AST-aware code search for agents and developers
lmprobe is a one-shot CLI for structural search, symbol context, history, impact graphs, safe mutations, GraphQL composition, and evidence-first security scans.
lmprobe def --body handle_request src/service.ts
lmprobe --format mermaid impact UserService --depth 3 .
lmprobe pr-triage --since all https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/123
lmprobe query @investigate.graphql --var name='"User"'
Chapter 1
Install once from npm for repeated agent loops, then run one-off or scripted inspections against any repository path.
npm install -g @lmctl-ai/lmprobe
lmprobe --help
The npm package exposes the same command surface as the manual.
Repeated runs are fastest with npm install -g @lmctl-ai/lmprobe;
use npx only for one-off execution because it
re-resolves each time and can add seconds per invocation.
The homepage is lmctl.com/lmprobe.
lmprobe --version
lmprobe --format json search --name HandleRequest .
Start with a read-only search. Add query and mutation
commands as your workflow needs grow.
0 means matched,
1 means no clean match, and 2 means a
diagnostic error or safety refusal.
Chapter 2
Use structural verbs when the question is about code shape or
symbols. Use find and grep for path and
raw text scans.
lmprobe --format json search --name LoginService --body .
lmprobe --format json def --body LoginService src
lmprobe ref LoginService .
lmprobe find '\.(rs|ts|tsx)$' --path crates --path tests
lmprobe --format json grep -C 3 --parents 'login|signin' .
lmprobe discover --top-level-only .
Chapter 3
Relationship verbs answer questions about callers, callees, imports, exports, decorators, inheritance, impact, and symbol context. These verbs are call/symbol graph focused and currently do not model framework dependency wiring (for example Angular providers/modules or Spring autowire/scope annotations).
lmprobe callers Pattern .
lmprobe callees run .lmprobe imports react .
lmprobe exports useState .lmprobe --format mermaid impact Pattern --depth 3 .
context bundles the first definition, one-hop
callers/callees, imports from the defining file, recent history,
TODO markers, and a file outline.
lmprobe --format json context --around 3 UserService .
lmprobe --format json context --usage UserService src/app.ts --parents
lmprobe --format json context --import-aware UserService src/app.ts
For framework DI/module registration paths, use ref and
grep --parents --body as fallback evidence (for
example SessionSyncInterceptor) before switching to
graph verbs for call-surface follow-up.
Chapter 4
History commands use Git evidence to explain where a symbol came from, how a file changed, and which files tend to move together.
lmprobe history blame Pattern .
lmprobe history introduced Pattern .
lmprobe history diff -p 'auth|login' --since 30d .
lmprobe history co-change src/auth.ts --top 10 .
lmprobe ast-diff --from HEAD~1 --to HEAD src/service.ts
Chapter 5
Mutation verbs are deliberately conservative. Start with dry-run output, keep worktrees clean, and inspect generated patches before applying changes.
lmprobe trace 'fn handle_$NAME' . \
--exec 'cargo test' \
--worktreeWorktree mode isolates instrumentation and rolls it back after the run.
lmprobe fix -p 'old_api($X)' -r 'new_api($X)' src
lmprobe fix -p 'old_api($X)' -r 'new_api($X)' src --applyApply mode refuses unsafe working trees unless explicitly forced.
Chapter 6
Choose human-readable markdown, machine-readable envelopes, CI annotations, or graph renderers.
lmprobe --format json search --name Pattern . | jq '.hits | length'
lmprobe --format github grep 'TODO|FIXME' .
lmprobe --format dot impact Pattern --depth 2 . > impact.dotChapter 7
lmprobe query runs an in-process GraphQL document.
Use it when one investigation needs multiple evidence streams.
Naming is surface-native: CLI JSON uses snake_case fields and
lowercase status strings (for example line_start,
line_number, exit_status: "matched"),
while GraphQL uses camelCase keys and uppercase enum-style values
(lineStart, lineNumber,
exitStatus: "MATCHED"). The meaning is compatible,
but field names are not normalized across both surfaces. Note:
line-like anchors are spread across CLI families
(line_number, line_start,
start_line) and map to GraphQL line fields by
semantics on each output shape.
Inspect warnings for coverage diagnostics such as
FILE_METADATA_FAILED, FILE_TOO_LARGE,
FILE_READ_FAILED, WALK_ERROR, or
WALK_ENTRY_ERROR; hits from readable files remain
useful, but those warnings mean the scan was partial. Partial
runs report partial: true where supported and exit
with code 3;
exit_status stays in the stable
matched/no_match/error
enum.
Aliases keep the result organized while every field still uses the same underlying CLI envelopes and exit semantics.
{
defs: def(name: "UserService", path: ".") {
hits { name filePath lineStart }
exitStatus
}
env: grep(pattern: "process\\.env", path: "apps/web", paths: ["packages/shared"]) {
hits { filePath lineNumber lineContent }
warnings { code message hint }
exitStatus
}
packages: grepDirsWith(
markerPattern: "(^|[\\\\/])package\\.json$",
pattern: "login",
path: ".",
parents: true
) {
hits { filePath lineNumber lineContent parents { kind name } }
exitStatus
}
}lmprobe query @q.graphql --var name='"User"'.
Chapter 8
The secrets scanner is gitleaks-compatible and can add semantic evidence about provider SDK calls and source reads without claiming a vulnerability by itself.
lmprobe secrets .
lmprobe --format json secrets --ast-fp-cut annotate .lmprobe secrets-recipes list --provider aws
lmprobe secrets-sources list --provider aws
lmprobe query --recipe secrets/aws/python --all-shapesTreat scanner output as evidence for review. Confirm findings with project context and rotation policy before taking action.
Rule compatibility stays unchanged by default. Teams with repeated
i18n/locale false positives can use an opt-in
--config overlay that adds path allowlists (for example
assets/i18n/**, locales/**,
translations/**) and keeps all other secret scanners
enabled. Keep decoded-only natural-language translation hits
low-confidence unless corroborated by additional context.
Chapter 9
Filter recipes by keyword or scan the cards directly. Commands assume you are at the repository root.
lmprobe --format json grep -C 3 'login|signin|authenticate' apps/weblmprobe query '{
grepDirsWith(markerPattern: "(^|[\\\\/])package\\.json$", pattern: "login", path: ".") {
hits { filePath lineNumber lineContent }
exitStatus
}
}'lmprobe --format json def --body --around 4 handle_request srclmprobe pr-triage --since all https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/123
lmprobe --format json pr-triage --compact https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/123lmprobe --format mermaid impact BillingClient --depth 3 .lmprobe resource-sites . --acquire 'os.Open|File::open' --release 'Close|drop'
lmprobe async-leaks . --call stop
lmprobe crypto-sites . --algorithm sha1 --fips-checklmprobe config-keys package.json pyproject.toml
lmprobe guard-sites . --sensitive 'Delete|exec' --guard 'auth'
lmprobe route-anchors .lmprobe history blame --semantic UserRepository .
lmprobe history introduced UserRepository .lmprobe secrets-recipes list --language python
lmprobe query --recipe secrets/aws/python --all-shapeslmprobe --format github grep 'TODO|FIXME|HACK' .lmprobe fix -p 'old_fn($X)' -r 'new_fn($X)' srcChapter 10
A compact map of the major surfaces covered by this manual.