AnchorCli/docs/ToolConsolidation.md

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

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

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

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

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