<!doctype html>
<html lang="en" class="no-js">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">
<link rel="prev" href="../cli/">
<link rel="next" href="../server/">
<link rel="icon" href="../assets/images/favicon.png">
<meta name="generator" content="mkdocs-1.6.1, mkdocs-material-9.7.1">
<title>Live Watching - CodeGraphContext</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="../assets/stylesheets/main.484c7ddc.min.css">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Roboto:300,300i,400,400i,700,700i%7CRoboto+Mono:400,400i,700,700i&display=fallback">
<style>:root{--md-text-font:"Roboto";--md-code-font:"Roboto Mono"}</style>
<script>__md_scope=new URL("..",location),__md_hash=e=>[...e].reduce(((e,_)=>(e<<5)-e+_.charCodeAt(0)),0),__md_get=(e,_=localStorage,t=__md_scope)=>JSON.parse(_.getItem(t.pathname+"."+e)),__md_set=(e,_,t=localStorage,a=__md_scope)=>{try{t.setItem(a.pathname+"."+e,JSON.stringify(_))}catch(e){}}</script>
</head>
<body dir="ltr">
<input class="md-toggle" data-md-toggle="drawer" type="checkbox" id="__drawer" autocomplete="off">
<input class="md-toggle" data-md-toggle="search" type="checkbox" id="__search" autocomplete="off">
<label class="md-overlay" for="__drawer"></label>
<div data-md-component="skip">
<a href="#live-file-watching" class="md-skip">
Skip to content
</a>
</div>
<div data-md-component="announce">
</div>
<header class="md-header md-header--shadow" data-md-component="header">
<nav class="md-header__inner md-grid" aria-label="Header">
<a href=".." title="CodeGraphContext" class="md-header__button md-logo" aria-label="CodeGraphContext" data-md-component="logo">
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M12 8a3 3 0 0 0 3-3 3 3 0 0 0-3-3 3 3 0 0 0-3 3 3 3 0 0 0 3 3m0 3.54C9.64 9.35 6.5 8 3 8v11c3.5 0 6.64 1.35 9 3.54 2.36-2.19 5.5-3.54 9-3.54V8c-3.5 0-6.64 1.35-9 3.54"/></svg>
</a>
<label class="md-header__button md-icon" for="__drawer">
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M3 6h18v2H3zm0 5h18v2H3zm0 5h18v2H3z"/></svg>
</label>
<div class="md-header__title" data-md-component="header-title">
<div class="md-header__ellipsis">
<div class="md-header__topic">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
CodeGraphContext
</span>
</div>
<div class="md-header__topic" data-md-component="header-topic">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Live Watching
</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<script>var palette=__md_get("__palette");if(palette&&palette.color){if("(prefers-color-scheme)"===palette.color.media){var media=matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: light)"),input=document.querySelector(media.matches?"[data-md-color-media='(prefers-color-scheme: light)']":"[data-md-color-media='(prefers-color-scheme: dark)']");palette.color.media=input.getAttribute("data-md-color-media"),palette.color.scheme=input.getAttribute("data-md-color-scheme"),palette.color.primary=input.getAttribute("data-md-color-primary"),palette.color.accent=input.getAttribute("data-md-color-accent")}for(var[key,value]of Object.entries(palette.color))document.body.setAttribute("data-md-color-"+key,value)}</script>
<label class="md-header__button md-icon" for="__search">
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M9.5 3A6.5 6.5 0 0 1 16 9.5c0 1.61-.59 3.09-1.56 4.23l.27.27h.79l5 5-1.5 1.5-5-5v-.79l-.27-.27A6.52 6.52 0 0 1 9.5 16 6.5 6.5 0 0 1 3 9.5 6.5 6.5 0 0 1 9.5 3m0 2C7 5 5 7 5 9.5S7 14 9.5 14 14 12 14 9.5 12 5 9.5 5"/></svg>
</label>
<div class="md-search" data-md-component="search" role="dialog">
<label class="md-search__overlay" for="__search"></label>
<div class="md-search__inner" role="search">
<form class="md-search__form" name="search">
<input type="text" class="md-search__input" name="query" aria-label="Search" placeholder="Search" autocapitalize="off" autocorrect="off" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" data-md-component="search-query" required>
<label class="md-search__icon md-icon" for="__search">
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M9.5 3A6.5 6.5 0 0 1 16 9.5c0 1.61-.59 3.09-1.56 4.23l.27.27h.79l5 5-1.5 1.5-5-5v-.79l-.27-.27A6.52 6.52 0 0 1 9.5 16 6.5 6.5 0 0 1 3 9.5 6.5 6.5 0 0 1 9.5 3m0 2C7 5 5 7 5 9.5S7 14 9.5 14 14 12 14 9.5 12 5 9.5 5"/></svg>
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M20 11v2H8l5.5 5.5-1.42 1.42L4.16 12l7.92-7.92L13.5 5.5 8 11z"/></svg>
</label>
<nav class="md-search__options" aria-label="Search">
<button type="reset" class="md-search__icon md-icon" title="Clear" aria-label="Clear" tabindex="-1">
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M19 6.41 17.59 5 12 10.59 6.41 5 5 6.41 10.59 12 5 17.59 6.41 19 12 13.41 17.59 19 19 17.59 13.41 12z"/></svg>
</button>
</nav>
</form>
<div class="md-search__output">
<div class="md-search__scrollwrap" tabindex="0" data-md-scrollfix>
<div class="md-search-result" data-md-component="search-result">
<div class="md-search-result__meta">
Initializing search
</div>
<ol class="md-search-result__list" role="presentation"></ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</nav>
</header>
<div class="md-container" data-md-component="container">
<main class="md-main" data-md-component="main">
<div class="md-main__inner md-grid">
<div class="md-sidebar md-sidebar--primary" data-md-component="sidebar" data-md-type="navigation" >
<div class="md-sidebar__scrollwrap">
<div class="md-sidebar__inner">
<nav class="md-nav md-nav--primary" aria-label="Navigation" data-md-level="0">
<label class="md-nav__title" for="__drawer">
<a href=".." title="CodeGraphContext" class="md-nav__button md-logo" aria-label="CodeGraphContext" data-md-component="logo">
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M12 8a3 3 0 0 0 3-3 3 3 0 0 0-3-3 3 3 0 0 0-3 3 3 3 0 0 0 3 3m0 3.54C9.64 9.35 6.5 8 3 8v11c3.5 0 6.64 1.35 9 3.54 2.36-2.19 5.5-3.54 9-3.54V8c-3.5 0-6.64 1.35-9 3.54"/></svg>
</a>
CodeGraphContext
</label>
<ul class="md-nav__list" data-md-scrollfix>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href=".." class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Home
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../installation/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Installation
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../use_cases/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Use Cases
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../architecture/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Architecture
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../cli/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
CLI Reference
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item md-nav__item--active">
<input class="md-nav__toggle md-toggle" type="checkbox" id="__toc">
<label class="md-nav__link md-nav__link--active" for="__toc">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Live Watching
</span>
<span class="md-nav__icon md-icon"></span>
</label>
<a href="./" class="md-nav__link md-nav__link--active">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Live Watching
</span>
</a>
<nav class="md-nav md-nav--secondary" aria-label="Table of contents">
<label class="md-nav__title" for="__toc">
<span class="md-nav__icon md-icon"></span>
Table of contents
</label>
<ul class="md-nav__list" data-md-component="toc" data-md-scrollfix>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#quick-start" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Quick Start
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#how-it-works" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
How It Works
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#commands" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Commands
</span>
</a>
<nav class="md-nav" aria-label="Commands">
<ul class="md-nav__list">
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#cgc-watch-path" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
cgc watch [path]
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#cgc-watching" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
cgc watching
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#cgc-unwatch-path" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
cgc unwatch <path>
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#best-practices" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Best Practices
</span>
</a>
<nav class="md-nav" aria-label="Best Practices">
<ul class="md-nav__list">
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#development-workflow" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Development Workflow
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#performance-tips" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Performance Tips
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#when-to-use-watch-mode" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
When to Use Watch Mode
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#example-workflow" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Example Workflow
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#troubleshooting" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Troubleshooting
</span>
</a>
<nav class="md-nav" aria-label="Troubleshooting">
<ul class="md-nav__list">
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#watcher-not-detecting-changes" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Watcher not detecting changes
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#high-cpu-usage" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
High CPU usage
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#changes-not-appearing" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Changes not appearing
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#already-watching-message" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
"Already watching" message
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#mcp-server-vs-cli-watch-mode" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
MCP Server vs CLI Watch Mode
</span>
</a>
<nav class="md-nav" aria-label="MCP Server vs CLI Watch Mode">
<ul class="md-nav__list">
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#cli-watch-mode-this-guide" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
CLI Watch Mode (This Guide)
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#mcp-server-watch-mode" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
MCP Server Watch Mode
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#technical-details" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Technical Details
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#integration-with-ai-assistants" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Integration with AI Assistants
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#see-also" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
See Also
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../server/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Server
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../core/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Core Concepts
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../tools/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Tools
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../cookbook/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Cookbook
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item md-nav__item--nested">
<input class="md-nav__toggle md-toggle " type="checkbox" id="__nav_11" >
<label class="md-nav__link" for="__nav_11" id="__nav_11_label" tabindex="0">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Contributing
</span>
<span class="md-nav__icon md-icon"></span>
</label>
<nav class="md-nav" data-md-level="1" aria-labelledby="__nav_11_label" aria-expanded="false">
<label class="md-nav__title" for="__nav_11">
<span class="md-nav__icon md-icon"></span>
Contributing
</label>
<ul class="md-nav__list" data-md-scrollfix>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../contributing/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Overview
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../contributing_languages/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Adding New Languages
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../troubleshooting/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Troubleshooting
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../future_work/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Future Work
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="../license/" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
License
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="md-sidebar md-sidebar--secondary" data-md-component="sidebar" data-md-type="toc" >
<div class="md-sidebar__scrollwrap">
<div class="md-sidebar__inner">
<nav class="md-nav md-nav--secondary" aria-label="Table of contents">
<label class="md-nav__title" for="__toc">
<span class="md-nav__icon md-icon"></span>
Table of contents
</label>
<ul class="md-nav__list" data-md-component="toc" data-md-scrollfix>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#quick-start" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Quick Start
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#how-it-works" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
How It Works
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#commands" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Commands
</span>
</a>
<nav class="md-nav" aria-label="Commands">
<ul class="md-nav__list">
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#cgc-watch-path" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
cgc watch [path]
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#cgc-watching" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
cgc watching
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#cgc-unwatch-path" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
cgc unwatch <path>
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#best-practices" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Best Practices
</span>
</a>
<nav class="md-nav" aria-label="Best Practices">
<ul class="md-nav__list">
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#development-workflow" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Development Workflow
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#performance-tips" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Performance Tips
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#when-to-use-watch-mode" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
When to Use Watch Mode
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#example-workflow" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Example Workflow
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#troubleshooting" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Troubleshooting
</span>
</a>
<nav class="md-nav" aria-label="Troubleshooting">
<ul class="md-nav__list">
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#watcher-not-detecting-changes" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Watcher not detecting changes
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#high-cpu-usage" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
High CPU usage
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#changes-not-appearing" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Changes not appearing
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#already-watching-message" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
"Already watching" message
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#mcp-server-vs-cli-watch-mode" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
MCP Server vs CLI Watch Mode
</span>
</a>
<nav class="md-nav" aria-label="MCP Server vs CLI Watch Mode">
<ul class="md-nav__list">
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#cli-watch-mode-this-guide" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
CLI Watch Mode (This Guide)
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#mcp-server-watch-mode" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
MCP Server Watch Mode
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#technical-details" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Technical Details
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#integration-with-ai-assistants" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
Integration with AI Assistants
</span>
</a>
</li>
<li class="md-nav__item">
<a href="#see-also" class="md-nav__link">
<span class="md-ellipsis">
See Also
</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="md-content" data-md-component="content">
<article class="md-content__inner md-typeset">
<h1 id="live-file-watching">Live File Watching</h1>
<p>CodeGraphContext can automatically monitor your codebase for changes and update the code graph in real-time as you develop.</p>
<h2 id="quick-start">Quick Start</h2>
<p>Start watching your project directory:</p>
<pre><code class="language-bash">cgc watch .
</code></pre>
<p>You'll see:</p>
<pre><code>🔍 Watching /path/to/your/project for changes...
✓ Already indexed (no initial scan needed)
👀 Monitoring for file changes... (Press Ctrl+C to stop)
💡 Tip: Open a new terminal window to continue working
</code></pre>
<h2 id="how-it-works">How It Works</h2>
<p>The watcher uses file system events to detect when you:</p>
<ul>
<li>Create new files</li>
<li>Modify existing files</li>
<li>Delete files</li>
<li>Move/rename files</li>
</ul>
<p>When changes are detected, CodeGraphContext automatically:</p>
<ol>
<li>Re-parses the affected files</li>
<li>Updates the code graph</li>
<li>Maintains all relationships and dependencies</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="commands">Commands</h2>
<h3 id="cgc-watch-path"><code>cgc watch [path]</code></h3>
<p>Start watching a directory for changes.</p>
<p><strong>Examples:</strong></p>
<pre><code class="language-bash">cgc watch . # Watch current directory
cgc watch /path/to/project # Watch specific directory
cgc w . # Shortcut alias
</code></pre>
<p><strong>Behavior:</strong>
- Runs in the foreground (blocking mode)
- Performs initial scan if directory is not yet indexed
- Monitors for all file system changes
- Uses 2-second debouncing to batch rapid changes
- Press <code>Ctrl+C</code> to stop</p>
<h3 id="cgc-watching"><code>cgc watching</code></h3>
<p>List all directories currently being watched.</p>
<pre><code class="language-bash">cgc watching
</code></pre>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> This command is primarily for MCP server mode. For CLI watch mode, check the terminal where you ran <code>cgc watch</code>.</p>
<h3 id="cgc-unwatch-path"><code>cgc unwatch <path></code></h3>
<p>Stop watching a directory.</p>
<pre><code class="language-bash">cgc unwatch /path/to/project
</code></pre>
<p><strong>Note:</strong> This command is primarily for MCP server mode. For CLI watch mode, simply press <code>Ctrl+C</code> in the watch terminal.</p>
<h2 id="best-practices">Best Practices</h2>
<h3 id="development-workflow">Development Workflow</h3>
<ol>
<li>Start watching at the beginning of your coding session</li>
<li>Open a new terminal tab/window for your actual work</li>
<li>Code normally - changes are automatically tracked</li>
<li>Stop watching (Ctrl+C) when you're done</li>
</ol>
<h3 id="performance-tips">Performance Tips</h3>
<ul>
<li>The watcher uses debouncing (2-second delay) to avoid excessive re-indexing</li>
<li>Only modified files and their dependencies are re-processed</li>
<li>Large projects may take a moment to process changes</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="when-to-use-watch-mode">When to Use Watch Mode</h3>
<p>✅ <strong>Good for:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Active development sessions</li>
<li>Refactoring work</li>
<li>Keeping AI assistants up-to-date with latest code</li>
<li>Live code analysis during development</li>
</ul>
<p>❌ <strong>Not needed for:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>One-time indexing</li>
<li>CI/CD pipelines</li>
<li>Read-only code analysis</li>
<li>Batch processing</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="example-workflow">Example Workflow</h2>
<p>Here's a typical development session using watch mode:</p>
<pre><code class="language-bash"># Terminal 1: Start the watcher
$ cd ~/my-project
$ cgc watch .
🔍 Watching /home/user/my-project for changes...
✓ Already indexed (no initial scan needed)
👀 Monitoring for file changes... (Press Ctrl+C to stop)
💡 Tip: Open a new terminal window to continue working
# ... watcher runs and shows updates as you code ...
[21:15:32] 📝 Modified: src/utils.py (re-indexing...)
[21:15:32] ✓ Updated graph (3 nodes, 2 relationships)
[21:16:45] 📝 Created: src/new_feature.py (re-indexing...)
[21:16:45] ✓ Updated graph (8 nodes, 5 relationships)
</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-bash"># Terminal 2: Do your development work
$ cd ~/my-project
$ code . # Open your editor
$ git checkout -b new-feature # Work normally
$ # ... make changes, save files ...
$ # The watcher in Terminal 1 automatically picks up changes!
</code></pre>
<h2 id="troubleshooting">Troubleshooting</h2>
<h3 id="watcher-not-detecting-changes">Watcher not detecting changes</h3>
<ul>
<li>Ensure the path is correct and accessible</li>
<li>Check file permissions</li>
<li>Some editors use atomic writes which may not trigger events</li>
<li>Try restarting the watcher</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="high-cpu-usage">High CPU usage</h3>
<ul>
<li>The watcher may be processing too many files</li>
<li>Consider watching a smaller directory</li>
<li>Check for file loops or symlinks</li>
<li>Verify you're not watching <code>node_modules</code> or similar large directories</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="changes-not-appearing">Changes not appearing</h3>
<ul>
<li>Wait for the debounce interval (2 seconds)</li>
<li>Check the watcher output for errors</li>
<li>Verify the file type is supported (Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, etc.)</li>
<li>Ensure the file is within the watched directory</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="already-watching-message">"Already watching" message</h3>
<p>If you see this message, it means the directory is already being watched. This can happen if:</p>
<ul>
<li>You're running multiple watch commands</li>
<li>The MCP server is already watching this directory</li>
<li>A previous watch session didn't terminate cleanly</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Solution:</strong> Stop all watch processes and start fresh.</p>
<h2 id="mcp-server-vs-cli-watch-mode">MCP Server vs CLI Watch Mode</h2>
<p>CodeGraphContext supports two watch modes:</p>
<h3 id="cli-watch-mode-this-guide">CLI Watch Mode (This Guide)</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Command:</strong> <code>cgc watch .</code></li>
<li><strong>Runs:</strong> In foreground (blocking)</li>
<li><strong>Use case:</strong> Active development sessions</li>
<li><strong>Control:</strong> Press <code>Ctrl+C</code> to stop</li>
<li><strong>Best for:</strong> Single project, focused development</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="mcp-server-watch-mode">MCP Server Watch Mode</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Command:</strong> Via MCP tools (<code>watch_directory</code>, <code>unwatch_directory</code>, <code>list_watched_paths</code>)</li>
<li><strong>Runs:</strong> In background (as part of MCP server)</li>
<li><strong>Use case:</strong> IDE integration, multiple projects</li>
<li><strong>Control:</strong> MCP tool calls</li>
<li><strong>Best for:</strong> AI assistant integration, persistent watching</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="technical-details">Technical Details</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Library</strong>: Uses <code>watchdog</code> for cross-platform file monitoring</li>
<li><strong>Debouncing</strong>: 2-second delay to batch rapid changes</li>
<li><strong>Scope</strong>: Watches recursively, respects <code>.gitignore</code></li>
<li><strong>Performance</strong>: Only re-indexes changed files and affected relationships</li>
<li><strong>Thread-safe</strong>: Uses background threads for file monitoring</li>
<li><strong>Graceful shutdown</strong>: Properly cleans up on <code>Ctrl+C</code></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="integration-with-ai-assistants">Integration with AI Assistants</h2>
<p>Watch mode is particularly powerful when combined with AI coding assistants:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Start watching your project:</strong>
<code>bash
cgc watch .</code></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Configure your AI assistant</strong> to use the CodeGraphContext MCP server</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Code normally</strong> - your AI assistant always has the latest code context</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Ask questions</strong> about your code, and the AI will have up-to-date information</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>This creates a seamless development experience where your AI assistant stays synchronized with your codebase in real-time!</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="../cli/">CLI Reference</a> - Complete list of CLI commands</li>
<li><a href="mcp-tools.md">MCP Tools</a> - MCP server tools including watch functionality</li>
<li><a href="../installation/">Installation</a> - Getting started with CodeGraphContext</li>
</ul>
</article>
</div>
<script>var target=document.getElementById(location.hash.slice(1));target&&target.name&&(target.checked=target.name.startsWith("__tabbed_"))</script>
</div>
</main>
<footer class="md-footer">
<div class="md-footer-meta md-typeset">
<div class="md-footer-meta__inner md-grid">
<div class="md-copyright">
Made with
<a href="https://squidfunk.github.io/mkdocs-material/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
Material for MkDocs
</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</footer>
</div>
<div class="md-dialog" data-md-component="dialog">
<div class="md-dialog__inner md-typeset"></div>
</div>
<script id="__config" type="application/json">{"annotate": null, "base": "..", "features": [], "search": "../assets/javascripts/workers/search.2c215733.min.js", "tags": null, "translations": {"clipboard.copied": "Copied to clipboard", "clipboard.copy": "Copy to clipboard", "search.result.more.one": "1 more on this page", "search.result.more.other": "# more on this page", "search.result.none": "No matching documents", "search.result.one": "1 matching document", "search.result.other": "# matching documents", "search.result.placeholder": "Type to start searching", "search.result.term.missing": "Missing", "select.version": "Select version"}, "version": null}</script>
<script src="../assets/javascripts/bundle.79ae519e.min.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
