cix

Code Index (cix) — Semantic Code Search & Navigation

cix is a semantic code index that understands code via embeddings + AST parsing. You reach it through the cix_* MCP tools (no shell, no CLI). The right reflex is "cix when you don't have a pointer; read/grep when you do."

This connection talks to a cix SERVER, not a single project. One server may hold many indexed repositories, and nothing is inferred from a working directory — there is no "current project." Every per-repo tool needs an explicit project (a repository's host_path). So the first move is always to discover what's indexed.

First, orient

Before any per-repo call:

1. Call cix_list_projects to see the indexed repositories. Each row has a host_path (e.g. /Users/me/acme-api or github.com/acme/api@main).
2. Pick the host_path of the repo the user means, and pass it as the project argument to every per-repo tool below.

If the repo the user is asking about is not in cix_list_projects, this skill cannot index it — indexing is server-side. Tell the user to index it (via the cix dashboard, or cix init on the machine running the cix server), then retry.

You don't have to memorize host_paths: if you call a per-repo tool with a missing or unknown project, the server replies with an error that lists the valid projects, so you can self-correct in one step.

(Multi-server: cix_list_servers lists configured servers; every tool takes an optional server argument. Omit it for the default — most setups have one server. Only pass server when the user names a specific backend; never guess a name — call cix_list_servers.)

When to use which

Reach for cix first when:

• The starting point is open-ended ("how does indexing work?", "find the authentication middleware", "where is the main entry point?")
• You need cross-file navigation (definitions / references / callers)
• You're searching by meaning, not an exact string ("JWT validation" should find verifyToken even without that phrase)
• You're exploring an unfamiliar package or repo