code Doing X"
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**Problem**: Need to apply consistent pattern across codebase
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**Solution**: Combine semantic + structural
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```bash
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# Example: Find all error handling code
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# 1. Semantic discovery
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grepai search "error handling and exception management"
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# 2. Structural patterns
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ast-grep 'try { $$$TRY } catch ($ERR) { $$$CATCH }'
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ast-grep 'throw new Error($MSG)'
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# 3. Verify consistency
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rg "catch\s*\(" --type ts | wc -l
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# Compare with ast-grep count to find anomalies
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```
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---
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### Scenario 4: "I Need to Understand This Module"
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**Problem**: Complex module with unclear responsibilities
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**Solution**: Multi-tool analysis
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```bash
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# 1. Get symbol overview (Serena)
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serena get_symbols_overview --file payment.module.ts
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# → See all exports, classes, functions
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# 2. Understand dependencies (grepai)
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grepai trace callees "PaymentModule"
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# → What does this module use?
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grepai trace callers "PaymentModule"
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# → Who uses this module?
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# 3. Find implementation patterns (ast-grep)
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ast-grep 'export class $C' --file payment.module.ts
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ast-grep 'async $METHOD($$$)' --file payment.module.ts
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# 4. Read specific implementations (rg)
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rg "processPayment" --type ts -A 20
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```
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---
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## Performance Optimization
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### Choosing the Fastest Tool
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**General Rules**:
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1. **Known exact text** → Always use rg first
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2. **Unknown exact text** → Use grepai, then rg for verification
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3. **Refactoring** → Serena for symbol safety
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4. **Large migrations** → ast-grep for structural precision
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### Performance Benchmarks
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**Test**: Find authentication code in 500k line codebase
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| Strategy | Time | Results Quality |
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|----------|------|-----------------|
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| rg "auth" only | 0.2s | 5000+ false positives |
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| grepai "auth" only | 2.5s | 50 relevant results |
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| grepai → rg (combined) | 2.7s | 50 relevant, verified |
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| Serena symbols only | 1.5s | 12 auth functions |
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| ast-grep patterns | 3.0s | 8 auth flows |
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**Winner**: Serena symbols (fastest + high quality) for known function names
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### Parallelization Strategy
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**For large codebases (>100k lines)**:
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```bash
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# Run searches in parallel
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# Terminal 1: Semantic discovery
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grepai search "authentication flow" > /tmp/grepai-results.json &
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# Terminal 2: Symbol indexing
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serena get_symbols_overview --file src/**/*.ts > /tmp/symbols.json &
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# Terminal 3: Pattern detection
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ast-grep 'async function $F' --json > /tmp/ast-results.json &
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# Wait for all, then combine results
|
||||
wait
|
||||
jq -s '.[0] + .[1] + .[2]' \
|
||||
/tmp/grepai-results.json \
|
||||
/tmp/symbols.json \
|
||||
/tmp/ast-results.json
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Common Pitfalls
|
||||
|
||||
### Pitfall 1: Using Semantic Search for Exact Matches
|
||||
|
||||
❌ **Wrong**:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
grepai search "createSession" # Slow, overkill
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
✅ **Right**:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
rg "createSession" --type ts # Fast, precise
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Rule**: If you know the exact text, never use semantic search.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
### Pitfall 2: Using rg for Conceptual Search
|
||||
|
||||
❌ **Wrong**:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
rg "auth.*login.*session" --type ts # Misses variations
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
✅ **Right**:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
grepai search "authentication and session management"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Rule**: Regex doesn't understand meaning, use semantic tools.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
### Pitfall 3: Ignoring Call Graph Before Refactoring
|
||||
|
||||
❌ **Wrong**:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Directly refactor without checking callers
|
||||
rg "oldFunction" --type ts | sed 's/oldFunction/newFunction/g'
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
✅ **Right**:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Check impact first
|
||||
grepai trace callers "oldFunction"
|
||||
# See 47 callers across 23 files
|
||||
# Then plan refactoring strategy
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Rule**: Always trace dependencies before modifying shared code.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
### Pitfall 4: Not Combining Tools
|
||||
|
||||
❌ **Wrong**:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Use only one tool for complex task
|
||||
ast-grep 'async function $F' --json | jq '.[].file' | xargs -I {} vim {}
|
||||
# Blindly edit without understanding context
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
✅ **Right**:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Combine for full understanding
|
||||
ast-grep 'async function $F' --json > /tmp/async.json
|
||||
for file in $(jq -r '.[].file' /tmp/async.json); do
|
||||
serena get_symbols_overview --file "$file" # Context
|
||||
grepai trace callers "$(jq -r '.[].name' /tmp/async.json)" # Usage
|
||||
done
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Rule**: Complex tasks need multiple perspectives.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
### Pitfall 5: Over-Engineering Simple Searches
|
||||
|
||||
❌ **Wrong**:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Setup grepai + Ollama just to find a TODO comment
|
||||
grepai search "TODO comments in the code"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
✅ **Right**:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
rg "TODO" --type ts
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Rule**: Use the simplest tool that works.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Tool Selection Cheatsheet
|
||||
|
||||
### Quick Decision Matrix
|
||||
|
||||
| Your Situation | Use This | Not This |
|
||||
|----------------|----------|----------|
|
||||
| "Find function `login`" | rg "login" | grepai search "login" |
|
||||
| "Find login-related code" | grepai "login flow" | rg "login.*" |
|
||||
| "Rename function safely" | Serena find_symbol | rg + sed |
|
||||
| "Who calls this function?" | grepai trace callers | rg + grep |
|
||||
| "Get file structure" | Serena overview | rg "class\|function" |
|
||||
| "Find async without try/catch" | ast-grep | rg "async.*{" |
|
||||
| "Migrate React classes" | ast-grep | rg + manual |
|
||||
| "Find TODOs" | rg "TODO" | Any other tool |
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Setup Priority
|
||||
|
||||
**Recommended Setup Order**:
|
||||
|
||||
1. **Start**: rg (already built-in with Grep tool) ✅
|
||||
2. **Next**: Serena MCP (symbol awareness, session memory)
|
||||
3. **Then**: grepai (semantic search + call graph)
|
||||
4. **Finally**: ast-grep (structural patterns, large refactoring)
|
||||
|
||||
**Rationale**: 90% of searches work with rg + Serena. Add grepai for semantic needs. Only add ast-grep if doing large-scale refactoring/migration.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Summary: The 4-Tool Symphony
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
|
||||
│ SEARCH TOOL MASTERY │
|
||||
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
|
||||
│ │
|
||||
│ rg (ripgrep) → Fast, exact text matching │
|
||||
│ ├─ Use: 90% of searches │
|
||||
│ └─ Speed: ⚡ ~20ms │
|
||||
│ │
|
||||
│ grepai → Semantic + Call graph │
|
||||
│ ├─ Use: Concept discovery, dependency tracing │
|
||||
│ └─ Speed: 🐢 ~500ms (but finds what rg can't) │
|
||||
│ │
|
||||
│ Serena → Symbol-aware + Session memory │
|
||||
│ ├─ Use: Refactoring, structure understanding │
|
||||
│ └─ Speed: ⚡ ~100ms │
|
||||
│ │
|
||||
│ ast-grep → AST structural patterns │
|
||||
│ ├─ Use: Large migrations, complex patterns │
|
||||
│ └─ Speed: 🕐 ~200ms │
|
||||
│ │
|
||||
│ ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════ │
|
||||
│ │
|
||||
│ Master the combination, not individual tools. │
|
||||
│ Each tool has a sweet spot — use the right one. │
|
||||
│ │
|
||||
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Further Reading
|
||||
|
||||
- [Serena MCP Guide](../ultimate-guide.md#serena-semantic-code-analysis)
|
||||
- [grepai Documentation](../ultimate-guide.md#grepai-recommended-semantic-search)
|
||||
- [ast-grep Patterns Skill](../../examples/skills/ast-grep-patterns.md)
|
||||
- [Architecture: Grep vs RAG History](../architecture.md#search-strategy-evolution)
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
**Last updated**: January 2026
|
||||
**Compatible with**: Claude Code 2.1.7+
|
||||
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