CLI: Index Command

Build a semantic index of your codebase patterns for AI-powered search and analysis.

Overview

The rigour index command scans your codebase and builds a searchable index of:

• Universal Polyglot Support: High-fidelity indexing for Python, Go, Rust, Java, C++, TypeScript and more.
• AI-Powered Semantic Search: Natural language pattern discovery using local vector embeddings.
• Functions & signatures: Classes, methods, and architectural patterns.
• Architecture: Dependencies, versioning, and code conventions.

This index powers the Pattern Index MCP tools (rigour_find_patterns, rigour_detect_staleness).

Usage

# Build the index with default settings
rigour index

# Build with semantic embeddings (slower, more powerful)
rigour index --semantic

# Specify output location
rigour index --output .rigour/pattern-index.json

Options

Option	Description	Default
--semantic	Enable semantic embeddings for natural language search	false
--output	Custom output path for the index file	.rigour/pattern-index.json

How It Works

1. Discovery: Scans your project for code files (respects .gitignore).
2. Parsing: Extracts functions, classes, and patterns using AST parsing.
3. Indexing: Builds a searchable structure with metadata.
4. Embeddings (optional): Generates vector embeddings for semantic search.

Index Structure

The generated index contains:

{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "generatedAt": "2026-01-28T09:00:00Z",
  "entries": [
    {
      "name": "AuthService.validateToken",
      "type": "function",
      "path": "src/services/auth.ts",
      "signature": "(token: string) => Promise<User>",
      "complexity": 5,
      "embedding": [0.123, 0.456, ...]
    }
  ]
}

Best Practices

1. Run on CI: Regenerate the index on each merge to main.
2. Commit the Index: Include .rigour/pattern-index.json in version control.
3. Use Semantic Mode: Enable --semantic for codebases > 10k LOC.

Integration with MCP

Once indexed, AI agents can use:

• rigour_find_patterns — Search patterns by keyword or semantically.
• rigour_detect_staleness — Find outdated or deprecated patterns.

# Build and use immediately
rigour index --semantic