Dash documentation

Available Tools

Every tool registered in Dash, with its inputs and behavior.

Overview

Dash registers 24 tools with the model. Every tool result is streamed into the conversation, and tool rows are labeled (Read, Edit, List, Search, …) so you can follow what the agent is doing.

File tools

Tool	Purpose	Key inputs
read_file	Read a UTF-8 text file from the current workspace.	path
write_file	Create or replace a file, creating folders as needed.	path, content
edit_file	Replace one exact text occurrence in a file.	path, old_text, new_text
multi_edit	Apply multiple edits to one file atomically — all succeed or none do.	path, edits[]
delete_file	Delete, rename or move files/folders.	path, action (delete\|move\|rename), dest
get_file_info	Get size, file type, and modified time for a workspace file.	path

Search tools

Tool	Purpose	Key inputs
list_files	List files and folders under a workspace directory; optional recursion and glob filtering.	path, recursive?, pattern?
find_files	Find workspace files using a glob pattern such as */.ts.	pattern, path?
search_files	Search text files for a literal string or regular expression.	query, path?, regex?, case_sensitive?
code_search	Find definition and references for a symbol.	symbol, kind (definition\|references)

Execution tools

Tool	Purpose	Key inputs
run_command	Run a shell command in the workspace.	command
run_background	Start a long-running command, read its output, or kill it.	command, action (start\|read\|kill), pid?
get_diagnostics	Run lint, typecheck, or build and return structured errors.	kind (lint\|typecheck\|build)

Git tools

Tool	Purpose	Key inputs
git_tool	Structured git operations: status, diff, log, commit, branch, checkout.	action, args?

Web tools

Tool	Purpose	Key inputs
web_search	Search the web and return titles, URLs and snippets.	query, max_results?
web_fetch	Fetch a URL and return cleaned markdown, text or HTML.	url, format? (markdown\|text\|html)

Agent coordination tools

Tool	Purpose	Key inputs
ask_user	Ask the user for clarification or a choice before proceeding.	question, options?
todo_write	Create or update the full task checklist.	todos[] (id, title, status)
read_memory	Read the user-approved private memory file across sessions.	—
write_memory	Propose a replacement of the memory file — requires user approval to write.	content
read_session_activity	Read recent conversation activity from this or a previous session.	session_id?, limit?
spawn_subagent	Delegate a self-contained task to a sub-agent.	task, context?
undo_checkpoint	Save a snapshot before edits or roll back to a checkpoint.	action (snapshot\|rollback), id?

tool definition (source excerpt)

{
  name: "edit_file",
  description: "Replace one exact text occurrence in a file."
    + " No user approval is needed for edits inside the workspace;"
    + " editing outside the workspace asks the user for approval.",
  parameters: { path: string, old_text: string, new_text: string }
}

Permissions

Workspace writes are trusted: write_file, edit_file, and multi_edit run without approval inside the workspace.
Outside the workspace asks first: file operations touching paths outside your project request your approval.
Destructive operations always ask: delete_file (delete/rename/move) requires approval.
Every shell command is approved by you: run_command prompts for the exact command before it runs.
Memory is opt-in: write_memory writes only what you approve.

File tools

Tool

Purpose

Key inputs

read_file

Read a UTF-8 text file from the current workspace.

path

write_file

Create or replace a file, creating folders as needed.

path, content

edit_file

Replace one exact text occurrence in a file.

path, old_text, new_text

multi_edit

Apply multiple edits to one file atomically — all succeed or none do.

path, edits[]

delete_file

Delete, rename or move files/folders.

path, action (delete|move|rename), dest

get_file_info

Get size, file type, and modified time for a workspace file.

path

Search tools

Tool

Purpose

Key inputs

list_files

List files and folders under a workspace directory; optional recursion and glob filtering.

path, recursive?, pattern?

find_files

Find workspace files using a glob pattern such as **/*.ts.

pattern, path?

search_files

Search text files for a literal string or regular expression.

query, path?, regex?, case_sensitive?

code_search

Find definition and references for a symbol.

symbol, kind (definition|references)

Tool

Purpose

Key inputs

run_command

Run a shell command in the workspace.

command

run_background

Start a long-running command, read its output, or kill it.

command, action (start|read|kill), pid?

get_diagnostics

Run lint, typecheck, or build and return structured errors.

kind (lint|typecheck|build)

Tool

Purpose

Key inputs

git_tool

Structured git operations: status, diff, log, commit, branch, checkout.

action, args?

Tool

Purpose

Key inputs

web_search

Search the web and return titles, URLs and snippets.

query, max_results?

web_fetch

Fetch a URL and return cleaned markdown, text or HTML.

url, format? (markdown|text|html)

Agent coordination tools

Tool

Purpose

Key inputs

ask_user

Ask the user for clarification or a choice before proceeding.

question, options?

todo_write

Create or update the full task checklist.

todos[] (id, title, status)

read_memory

Read the user-approved private memory file across sessions.

—

write_memory

Propose a replacement of the memory file — requires user approval to write.

content

read_session_activity

Read recent conversation activity from this or a previous session.

session_id?, limit?

spawn_subagent

Delegate a self-contained task to a sub-agent.

task, context?

undo_checkpoint

Save a snapshot before edits or roll back to a checkpoint.

action (snapshot|rollback), id?

tool definition (source excerpt)

{
  name: "edit_file",
  description: "Replace one exact text occurrence in a file."
    + " No user approval is needed for edits inside the workspace;"
    + " editing outside the workspace asks the user for approval.",
  parameters: { path: string, old_text: string, new_text: string }
}

Permissions

Workspace writes are trusted: write_file, edit_file, and multi_edit run without approval inside the workspace.

Outside the workspace asks first: file operations touching paths outside your project request your approval.

Destructive operations always ask: delete_file (delete/rename/move) requires approval.

Every shell command is approved by you: run_command prompts for the exact command before it runs.

Memory is opt-in: write_memory writes only what you approve.