What if rg is not available?

Fall back to grep for content searches or use find with -exec grep to simulate rg style results

Can I search across multiple directories?

Yes. Provide a top level directory and limit scope with -maxdepth or prune unwanted paths as needed

What content formats are supported?

Plain text and code are straightforward. Ripgrep handles many file types; for binary files, use appropriate flags or limit the search to text files

file-search

npx machina-cli add skill next-open-ai/openclawx/file-search --openclaw

Files (1)

SKILL.md

899 B

File Search Skill

Use this skill to recursively search for files or file contents within a specified directory.

Workflow

Identify the user's search criteria:
- By name/extension pattern (e.g., "*.md")
- By content (e.g., "contains the word 'auth'")
- By metadata (e.g., "modified in the last 7 days", "larger than 10MB")
Formulate the appropriate bash command:
- Use find <dir> -name "*.ext" -type f to search by name.
- Use grep -rn "pattern" <dir> or rg "pattern" <dir> (if ripgrep is available) to search by content.
- Use find <dir> -mtime -7 -size +10M to search by metadata.
Execute the command using the bash tool.
Process the output and present the results clearly to the user.

Source

git clone https://github.com/next-open-ai/openclawx/blob/main/presets/workspaces/file-assistant/skills/file-search/SKILL.md

View on GitHub

Overview

The file-search skill helps locate files by name, content, or metadata within a directory tree. It leverages bash tools like find for name and metadata searches, and grep or rg for content searches. This makes it easier to locate assets, logs, or code across large projects.

How This Skill Works

First, identify the search criteria (name pattern, content, or metadata). Then formulate a bash command using find for names and metadata, and grep or rg for content when available. Finally run the command through the bash tool and present the results in a clear, readable list of paths.

When to Use It

Locating all markdown files by name or extension in a project
Finding files that contain a specific keyword or phrase
Identifying recently modified or large files using metadata filters
Scanning a directory tree for assets like images or config files
Troubleshooting by locating relevant log or config files across directories

Quick Start

Step 1: Define your search criteria as name pattern, content keyword, or metadata range
Step 2: Build the bash command using find for names and metadata, and grep or rg for content
Step 3: Run the command through the bash tool and review the output, adjusting scope as needed

Best Practices

Clarify the exact name pattern or keyword before running the search
Prefer ripgrep (rg) for content searches when available, otherwise fall back to grep
Scope searches with an explicit top level directory to reduce results
Use -maxdepth or directory pruning to limit deep scans during tuning
Review results for false positives and verify paths before taking action

Example Use Cases

Find all README files in a project: find . -name README.* -type f
Search for files containing the word auth under /app: grep -rn auth /app
List files modified in the last 7 days and larger than 10M: find /path -mtime -7 -size +10M
Locate all PNG assets in the assets folder: find assets -name *.png -type f
Use rg to search for init across the src directory: rg init src

Frequently Asked Questions

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