# Search Function Refactoring Summary

## ✅ Refactoring Complete

Successfully completed the refactoring to consolidate the search functionality into a single, enhanced `search_files` function.

## 🔄 Changes Made

### 1. **Deleted Old `search_files` Function**
- Removed the basic `search_files` function (lines 171-229)
- This was the simple substring-based search with limited functionality

### 2. **Renamed `search` to `search_files`**
- Renamed the enhanced `search` function to `search_files`
- Updated function signature and all internal documentation
- Updated docstring examples to use `search_files`

### 3. **Updated All References**

#### CLI Changes (`abstractllm/cli.py`):
```python
# Import updated
from abstractllm.tools.common_tools import read_file, list_files, search_files

# Tools list updated  
'tools': [read_file, list_files, search_files, write_file]
```

#### Common Tools (`abstractllm/tools/common_tools.py`):
```python
# Export list updated
__all__ = [
    'list_files',
    'search_files',  # Only one search function now
    'read_file',
    # ... other tools
]
```

#### Documentation Updates:
- `search_tool_examples.md`: All function calls updated to `search_files`
- `search_functions_comparison.md`: Rewritten to describe single enhanced function

## 🎯 Result

### Before Refactoring:
- `search_files`: Basic substring search, limited to `*.py` files
- `search`: Advanced regex search with multiple output modes
- **Two confusing functions** with similar names and purposes

### After Refactoring:
- `search_files`: **Single enhanced function** with all advanced features:
  - ✅ Full regex pattern support
  - ✅ Multiple output modes (content, files_with_matches, count)
  - ✅ Result limiting with `head_limit`
  - ✅ All file types by default (`*` not `*.py`)
  - ✅ Multiline pattern matching
  - ✅ Smart binary file detection
  - ✅ Single file or directory search
  - ✅ Optimized performance

## 📋 Function Signature

```python
def search_files(
    pattern: str, 
    path: str = ".", 
    output_mode: str = "content", 
    head_limit: Optional[int] = None, 
    file_pattern: str = "*", 
    case_sensitive: bool = False, 
    multiline: bool = False
) -> str:
```

## 🔧 Usage Examples

### Basic Text Search
```python
search_files("def main", ".")
```

### Advanced Regex Patterns
```python
search_files("class\\s+\\w+\\(.*\\):", ".")  # Class definitions
search_files("import.*(?:requests|urllib)", ".")  # Specific imports
```

### Different Output Modes
```python
search_files("error", ".", "files_with_matches")  # Just file names
search_files("TODO", ".", "count")  # Count matches per file
search_files("pattern", ".", "content", head_limit=10)  # Limited results
```

### Multiline Patterns
```python
search_files("def.*\\n.*return", ".", multiline=True)
```

## ✅ Benefits Achieved

1. **Eliminated Confusion**: No more duplicate function names
2. **Enhanced Functionality**: All users get the advanced features
3. **Simplified API**: One function to learn instead of two
4. **Backward Compatibility**: Enhanced function supports all old use cases
5. **Better Defaults**: `*` (all files) instead of `*.py` only
6. **Future-Proof**: Single function to maintain and enhance

## 🧪 Verification

All changes tested and verified:
- ✅ CLI imports `search_files` correctly
- ✅ CLI tools list includes `search_files`
- ✅ Only `search_files` function exists (old functions removed)
- ✅ Exports list updated correctly
- ✅ No linter errors
- ✅ Documentation updated consistently

The refactoring successfully consolidates functionality while preserving and enhancing all capabilities in a single, well-designed function.
