MCP Tools Overview
shaktimand is a stdio MCP server. When your client (Claude Code, Cursor, Zed, or any
MCP-speaking agent) launches the daemon, the following tools become available. Each tool
is read-only, idempotent, and non-destructive (advertised via the MCP hints
on every tool registration).
Tools at a glance
| Tool | When to reach for it | Key parameters |
|---|---|---|
summary | Orient in an unfamiliar codebase — file count, languages, symbol count, index health | none |
search | Find code by concept (not exact string) — returns ranked file pointers | query, mode, max_results, min_score, path, scope |
context | Gather multi-file context within a token budget | query, budget_tokens, scope |
symbols | Find where a function / type / class is defined, by name | name, kind, scope |
dependencies | Traverse the call graph (callers or callees) of a symbol | symbol, direction, depth, scope |
diff | See recent file changes with symbol-level attribution | since, limit, scope |
enrichment_status | Check indexing / embedding progress and circuit-breaker state | none |
Conventions shared by every tool
scope parameter
Most tools accept a scope parameter that controls whether test files are included:
| Value | Effect |
|---|---|
"impl" | Default. Implementation files only; test files excluded. |
"test" | Test files only. |
"all" | Both implementation and test files. |
Test files are detected via the TestPatterns configured per language (e.g. *_test.go
for Go, *.test.ts / *.spec.ts for TypeScript).
Query length
search and context cap the query string at 10,000 characters. Queries above that
limit return an error without being executed.
Error handling
Tools return MCP tool errors for invalid inputs — missing required parameters, out-of-range numeric arguments, invalid enum values, and malformed durations. Internal errors are sanitized to 200 characters before being returned, so callers won't see stack traces or internal paths.
When built-in tools are the right choice
Shaktiman is a ranked discovery tool. When you need exact pattern matching, reach for the built-in tools in your client:
| Task | Use |
|---|---|
| Exact string match | Grep (literal search) |
| Regex match | Grep |
| Find files by name | Glob |
| Read a specific known file | Read |
search ranks by conceptual relevance. Grep returns every literal match, unranked.
They're complementary.