lci - Lightning Code Intelligence

lci (Lightning Code Index) provides sub-millisecond semantic code search with intelligent context reduction, helping you navigate and understand codebases instantly.

Why lci?

79.8% Context Reduction

lci reduces context needed by nearly 80% through intelligent semantic indexing. Find what you need without reading entire files.

Key Features

• ⚡ Sub-Millisecond Search: Find symbols in <1ms regardless of codebase size
• 🎯 Semantic Understanding: Search by meaning, not just text matching
• 📊 Context Reduction: Get relevant context without noise
• 🔗 Dependency Tracking: Understand symbol relationships and call hierarchies
• 🚫 Force-LCI Mode: Block Grep/Glob to enforce semantic search

Installation

# Install from marketplace
claude mcp add-dir https://github.com/standardbeagle/standardbeagle-tools
claude mcp add lci --source ./plugins/lci

# Or install directly
claude mcp add lci --source ./plugins/lci

Available Commands

Command	Description	Example
/search	Semantic code search	/search authentication logic
/explore	Explore codebase structure	/explore src/components
/context	Get symbol context	/context UserService.login

Usage Examples

Search for Code

# Semantic search
/search user authentication flow

# Find specific patterns
/search error handling in API calls

# Locate implementations
/search payment processing logic

Explore Codebase

# Explore directory structure
/explore src/

# Understand module organization
/explore components --depth 2

Get Symbol Context

# Get context for a function
/context UserService.authenticate

# Understand class relationships
/context OrderProcessor dependencies

Force-LCI Mode

Enforce semantic search by blocking traditional search tools:

# Enable force mode
touch ~/.config/claude-code/lci-force-mode

# Disable force mode
rm ~/.config/claude-code/lci-force-mode

When enabled, Grep and Glob tools are blocked, encouraging semantic search patterns.

MCP Server

lci includes an MCP server providing tools for:

• search - Semantic code search
• get_context - Get detailed context for symbols
• explore - Explore codebase structure

NPM Package

npm install @standardbeagle/lci

MCP Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lci": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@standardbeagle/lci@latest", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}

How It Works

Semantic Indexing

lci builds a semantic index of your codebase:

1. Parses source code into abstract syntax trees
2. Extracts symbols, relationships, and documentation
3. Indexes for fast semantic search
4. Tracks dependencies and call hierarchies

Context Reduction

Instead of returning entire files, lci provides:

• Symbol signatures: Function/method signatures
• Relevant context: Only the code that matters
• Relationship info: How symbols connect
• Documentation: Comments and docstrings

Performance

Codebase Size	Search Time	Context Reduction
10K lines	<0.5ms	75%
100K lines	<1ms	79%
1M lines	<2ms	82%

Hooks

lci includes a PreToolUse hook for force-LCI mode:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Grep|Glob",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "node \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/block-search-tools.js\"",
            "timeout": 5
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Comparison with Traditional Tools

Feature	Grep/Glob	lci
Search Type	Text matching	Semantic understanding
Speed	Fast	Sub-millisecond
Context	Full files	Reduced (80% less)
Relationships	No	Yes
Meaning	No	Yes

Best Practices

1. Use Semantic Queries

Instead of:

grep -r "function login"

Use:

/search user login authentication

2. Leverage Context

Instead of reading entire files:

/context AuthService.login

3. Explore Before Searching

Get oriented first:

/explore src/auth/
/search login implementation

Troubleshooting

Index Not Building

# Rebuild index
rm -rf .lci-index
lci index rebuild

Slow Searches

1. Check index is built: ls .lci-index
2. Verify codebase size isn't too large
3. Consider excluding vendor directories

Force Mode Not Working

# Verify force mode file exists
ls ~/.config/claude-code/lci-force-mode

# Check hook is running
claude mcp list

Related Resources

• tools Plugin - Combined agnt + lci
• MCP Server Documentation
• GitHub Repository
• NPM Package

Version History

Version	Changes
0.3.0	Cross-platform Node.js hooks
0.2.0	Force-LCI mode
0.1.0	Initial release