pce_query
Locate code with natural-language questions about architecture, modules, entry points, and call chains. Get candidate files and file:line references to narrow your search before reading.
Instructions
Purpose: The primary tool for codebase navigation and understanding. Best suited for project-level understanding, architecture overviews, major module responsibilities, entry points, main call chains, candidate file scopes, and overall project/module comprehension. When to use: Use when the target location is unclear. When you do not know which file contains the information, need to understand what the project or a subsystem does, need a rough architecture or module-level picture, want to find entry points / main call chains / module responsibilities, or need to narrow down the search scope — use this tool first. Do NOT manually traverse directories, broadly inspect the repo, or batch-read files before trying pce_query. Best practice: Prefer describing your question in natural language rather than just giving exact identifiers. This tool is especially appropriate for questions like what the project does, how a subsystem is organized, where a feature lives, or which modules participate in a workflow. You can request file:line references, name_path, candidate file lists, call chain summaries, or results grouped by module. Avoid: When you already know the exact file or exact identifier and only need to view local implementation or do exact string matching, pce_query is not necessary. If the target is already clear and the task becomes 'what will be affected by changing it', switch to pce_impact instead.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| query | Yes | Natural language question, e.g. 'Where is the entry point for authentication logic?' |