# Coder

The coder family is what makes OpenHuman a viable coding partner instead of a chat window that *pretends* to know the codebase.

## Tools in the family

| Tool             | What it does                                                      |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `file_read`      | Read a file (with line numbers, like `cat -n`).                   |
| `file_write`     | Write a new file.                                                 |
| `edit_file`      | Targeted edits - match-and-replace with strict uniqueness checks. |
| `apply_patch`    | Apply a unified diff.                                             |
| `glob_search`    | Find files by glob pattern.                                       |
| `grep`           | Ripgrep-style search across the tree.                             |
| `list_files`     | Walk a directory tree.                                            |
| `read_diff`      | Diff between two files or revisions.                              |
| `git_operations` | Status, diff, log, blame, branch, commit.                         |
| `run_linter`     | Run the project's linter.                                         |
| `run_tests`      | Run the project's test command.                                   |
| `csv_export`     | Export query results as CSV.                                      |

## Why these are native, not shell-only

A shell tool plus `cat`/`sed`/`awk` could *technically* do all of this. The native tools exist because:

* Edits go through a uniqueness check, so the agent can't accidentally clobber the wrong line.
* Reads come back with line numbers the agent can refer to in follow-ups.
* Git operations parse output into structured data, instead of leaving the agent to scrape porcelain.
* Lint and test runs are wired to the project's actual commands, not generic guesses.

## Workspace scoping

Filesystem tools respect a workspace boundary - the agent can't read or write outside it without explicit permission. Same boundary the rest of the app uses for `OPENHUMAN_WORKSPACE`.

## See also

* [System & Utilities](/openhuman/features/native-tools/system-and-utilities.md) - `shell`, `node_exec`, `npm_exec` for the rest of the dev loop.
* [Agent Coordination](/openhuman/features/native-tools/agent-coordination.md) - `todo_write`, `spawn_subagent` for larger refactors.


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://tinyhumans.gitbook.io/openhuman/features/native-tools/coder.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.