Find a symbol DECLARATION (class/function/type/var) by name/substring — semantic index, not grep. → capped kind name @ file:line, no bodies. Use instead of grep/rg to locate a symbol.

Every call site of a symbol (semantic, not grep) — pass symbol (a name); resolves the decl + returns all refs in one call. → capped file:line; detail=file|dir for a blast-radius summary; direction=callers|callees switches to a multi-hop call hierarchy. Use before changing a function.

Jump from a 0-based position to a definition (semantic). kind: definition (default)|type_definition|implementation|declaration. → capped file:line. For usages, use find_references.

Compiler/linter errors + warnings (semantic) → capped file:line:col severity [code]: message, sorted error→hint with a count — the compact stand-in for raw build output. Empty = clean. Default = one path; scope="directory" scans the project.

Type/signature of the symbol at a 0-based position (hover) — a few lines, no file open.

Outline a file — classes/functions/types as a capped kind name :line list. Cheaper than reading the whole file for its structure. scope="directory" builds a signatures-only skeleton of every code file under path.

USE INSTEAD OF Read on a file when you only need ONE function/class — returns just that named declaration's source (its span), not the whole file (the read twin of replace_symbol_body). signatureOnly = head only; body capped by VTS_SYMBOL_MAX_LINES.

Rename the symbol at a 0-based position project-wide (semantic — every reference, not a sed). PREVIEW by default (affected file:line); apply=true writes. Use instead of editing call sites by hand.

Change a whole function/class/method by NAMING it — USE INSTEAD OF Read-the-file + Edit (the outline gives the span, so you skip the whole-file Read and exact-match line-counting). PREVIEW by default; apply=true writes in ONE call.

Insert text next to a named declaration — position=after (default)|before. The outline gives the point (no Read). PREVIEW by default; apply=true writes. Use instead of Read-then-Edit to add a declaration.

Delete a named declaration — USE INSTEAD OF Edit-deleting it; REFUSES while still referenced (lists the refs, force=true overrides) so a delete can't silently orphan call sites. PREVIEW by default; apply=true writes.

Find files by name (substring or glob like *Manager.cpp) — replaces Bash find -name. → capped file list; walk-bounded (skips node_modules/build, time-boxed).

Raw text/regex search (string literals, comments, config — what the symbol index can't answer). Replaces Bash grep when you need text, not symbols. → capped file:line: line. For code symbols prefer search_symbol.

FUZZY search for a concept you can't name ("how does auth work"). Mines a dictionary from the repo's own identifier+comment co-occurrence (no embeddings, nothing sent) → ranked file:line. Use when you don't know the symbol name. flow=true traces the top hit's call graph.

Review a diff by IMPACT: git diff → changed symbols → blast radius (callers) + LOW/MED/HIGH risk. → capped [risk] symbol file:line, no bodies (semantic blast + git co-change, nothing sent). Use before committing. staged=true (index) / base="".

Admin/meta ops (rarely needed): set op, pass its args in params. discover = searches that bypassed vts; index/preindex/warmup = build indexes; git·p4{argv} = read-only VCS, output compacted.