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cgc watch [path]
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cgc watching
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Performance Tips
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<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>
<div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><code>cgc<span class="w"> </span>watch<span class="w"> </span>.
</code></pre></div>
<p>You'll see:
<div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><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></div></p>
<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>
<div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><code>cgc<span class="w"> </span>watch<span class="w"> </span>.<span class="w"> </span><span class="c1"># Watch current directory</span>
cgc<span class="w"> </span>watch<span class="w"> </span>/path/to/project<span class="w"> </span><span class="c1"># Watch specific directory</span>
cgc<span class="w"> </span>w<span class="w"> </span>.<span class="w"> </span><span class="c1"># Shortcut alias</span>
</code></pre></div></p>
<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>
<div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><code>cgc<span class="w"> </span>watching
</code></pre></div>
<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>
<div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><code>cgc<span class="w"> </span>unwatch<span class="w"> </span>/path/to/project
</code></pre></div>
<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>
<div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><code><span class="c1"># Terminal 1: Start the watcher</span>
$<span class="w"> </span><span class="nb">cd</span><span class="w"> </span>~/my-project
$<span class="w"> </span>cgc<span class="w"> </span>watch<span class="w"> </span>.
🔍<span class="w"> </span>Watching<span class="w"> </span>/home/user/my-project<span class="w"> </span><span class="k">for</span><span class="w"> </span>changes...
✓<span class="w"> </span>Already<span class="w"> </span>indexed<span class="w"> </span><span class="o">(</span>no<span class="w"> </span>initial<span class="w"> </span>scan<span class="w"> </span>needed<span class="o">)</span>
👀<span class="w"> </span>Monitoring<span class="w"> </span><span class="k">for</span><span class="w"> </span>file<span class="w"> </span>changes...<span class="w"> </span><span class="o">(</span>Press<span class="w"> </span>Ctrl+C<span class="w"> </span>to<span class="w"> </span>stop<span class="o">)</span>
💡<span class="w"> </span>Tip:<span class="w"> </span>Open<span class="w"> </span>a<span class="w"> </span>new<span class="w"> </span>terminal<span class="w"> </span>window<span class="w"> </span>to<span class="w"> </span><span class="k">continue</span><span class="w"> </span>working
<span class="c1"># ... watcher runs and shows updates as you code ...</span>
<span class="o">[</span><span class="m">21</span>:15:32<span class="o">]</span><span class="w"> </span>📝<span class="w"> </span>Modified:<span class="w"> </span>src/utils.py<span class="w"> </span><span class="o">(</span>re-indexing...<span class="o">)</span>
<span class="o">[</span><span class="m">21</span>:15:32<span class="o">]</span><span class="w"> </span>✓<span class="w"> </span>Updated<span class="w"> </span>graph<span class="w"> </span><span class="o">(</span><span class="m">3</span><span class="w"> </span>nodes,<span class="w"> </span><span class="m">2</span><span class="w"> </span>relationships<span class="o">)</span>
<span class="o">[</span><span class="m">21</span>:16:45<span class="o">]</span><span class="w"> </span>📝<span class="w"> </span>Created:<span class="w"> </span>src/new_feature.py<span class="w"> </span><span class="o">(</span>re-indexing...<span class="o">)</span>
<span class="o">[</span><span class="m">21</span>:16:45<span class="o">]</span><span class="w"> </span>✓<span class="w"> </span>Updated<span class="w"> </span>graph<span class="w"> </span><span class="o">(</span><span class="m">8</span><span class="w"> </span>nodes,<span class="w"> </span><span class="m">5</span><span class="w"> </span>relationships<span class="o">)</span>
</code></pre></div>
<div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><code><span class="c1"># Terminal 2: Do your development work</span>
$<span class="w"> </span><span class="nb">cd</span><span class="w"> </span>~/my-project
$<span class="w"> </span>code<span class="w"> </span>.<span class="w"> </span><span class="c1"># Open your editor</span>
$<span class="w"> </span>git<span class="w"> </span>checkout<span class="w"> </span>-b<span class="w"> </span>new-feature<span class="w"> </span><span class="c1"># Work normally</span>
$<span class="w"> </span><span class="c1"># ... make changes, save files ...</span>
$<span class="w"> </span><span class="c1"># The watcher in Terminal 1 automatically picks up changes!</span>
</code></pre></div>
<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>
<div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><code>cgc<span class="w"> </span>watch<span class="w"> </span>.
</code></pre></div></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="../reference/cli_master/">CLI Reference</a> - Complete list of CLI commands</li>
<li><a href="../reference/mcp_master/">MCP Tools</a> - MCP server tools including watch functionality</li>
<li><a href="../getting-started/installation/">Installation</a> - Getting started with CodeGraphContext</li>
</ul>
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