Loctree - Codebase Intelligence Skill (Claude)

Name: loctree
Rating: 92
Author: Loctree

Loctree provides AST-aware codebase understanding. Unlike text search (grep/ripgrep), loctree understands code structure: symbol definitions, exports, imports, dependencies, and dead code.

When This Skill Activates

This skill is automatically active through the PostToolUse hook. When you use Grep or Bash with rg/grep, loctree automatically augments results with semantic context.

You can also explicitly invoke loctree for deeper analysis.

Automatic Augmentation (Zero Friction)

When you search for code patterns, the hook automatically:

•Detects symbol-like patterns (PascalCase, camelCase, snake_case)
•Transforms regex to multi-query (A.*B → A|B)
•Runs loct find to get semantic matches
•Adds context: definitions, usages, cross-match files, dead code status

Example: You grep for ApiClient.*request → Hook transforms to request|ApiClient → Returns symbol definitions + semantic matches + cross-match files showing where both terms appear together.

Explicit Commands

`loct find <symbol|pattern>`

Search for symbol definitions across the codebase.

bash

loct find "MyComponent"           # Single symbol
loct find "SymbolA|SymbolB"       # Multi-query (OR)
loct find "canonical_model|vision" # Find related symbols

Output includes:

•Symbol matches (definitions)
•Semantic matches (similar names)
•Parameter matches (function args)
•Dead code status

`loct impact <file>`

Analyze what would break if you change a file.

bash

loct impact src/utils/helpers.ts

Use before refactoring to understand ripple effects.

`loct slice <file>`

Get the minimal dependency slice for a file.

bash

loct slice src/components/Button.tsx

Shows only the files needed to understand this file.

`loct health`

Codebase health report: dead code, cycles, duplicates.

bash

loct health

Output includes:

•Dead exports (unused code)
•Circular dependencies
•Duplicate exports (twins)
•Health score (0-100)

`loct focus <directory>`

Analyze a specific directory's structure.

bash

loct focus src/api/

`loct query who-imports <file>`

Find all files that import a given file.

bash

loct query who-imports src/hooks/useAuth.ts

`loct --for-ai`

Get a comprehensive codebase overview optimized for AI understanding.

bash

loct --for-ai

Run this first when starting work on a new codebase.

Best Practices

•Start with loct --for-ai to understand codebase structure
•Use loct find instead of grep for symbol searches (10x better results)
•Check loct impact before refactoring to avoid breaking changes
•Run loct health periodically to catch dead code and cycles

Pattern Recognition

The hook automatically recognizes these patterns:

Pattern Type	Example	Action
PascalCase	`MyComponent`	`loct find`
camelCase	`handleClick`	`loct find`
snake_case	`user_service`	`loct find` or Tauri command
File path	`src/utils.ts`	`loct slice`
Directory	`src/api/`	`loct focus`
Multi-term	`A\|B` or `A.*B`	`loct find "A\|B"`
Health keywords	`dead`, `unused`, `cycle`	`loct health`

Cross-Match Files

When searching multiple terms, loctree identifies files containing 2+ different terms - these are often the most relevant files for understanding relationships.

Prerequisites

Install loctree CLI:

bash

cargo install loctree
# or
brew install loctree

Verify installation:

bash

loct --version

Initialize in your project (creates .loctree/ cache):

bash

loct scan