sgrep - Smart Code Search

sgrep is a semantic and hybrid code search tool that understands what you mean, not just what you type.

• License: Apache 2.0
• Repository: https://github.com/XiaoConstantine/sgrep

When to Use

Use sgrep instead of grep/ripgrep when:

• Searching by concept or intent ("how does authentication work")
• Looking for code with specific terms + context (use --hybrid)
• Exploring unfamiliar codebases
• grep patterns keep missing relevant code

Commands

# Semantic search (understands intent)
sgrep "error handling logic"
sgrep "database connection pooling"

# Hybrid search (semantic + exact term matching)
sgrep --hybrid "JWT token validation"
sgrep --hybrid "OAuth2 refresh"

# With code context
sgrep -c "authentication middleware"

# JSON output
sgrep --json "rate limiting"

# Quiet mode (paths only)  
sgrep -q "logging"

Semantic vs Hybrid

Mode	Best For	Example
Default (semantic)	Conceptual queries	"how does caching work"
--hybrid	Queries with specific terms	"parseConfig function"

Use --hybrid when your query contains function names, API names, or technical terms that should match exactly.

Search Hierarchy

1. sgrep → Find files by semantic intent
2. sgrep --hybrid → Find files by intent + specific terms
3. ast-grep → Match structural patterns
4. ripgrep → Exact text search

Tips

• Frame queries as questions: "how are errors handled"
• Use --hybrid for specific function/class names
• Use -c to see code snippets in results
• Use --json for programmatic parsing
• Results show file:startLine-endLine format