# Search Results Grouping Implementation Decisions
## Task Overview
Modify the numbered output format in the code search tool to group results by file path and show only one snippet per file.
## Key Decisions Made
1. **Result Grouping Strategy**
- Decision: Group results by full file path (repo + path) instead of just path
- Rationale: Ensures unique identification of files across different repositories
- Implementation: Created a `fileGroups` object with full path as key
2. **Snippet Selection**
- Decision: Show only the first matching line from each file
- Rationale: Keeps output concise while maintaining file-level granularity
- Implementation: Used `Object.entries(lines)[0]` to get first match
3. **Type Safety**
- Decision: Added explicit type check for line content
- Rationale: Fix TypeScript error about unknown type assignment
- Implementation: Added `typeof line === 'string'` check
## Code Paths Explored
### 1. Initial Implementation Path
**File**: `/home/abhishek/Downloads/experiments/ai-tools/mcp_servers/grep_app_mcp/src/utils/formatters.ts`
```typescript
export function formatResultsAsNumberedList(results: SearchResult): string {
let output = '';
let counter = 1;
for (const [repo, pathData] of Object.entries(results as Record<string, any>)) {
for (const [path, lines] of Object.entries(pathData as Record<string, any>)) {
for (const [lineNum, line] of Object.entries(lines)) {
output += `${counter}. [${repo}/${path}:${lineNum}] ${line}\n`;
counter++;
}
}
}
return output;
}
```
This initial implementation showed all matching lines from all files, leading to verbose output.
### 2. Final Implementation Path
**File**: `/home/abhishek/Downloads/experiments/ai-tools/mcp_servers/grep_app_mcp/src/utils/formatters.ts`
```typescript
export function formatResultsAsNumberedList(results: SearchResult): string {
// Group results by file path
const fileGroups: Record<string, { repo: string; lineNum: string; line: string }[]> = {};
for (const [repo, pathData] of Object.entries(results as Record<string, any>)) {
for (const [path, lines] of Object.entries(pathData as Record<string, any>)) {
const fullPath = `${repo}/${path}`;
if (!fileGroups[fullPath]) {
fileGroups[fullPath] = [];
}
// Take only the first match from each file
const [lineNum, line] = Object.entries(lines)[0];
if (typeof line === 'string') {
fileGroups[fullPath].push({ repo, lineNum, line });
}
}
}
// Output one result per file
let output = '';
let counter = 1;
for (const [fullPath, matches] of Object.entries(fileGroups)) {
const { lineNum, line } = matches[0];
output += `${counter}. [${fullPath}:${lineNum}] ${line}\n`;
counter++;
}
return output;
}
```
## Issues Encountered and Solutions
1. **TypeScript Type Safety**
- Issue: Type 'unknown' not assignable to type 'string'
- File: `/home/abhishek/Downloads/experiments/ai-tools/mcp_servers/grep_app_mcp/src/utils/formatters.ts`
- Solution: Added runtime type check before using the line value
## Related Files Examined
1. `/home/abhishek/Downloads/experiments/ai-tools/mcp_servers/grep_app_mcp/src/tools/search-code.ts`
- Purpose: Understand the tool's parameters and execution flow
- Relevant section: `searchCodeSchema` and `searchCodeTool` implementation
2. `/home/abhishek/Downloads/experiments/ai-tools/mcp_servers/grep_app_mcp/src/utils/formatters.ts`
- Purpose: Main implementation file for output formatting
- Modified: `formatResultsAsNumberedList` function
