View Tool

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Overview

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Parameters

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Features

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Line Numbers

     1|package main
     2|
     3|import "fmt"
     4|
     5|func main() {
     6|	fmt.Println("Hello")
     7|}

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Large File Handling

{
  "file_path": "/path/to/large-file.go",
  "offset": 2000,
  "limit": 2000
}

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File Suggestions

File not found: /path/to/fle.txt

Did you mean one of these?
/path/to/file.txt
/path/to/file2.txt

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Image Support

• PNG (.png)
• JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)
• GIF (.gif)
• WebP (.webp)

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Limitations

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File Size

• Maximum file size: 5 MB
• Files larger than 5 MB cannot be read
• Use pagination with offset/limit for large text files

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Line Length

• Maximum line length: 2000 characters
• Lines longer than 2000 characters are truncated with ...

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Default Line Limit

• Default limit: 2000 lines per read
• Skill files (SKILL.md) have no limit
• Use offset to read beyond the first 2000 lines

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Binary Files

• Non-text files cannot be displayed (except images)
• Binary file detection is automatic
• Use appropriate tools for binary file inspection

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Output Format

<file>
     1|package main
     2|
     3|func main() {
     4|}
</file>

<file>
     1|first line
     2|second line
  ...
  2000|line 2000

(File has more lines. Use 'offset' parameter to read beyond line 2000)
</file>

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LSP Integration

1. Opens the file in LSP if a language server is available
2. Waits briefly for diagnostics (300ms)
3. Includes diagnostics in the output:

<file>
     1|package main
     2|
     3|func main() {
     4|    x := "unused"
     5|}
</file>

<diagnostics file="/path/to/file.go">
  Line 4: x declared and not used (warning)
</diagnostics>

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Usage Examples

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Read Entire File

{
  "file_path": "/path/to/config.go"
}

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Read Specific Section

{
  "file_path": "/path/to/large-file.go",
  "offset": 100,
  "limit": 50
}

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Read Next Section

{
  "file_path": "/path/to/large-file.go",
  "offset": 2000,
  "limit": 2000
}

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Best Practices

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When to Use View

1. Before editing - Always view a file before making changes
2. Understanding code - Read files to understand structure and context
3. Checking results - View files after edits to verify changes
4. Gathering context - Read related files to understand dependencies

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Efficient Reading

1. Start with Grep or Glob - Find relevant files first
2. Use offset/limit - For large files, read specific sections
3. Read multiple files in parallel - When gathering context

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Reading Large Files

[
  {"file_path": "/path/to/file.go", "offset": 0, "limit": 1000},
  {"file_path": "/path/to/file.go", "offset": 1000, "limit": 1000}
]

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Permissions

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Auto-Approved

• Reading files within the working directory
• Reading skill files (SKILL.md)

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Requires Permission

• Reading files outside the working directory

{
  "allow": {
    "view": ["~/projects/myapp", "/etc/nginx"]
  }
}

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Cross-Platform Notes

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Line Endings

• Unix/Linux/macOS: LF (\n)
• Windows: CRLF (\r\n)

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Path Separators

• ✅ C:/Users/name/file.txt
• ❌ C:\\Users\\name\\file.txt

• src/main.go
• ../config.json

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Common Workflows

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Edit Workflow

1. View the file to understand current state
2. Identify the change needed
3. Use Edit tool with exact text from View output
4. View again to verify changes

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Code Understanding

1. Use Grep to find relevant files
2. View each file to understand implementation
3. Follow imports by viewing related files
4. Note LSP diagnostics for potential issues

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Debugging

1. View error logs to see error messages
2. View source files to understand the code
3. View test files to understand expected behavior
4. Check LSP diagnostics for compile errors

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Troubleshooting

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File Not Found

• Check the path is correct
• Use LS tool to verify directory contents
• Check for typos in filename
• Use absolute paths to avoid ambiguity

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File Too Large

• Use offset and limit to read sections
• Consider if you need the entire file
• Use Grep to search for specific content

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Binary File Error

• View is for text files only
• Use appropriate tools for binary inspection
• Check file extension matches content

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Permission Denied

• File may be outside working directory
• Approve the permission prompt
• Add to allow list if regularly accessed

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View vs Other Tools

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View vs Bash cat

• Provides line numbers
• Integrates with LSP
• Handles large files better
• Cross-platform consistent

• Piping to other commands
• When combined with other shell tools

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View vs Grep

• Reading entire files
• Understanding file structure
• Seeing context around code

• Finding specific patterns
• Searching across many files
• When you know what you’re looking for

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View vs Editor Tools

• Reading current state
• Before making edits
• After making edits to verify

• Making changes to files
• Creating new files
• Modifying existing content