Tools Reference

Complete reference for CodeBuddy Code's available tools, including permission requirements.

CodeBuddy Code includes a set of built-in tools to help understand and modify your codebase. The tool names in the table below are the identifiers used in permission rules, sub-agent tool lists, and Hook matchers.

Tool	Description	Requires Permission
`Agent`	Spawns a sub-agent with an independent context window to handle tasks	No
`AskUserQuestion`	Asks the user a multiple-choice question to gather requirements or clarify ambiguities	Yes
`Bash`	Executes shell commands in your environment. See Bash Tool Behavior	Yes
`CronCreate`	Schedules recurring or one-time tasks within the current session (expires on exit). See Scheduled Tasks	No
`CronDelete`	Cancels a scheduled task by ID	No
`CronList`	Lists all scheduled tasks in the current session	No
`DeferExecuteTool`	Executes a deferred tool discovered via `ToolSearch`	No
`Edit`	Performs precise string replacement edits on files	Yes
`EnterPlanMode`	Switches to plan mode for designing implementation approaches before coding	No
`EnterWorktree`	Creates an isolated git worktree and switches into it	Yes
`ExitPlanMode`	Submits a plan for user approval and exits plan mode	Yes
`Glob`	Finds files using glob patterns	No
`Grep`	Searches file contents using regex patterns	No
`ImageEdit`	Edits or modifies existing images based on text instructions	Yes
`ImageGen`	Generates images from text descriptions	Yes
`LeaveWorktree`	Exits the worktree session and returns to the original directory	Yes
`LSP`	Provides code intelligence via Language Server. Automatically reports type errors and warnings after file edits. Also supports navigation operations such as go-to-definition, find references, get type info, list symbols, find implementations, and trace call hierarchies. Requires a Code Intelligence Plugin and its language server binary	No
`MultiEdit`	Performs multiple edits on the same file in a single atomic operation	Yes
`NotebookEdit`	Modifies Jupyter notebook cell contents	Yes
`PowerShell`	Executes PowerShell commands on Windows. Only available on Windows, see PowerShell Tool Behavior	Yes
`Read`	Reads file contents, supporting images, PDFs, and Jupyter notebooks	No
`SendMessage`	Sends messages to teammates in an Agent Team	No
`Skill`	Executes a Skill in the main conversation	No
`SlashCommand`	Executes a custom slash command	Yes
`StructuredOutput`	Returns structured output conforming to a JSON Schema	No
`TaskCreate`	Creates a new task in the task list	No
`TaskGet`	Retrieves full details of a specific task	No
`TaskList`	Lists all tasks with their current status	No
`TaskOutput`	Retrieves output from a background task or sub-agent	No
`TaskStop`	Stops a running background task by ID	No
`TaskUpdate`	Updates task status, dependencies, details, or deletes a task	No
`TeamCreate`	Creates an Agent Team for coordinating multiple agents	No
`TeamDelete`	Deletes an Agent Team and its task directory	No
`ToolSearch`	Searches and loads deferred tools, supporting both built-in tools and MCP tools	No
`WebFetch`	Fetches content from a specified URL and performs AI analysis	Yes
`WebSearch`	Performs a web search	Yes
`Write`	Creates or overwrites files	Yes

Permission rules can be configured via the /permissions command or in permission settings. See also Tool-Specific Permission Rules.

Tool Aliases

Some tools have aliases that can be used interchangeably in permission rules:

Tool	Alias
`TaskOutput`	`BashOutput`
`TaskStop`	`KillShell`
`PowerShell`	`pwsh`, `ps`

Bash Tool Behavior

The Bash tool executes each command in a separate process with the following persistence characteristics:

Working directory persists across commands. Set CODEBUDDY_BASH_MAINTAIN_PROJECT_WORKING_DIR=1 to reset to the project directory after each command.
Environment variables do not persist. An export in one command will not take effect in the next command.

Activate your virtualenv or conda environment before launching CodeBuddy Code. To persist environment variables across Bash commands, set CODEBUDDY_ENV_FILE to point to a shell script before startup, or use a SessionStart Hook to populate it dynamically.

Sandbox Mode

The Bash tool supports sandbox isolation, which can restrict filesystem and network access. When sandbox is enabled, commands execute in a restricted environment to prevent unauthorized system access.

The dangerouslyDisableSandbox parameter allows bypassing the sandbox on a per-command basis (requires user approval).

Background Execution

The run_in_background parameter allows running commands in the background, using the TaskOutput tool to read the output. This is suitable for long-running builds, tests, and similar scenarios.

PowerShell Tool Behavior

The PowerShell tool is only available on Windows and provides native PowerShell command execution.

Relationship with Bash Tool

With Git Bash: Both Bash and PowerShell tools are available; the model chooses the appropriate tool based on the scenario
Without Git Bash: The Bash tool is automatically disabled, and the PowerShell tool becomes the only shell tool
The PowerShell tool is not available on macOS/Linux

Version Adaptation

The PowerShell tool automatically detects the PowerShell version, preferring PowerShell 7+ (pwsh) and falling back to Windows PowerShell 5.1. Syntax guidance in prompts adjusts automatically based on version differences (e.g., the && operator is only supported in 7+).

Security Checks

The PowerShell tool includes a built-in security checker covering dangerous patterns such as code injection, download-and-execute, privilege escalation, and system destruction. Dangerous commands (e.g., Invoke-Expression, Add-Type) are blocked, and system-modifying commands require user confirmation.

Environment Variables

Environment Variable	Description
`CODEBUDDY_POWERSHELL_PATH`	Explicitly specify the PowerShell path (takes priority over auto-detection)
`CODEBUDDY_USE_POWERSHELL_TOOL`	Set to `0` to disable the PowerShell tool

Deferred Tool Loading

Some tools (such as those provided via MCP servers) use deferred loading. These tools do not appear in the initial tool list and must be discovered and activated via ToolSearch. Once activated, tools remain available for the rest of the session.

Tools can be configured as deferred via product configuration:

json

{
  "tools": {
    "ToolName": {
      "deferLoading": true
    }
  }
}

Tools Reference ​

Tool Aliases ​

Bash Tool Behavior ​

Sandbox Mode ​

Background Execution ​

PowerShell Tool Behavior ​

Relationship with Bash Tool ​

Version Adaptation ​

Security Checks ​

Environment Variables ​

Deferred Tool Loading ​

See Also ​