Doc Lookup Skill

Doc Lookup Skill

Retrieve precise documentation sections from DiPeO's docs/ directory using anchors or keyword search.

When to Use This Skill

Use doc-lookup when you need:

• Specific guidance on a subtopic (e.g., "CLI flags", "MCP registration", "handler patterns")
• Minimal context instead of loading entire 600-1000 line documents
• Anchor-based retrieval for known documentation sections
• Keyword search when you know the topic but not the exact location

Don't use for:

• Reading entire documentation files (use Read tool directly)
• Code exploration (use Grep/​Glob tools)
• General codebase questions (use codebase-qna agent)

How It Works

The doc-lookup skill uses a helper script that:

1. Parses markdown files and extracts sections by headings (##, ###)
2. Matches queries against:
   • Explicit anchors: {#anchor-id} in headings (highest priority)
   • Implicit anchors: auto-generated from heading text (GitHub-style slugs)
   • Heading text: fuzzy matching
   • Content keywords: when heading doesn't match
3. Scores and ranks sections by relevance
4. Returns top 1-3 sections with file path, heading, and content

Note: Only Markdown-native anchor format {#anchor-id} in headings is supported. Standalone HTML anchor tags <a id=""> are NOT supported and should not be used in documentation.

Usage Patterns

Pattern 1: Exact Anchor Lookup (Fastest)

When you know the anchor ID from router skills or previous lookups:

python .claude/​skills/​doc-lookup/​scripts/​section_search.py \
  --query "cli-commands" \
  --paths docs/​agents/​backend-development.md \
  --top 1

Use when: Router skills reference specific anchors (e.g., #cli-commands, #mcp-tools)

Pattern 2: Heading Search

When you know the heading text but not the anchor:

python .claude/​skills/​doc-lookup/​scripts/​section_search.py \
  --query "MCP Tool Registration" \
  --paths docs/ \
  --top 2

Use when: Searching for a known topic across multiple docs

Pattern 3: Keyword Search

When you need sections related to a concept:

python .claude/​skills/​doc-lookup/​scripts/​section_search.py \
  --query "background execution async" \
  --paths docs/ \
  --top 3

Use when: Exploring documentation for a general topic

Pattern 4: Headings-Only Preview

To see available sections without content:

python .claude/​skills/​doc-lookup/​scripts/​section_search.py \
  --query "cli" \
  --paths docs/​agents/ \
  --no-content \
  --top 5

Use when: Discovering what documentation exists on a topic

Command Reference

python .claude/​skills/​doc-lookup/​scripts/​section_search.py \
  --query <search-query> \
  --paths <file-or-dir> [<file-or-dir> ...] \
  --top <number> \
  --max-lines <number> \
  --no-content

Arguments:

• --query: Search term (anchor ID, heading text, or keywords) - REQUIRED
• --paths: Files or directories to search (default: docs/)
• --top: Number of results to return (default: 3)
• --max-lines: Max lines of content per section (default: 30)
• --no-content: Show only headings/​anchors without content

Output Format

Each result includes:

================================================================================
Score: 100.0 (match type: anchor)
File: docs/​agents/​backend-development.md:145
Heading: ## CLI Flags
Anchor: #cli-flags

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Section content here, up to --max-lines]
================================================================================

Match types (from best to worst):

• anchor: Exact or partial anchor match (score: 90-100)
• heading: Exact or partial heading match (score: 60-80)
• content: Keyword match in content (score: 0-50)

Integration with Router Skills

Router skills should reference anchors for common lookups:

## Key Documentation Sections

### CLI Commands
- Full guide: `docs/​agents/​backend-development.md#cli-commands`
- Architecture: `docs/​agents/​backend-development.md#cli-architecture`

### MCP Server
- Tools: `docs/​agents/​backend-development.md#mcp-tools`
- Available tools: `docs/​features/​mcp-server-integration.md#available-tools`

## Lookup Procedure
1. Check if anchor is known → use exact anchor query
2. If not → use keyword search
3. Review top 1-2 results
4. If insufficient → escalate to full agent

Examples

Example 1: Find CLI Flag Documentation

Task: User asks about adding --json flag to dipeo run

Workflow:

# Look up CLI commands section
python .claude/​skills/​doc-lookup/​scripts/​section_search.py \
  --query "cli-commands" \
  --paths docs/​agents/​backend-development.md \
  --top 1

Result: Returns ~50 lines about CLI commands and conventions, not 600-line full document

Example 2: Understand MCP Tool Registration

Task: Debug MCP tool registration issue

Workflow:

# Search for MCP registration docs
python .claude/​skills/​doc-lookup/​scripts/​section_search.py \
  --query "MCP registration" \
  --paths docs/​features/ \
  --top 2

Result: Returns relevant sections from mcp-server-integration.md

Example 3: Learn Handler Patterns

Task: Implement new node handler

Workflow:

# Find handler implementation guidance
python .claude/​skills/​doc-lookup/​scripts/​section_search.py \
  --query "handler patterns" \
  --paths docs/​agents/​package-maintainer.md \
  --top 1 \
  --max-lines 50

Result: Returns handler implementation section with examples

Tips for Effective Use

1. Prefer anchor queries when known (fastest, most accurate)
2. Start narrow (specific file) then expand (directory) if needed
3. Use --top 1 for known topics, --top 3 for exploration
4. Increase --max-lines if section is truncated and you need more context
5. Use --no-content first to discover available sections, then fetch full content

Anchor Conventions in DiPeO Docs

DiPeO documentation uses Markdown-native anchor format only:

## Heading Text {#anchor-id}
### Subheading {#sub-anchor}

Common anchor patterns:

• Commands: #cli-commands, #cli-architecture, #background-execution
• Architecture: #service-architecture, #service-registry-pattern, #envelope-pattern-output
• Features: #mcp-tools, #available-tools, #database-schema
• Handlers: #node-handler-pattern, #when-adding-new-features, #your-responsibilities
• Codegen: #type-system-design-principles, #ir-builder-architecture, #generation-workflow

Do NOT use HTML anchor tags like <a id="anchor-id"></​a> - they are not supported by doc-lookup.

See router skills for complete anchor indexes.

Troubleshooting

No results found:

• Check spelling of query
• Try broader keywords
• Use --paths docs/ to search all docs
• Use --no-content --top 10 to see what's available

Too many results:

• Use more specific query
• Narrow --paths to specific file/​directory
• Reduce --top to 1-2

Section truncated:

• Increase --max-lines (default: 30)
• Or read the full section using the returned file path

Wrong section returned:

• Use explicit anchor if available
• Make query more specific (e.g., "CLI flags" instead of "CLI")
• Check anchor conventions in router skills

Version History

• v1.1.0 (2025-10-21): Removed all <a id=""> HTML anchor tags from docs; now supports only Markdown-native {#anchor-id} format
• v1.0.0 (2025-10-19): Initial implementation with anchor + keyword search