# Tool Consolidation Ideas

This document outlines opportunities to merge similar tools to simplify the API.

## 1. File Write Operations

**Current tools:** `CreateFile`, `InsertAfter`, `AppendToFile`

**Proposed merge:** `WriteToFile`

```csharp
public static string WriteToFile(
    string path,
    string[] content,
    string? mode = "create",
    string? anchor = null)
```

**Behavior:**
- `mode="create"` - Creates new file (error if exists)
- `mode="append"` - Appends to EOF (creates if missing)
- `mode="insert"` - Inserts after anchor (requires existing file)

**Benefits:**
- Reduces 3 tools to 1
- Cleaner API for LLM
- Unified error handling

## 2. File Move Operations

**Current tools:** `RenameFile`, `CopyFile`

**Proposed merge:** `MoveFile`

```csharp
public static string MoveFile(
    string sourcePath,
    string destinationPath,
    bool copy = false)
```

**Behavior:**
- `copy=false` - Moves file (current RenameFile behavior)
- `copy=true` - Copies file (current CopyFile behavior)

**Benefits:**
- 90% identical logic
- Only difference is File.Move vs File.Copy
- Both create parent directories
- Similar error handling patterns

## 3. Grep Operations

**Current tools:** `GrepFile`, `GrepRecursive`

**Proposed merge:** `Grep`

```csharp
public static string Grep(
    string path,
    string pattern,
    bool recursive = false,
    string? filePattern = null)
```

**Behavior:**
- `recursive=false` - Searches single file (current GrepFile)
- `recursive=true` - Searches directory recursively (current GrepRecursive)
- `filePattern` - Optional glob to filter files when recursive

**Benefits:**
- Very similar logic
- Reduces 2 tools to 1
- Cleaner API for LLM

## 4. Delete Operations

**Current tools:** `DeleteFile`, `DeleteDir`

**Proposed merge:** `Delete`

```csharp
public static string Delete(
    string path,
    bool recursive = true)
```

**Behavior:**
- Auto-detects if path is file or directory
- `recursive=true` - Delete directory and all contents
- `recursive=false` - Only matters for directories (error if not empty)

**Benefits:**
- Auto-detects file vs directory
- Similar error handling patterns
- Reduces 2 tools to 1

## Summary

These consolidations would reduce the tool count from 17 to 13 tools, making the API simpler and easier for the LLM to use effectively.

**High priority merges:**
1. ✅ File Write Operations (3 → 1)
2. ✅ File Move Operations (2 → 1)
3. ✅ Grep Operations (2 → 1)
4. ✅ Delete Operations (2 → 1)

**Kept separate:**
- `ReadFile` - distinct read-only operation
- `ListDir`, `FindFiles`, `GetFileInfo` - different purposes
- `CreateDir` - simple enough to keep standalone
- `ReplaceLines`, `InsertAfter`, `DeleteRange` - too complex to merge without confusing LLM