1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
|
# Multi-File Read Tool
This document provides details on the `read_many_files` tool.
## `read_many_files`
- **Purpose:** Reads content from multiple text files specified by paths or glob patterns and concatenates them into a single string. This is useful for getting an overview of a codebase, finding where specific functionality is implemented, reviewing documentation, or gathering context from multiple configuration files.
- **Arguments:**
- `paths` (list[string], required): An array of glob patterns or paths relative to the tool's target directory (e.g., `["src/**/*.ts"]`, `["README.md", "docs/"]`).
- `exclude` (list[string], optional): Glob patterns for files/directories to exclude (e.g., `["**/*.log", "temp/"]`). These are added to default excludes if `useDefaultExcludes` is true.
- `include` (list[string], optional): Additional glob patterns to include. These are merged with `paths` (e.g., `["*.test.ts"]` to specifically add test files if they were broadly excluded).
- `recursive` (boolean, optional): Whether to search recursively. This is primarily controlled by `**` in glob patterns. Defaults to `true`.
- `useDefaultExcludes` (boolean, optional): Whether to apply a list of default exclusion patterns (e.g., `node_modules`, `.git`, binary files). Defaults to `true`.
- **Behavior:**
- The tool searches for files matching the provided `paths` and `include` patterns, while respecting `exclude` patterns and default excludes (if enabled).
- It reads the content of each matched text file (attempting to skip binary files).
- The content of all successfully read files is concatenated into a single string, with a separator `--- {filePath} ---` between the content of each file.
- Uses UTF-8 encoding by default.
- **Examples:**
- Reading all TypeScript files in the `src` directory:
```
read_many_files(paths=["src/**/*.ts"])
```
- Reading the main README and all Markdown files in the `docs` directory, excluding a specific file:
```
read_many_files(paths=["README.md", "docs/**/*.md"], exclude=["docs/OLD_README.md"])
```
- Reading all JavaScript files but explicitly including test files that might otherwise be excluded by a global pattern:
```
read_many_files(paths=["**/*.js"], include=["**/*.test.js"], useDefaultExcludes=False)
```
- **Important Notes:**
- **Binary Files:** This tool is designed for text files and attempts to skip binary files. Its behavior with binary content is not guaranteed.
- **Performance:** Reading a very large number of files or very large individual files can be resource-intensive.
- **Path Specificity:** Ensure paths and glob patterns are correctly specified relative to the tool's target directory.
- **Default Excludes:** Be aware of the default exclusion patterns (like `node_modules`, `.git`) and use `useDefaultExcludes=False` if you need to override them, but do so cautiously.
|
