feat(search): query other indexes with -C and the MCP repo argument

Merged
LE
4d ago
+487-74

Lets you query a second index without custom index locations. Each tree keeps its own <root>/.vera. The use case comes from @ple1n (#302): searching a project plus an index of the local cargo crate cache.

CLI

  • vera -C <DIR> (--directory) changes directory before running the command, like git -C. It is accepted only before the subcommand: 
    vera index ~/.cargo/registry/src --full-text-only
vera -C ~/.cargo/registry/src search "retry backoff"
  • vera grep gets -C as the short form of --context, matching grep and rg habits. vera grep foo -C 3 used to be a parse error. Because the top-level -C is not global, the two never collide: vera -C dir grep foo -C 1 works.

MCP

  • Every tool accepts an optional repo argument. The existing search context is keyed by configuration, not repository, so one long-running server already serves any number of indexes with a single loaded model.
  • A repo other than the server's working directory must already be indexed. It is never auto-indexed or watched, so a wrong path such as / cannot start a filesystem-wide index or a huge inotify watch.
  • Omitting repo keeps today's behavior.

This replaces the --save/--index-dir plus load_index/list_indexes design from #302. Vera derives the repository root from the index directory in many places, so moving indexes would mean threading an explicit root through about 25 files. The use case works without that.

Tests:

  • CLI: -C with absolute and relative directories, --directory, and grep -C N.
  • MCP: all seven tools against a secondary keyword index, refusal of an unindexed repo without creating anything, and root resolution.

Devin Review

Summary by cubic

Lets you query a second index without custom index locations. Each tree keeps its own <root>/.vera, so you can search a dependency download directory and your project from the same session. Tests cover CLI -C with absolute and relative directories, grep -C N, and MCP queries against a secondary index.

CLI

  • vera -C <DIR> (--directory) changes directory before running the command, like git -C. It is accepted only before the subcommand.
  • vera grep gets -C as the short form of --context, matching grep and rg habits. The top-level -C is not global, so vera -C dir grep foo -C 1 works.
  • vera watch . now watches the index that covers ., like vera update, instead of a subdirectory without its own index.

MCP

  • Every tool accepts an optional repo argument. One long-running server serves any number of indexes with a single loaded model.
  • A repo other than the server's working directory must already be indexed. It is never auto-indexed or watched.
  • get_stats and get_overview keep their existing path argument; repo takes precedence when both are given. Omitting repo keeps today's behavior.
  • Stale-index warnings now suggest the matching vera -C <repo> command, shell-quoting paths that need it. Docs and the Vera skill explain pointing Vera at its own vera serve instance to reuse one loaded model across commands, sessions, and indexes.

Summary by CodeRabbit

  • New Features

    • Added a global -C/--directory option to run commands from a specified directory.
    • MCP tools can query a selected, pre-indexed repository using the repo argument.
    • Added -C as a shortcut for setting grep context lines.

  • Bug Fixes

    • Improved index discovery and watching for repositories, including paths with spaces.
    • Stale-index notices now provide commands tailored to the selected repository.

  • Documentation

    • Updated CLI and MCP guidance for directory selection, repository indexing, and persistent inference servers.