AST Navigation with tree-sitter MCP

You have access to tree-sitter MCP tools that let you navigate code structurally rather than as flat text. Use these tools when you need precise, language-aware understanding of code structure.

Available Tools

parse_file

Parse a file and get its top-level AST structure. Returns the root node with its children's kinds and spans.

When to use: Starting point for exploring an unfamiliar file. Shows you what top-level constructs exist (functions, classes, imports, etc.).

file_path: "/path/to/file.rs"
language: "rust"  # optional — auto-detected from extension

list_symbols

List all top-level symbols (functions, structs, classes, traits, enums, constants) with their names, kinds, and locations.

When to use: Getting an overview of what a file defines. Much faster than reading the whole file when you just need to know what's there.

file_path: "/path/to/file.rs"

get_definition

Get the full source text of a specific symbol by name.

When to use: Reading one specific function/struct/class without loading the entire file.

file_path: "/path/to/file.rs"
symbol_name: "MyStruct"

get_children_of

Get child definitions within a named scope (methods inside a class/impl, fields in a struct).

When to use: Exploring the contents of a class, impl block, or module.

file_path: "/path/to/file.rs"
symbol_name: "MyStruct"

get_node_at_position

Get the deepest AST node at a specific line/column position.

When to use: Understanding what syntax construct exists at a specific location (e.g., when investigating a compiler error at a given line).

file_path: "/path/to/file.rs"
line: 42
column: 8

get_scope

Get the enclosing scope (function, class, module) at a position, with the full parent chain.

When to use: Understanding the nesting context at a specific location — what function am I in? What class is that function in?

file_path: "/path/to/file.rs"
line: 42
column: 8

navigate

Move from a position in a direction: parent, first_child, next_sibling, prev_sibling, next_named_sibling, prev_named_sibling.

When to use: Traversing the AST step by step from a known position. Useful for exploring neighboring constructs.

file_path: "/path/to/file.rs"
line: 42
column: 8
direction: "parent"

query

Run a raw tree-sitter S-expression query and get all matches with captures.

When to use: Complex structural searches that the other tools don't cover. For example, finding all functions that take a specific parameter type, or all assignments to a variable.

file_path: "/path/to/file.rs"
query: "(function_item name: (identifier) @name parameters: (parameters (parameter type: (type_identifier) @type))) @fn"

Supported Languages

Rust, Python, TypeScript, TSX, JavaScript, Go, Java, C, C++, C#, Ruby, Bash, PHP, OCaml, CSS, HCL.

Usage Patterns

Exploring an unfamiliar codebase:

1. list_symbols on key files to understand structure
2. get_definition for specific symbols you need to understand
3. get_children_of to drill into classes/modules

Investigating a specific location:

1. get_node_at_position to see what's at a line/column
2. get_scope to understand the nesting context
3. navigate with parent to walk up the tree

Structural search:

1. query with S-expressions for pattern matching across the AST