ctx_read

Core Tools

Read source files. mode REQUIRED — choose by intent (see `mode` below). To UNDERSTAND code run ctx_compose FIRST; ctx_read after it identified files. anchored → edit by reference via ctx_patch (no exact-recall).

Parameters
10
Required
0
Token Impact
74-99% savings depending on mode. Re-reads from cache cost ~13 tokens.

Parameters

Parameter Type Required Description
aggressiveness number No 0.0–1.0 density (entropy/task)
fresh boolean No Bypass cache
limit integer No Max lines
mode string No REQUIRED. full=verbatim(edit-ready) anchored=full+N:hh|anchors(edit via ctx_patch) raw=exact-bytes signatures=API map=structure auto=smart diff=git-delta lines:N-M=window reference=quotes task=focus
offset integer No start_line alias
path string No Absolute path
paths array No Batch read
protect array No Symbols kept verbatim
raw boolean No Verbatim (= mode=raw + fresh)
start_line integer No 1-based

Call shape

Derived from the input schema: required parameters, plus the most common optional ones.

ctx_read(aggressiveness=N, fresh=true)

Examples

Auto-mode read (default)

ctx_read path="src/auth.ts"

lean-ctx selects the best compression mode automatically based on file size, recency, and task context.

Force full read

ctx_read path="src/auth.ts" mode="full"

Returns complete file content. Use when editing or when you need every detail.

Read specific line range

ctx_read path="src/auth.ts" mode="lines:42-80"

Surgical read of lines 42-80 only. Minimal token cost.

Tune compression with the aggressiveness dial

ctx_read path="src/auth.ts" aggressiveness=0.7

A single 0.0 (lossless) to 1.0 (max) dial controls how hard lean-ctx compresses, without choosing a named mode. It routes through the density path at the mapped target and also tunes entropy/task modes.

Protect critical symbols from compression

ctx_read path="src/auth.ts" mode="entropy" protect=["validateToken", "SECRET_KEY"]

Lines containing the listed symbols or strings are force-kept verbatim, even under entropy/task compression, so safety-critical code is never dropped.

CLI Equivalent

This tool is also available via the CLI:

lean-ctx read <path> [--mode <mode>]

Related Tools

ctx_multi_read ctx_smart_read ctx_fill ctx_cache
Schema MD5: 3f978176ea415ac6005cf935896254aaf59632d53d30138da8dda94d89594d06 ← Back to all tools