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Power Tools

What Are Power Tools?​

Power tools are a collection of specialized AI tools that provide direct file system interaction and development operations within AiderDesk. They give the AI agent granular control over your project files and environment, enabling more efficient and targeted operations. Power tools complement AiderDesk's existing Aider integration by providing:

  • Direct file operations - Read, write, and edit files without full Aider context management
  • Advanced search capabilities - Semantic search, pattern matching, and content discovery
  • System integration - Execute shell commands and delegate tasks to sub-agents
  • Performance optimization - Faster operations for simple file tasks

Unlike Aider tools that manage the full codebase context, power tools offer immediate, targeted operations that are perfect for quick file modifications, content searches, and system interactions.

Getting Started​

Enabling Power Tools​

  1. Open AiderDesk Settings
  2. Navigate to the Agent section
  3. Toggle "Use Power Tools" to enable the feature
  4. Configure individual tool approval settings as needed

Basic Usage​

Once enabled, power tools are automatically available to the AI agent. You can:

  • Ask the agent to search for specific code patterns
  • Request file modifications or new file creation
  • Have the agent execute system commands (with approval)
  • Delegate complex analysis tasks to sub-agents

Available Power Tools​

File Operations​

power---file_read​

Reads and displays the content of any text file in your project.

Use cases:

  • Inspecting configuration files
  • Reviewing code before modifications
  • Understanding file structure and content

Example request:

"Read the package.json file to see what dependencies are installed"

power---file_write​

Creates new files or modifies existing ones with three modes:

  • overwrite - Replaces entire file content (default)
  • append - Adds content to the end of the file
  • create_only - Creates file only if it doesn't exist

Use cases:

  • Creating new components or modules
  • Adding configuration files
  • Appending to log files or documentation

Example request:

"Create a new React component called UserProfile in src/components/"

power---file_edit​

Makes targeted changes to files by finding and replacing specific content.

Features:

  • String or regex pattern matching
  • Replace first occurrence or all occurrences
  • Atomic operations (all-or-nothing changes)

Use cases:

  • Updating function names across files
  • Modifying configuration values
  • Refactoring code patterns

Example request:

"Replace all instances of 'oldFunctionName' with 'newFunctionName' in the utils.ts file"

Search and Discovery​

power---semantic_search​

Performs intelligent code search using natural language queries.

Features:

  • Elasticsearch-like query syntax
  • Language-specific filtering
  • Configurable result limits
  • Test file inclusion/exclusion

Use cases:

  • Finding functions or components by description
  • Locating similar code patterns
  • Understanding codebase architecture

Example request:

"Find all React components that handle user authentication"

power---glob​

Finds files and directories using glob patterns (wildcards).

Common patterns:

  • **/*.ts - All TypeScript files
  • src/components/** - All files in components directory
  • *.json - All JSON files in current directory
  • !node_modules/** - Exclude node_modules

Use cases:

  • Listing files by type or location
  • Finding configuration files
  • Identifying project structure

Example request:

"List all TypeScript test files in the project"

power---grep​

Searches file content using regular expressions with context.

Features:

  • Case-sensitive or insensitive search
  • Configurable context lines
  • File pattern filtering
  • Line number reporting

Use cases:

  • Finding specific function calls
  • Locating TODO comments
  • Searching for error messages or logs

Example request:

"Find all console.log statements in JavaScript files"

System Operations​

power---bash​

Executes shell commands with safety controls.

Features:

  • Configurable timeout (default: 60 seconds)
  • Custom working directory
  • Structured output (stdout, stderr, exit code)
  • User approval required for safety

Use cases:

  • Running build scripts
  • Installing dependencies
  • Git operations
  • System diagnostics

Example request:

"Run the test suite to check if my changes break anything"

power---agent​

Delegates complex tasks to specialized sub-agents with limited context.

Features:

  • Cost-optimized with reduced capabilities
  • Stateless operation (single response)
  • Limited file context for focused work
  • Cannot spawn nested sub-agents

Use cases:

  • Analyzing specific files or components
  • Implementing focused features
  • Performing targeted refactoring
  • Code reviews and documentation

Example request:

"Analyze the authentication module and suggest improvements"

Configuration​

Agent Profile Settings​

Access power tool settings through Settings > Agent:

  • Use Power Tools - Master toggle for all power tools
  • Tool Approvals - Individual approval settings for each tool
  • Auto Approve - Skip all approval dialogs (use with caution)

Tool Approval States​

Each power tool can have different approval settings:

  • Ask (default) - Prompt for approval each time
  • Always - Auto-approve without prompting
  • Never - Disable the tool completely

For beginners:

  • Enable power tools with "Ask" approval for all tools
  • Keep bash tool on "Ask" for security

For experienced users:

  • Set file operations to "Always" for faster workflows
  • Keep bash tool on "Ask" or "Always for This Run"
  • Use "Never" for tools you don't need

Best Practices​

Effective Workflows​

  1. Code Analysis Pipeline:

    • Use semantic_search to find relevant code
    • Use file_read to examine specific files
    • Use file_edit to make targeted changes

  2. File Discovery:

    • Use glob to list files by pattern
    • Use grep to search within results
    • Use file_read to examine matches

  3. Complex Tasks:

    • Use power---agent for isolated analysis
    • Provide specific file context for focused work
    • Use for tasks that don't need full project context

Performance Tips​

  • Use semantic search for finding code by functionality
  • Use glob patterns for file discovery by structure
  • Use grep for finding specific text patterns
  • Delegate to sub-agents for complex analysis to save costs

Integration with Aider​

Power tools complement Aider tools:

  • Use power tools for quick, targeted operations
  • Use Aider tools for complex refactoring with full context
  • Combine both for comprehensive development workflows

Security and Approvals​

Understanding Approvals​

Power tools can perform potentially dangerous operations, so AiderDesk includes a robust approval system:

  • File operations generally safe, minimal approval needed
  • Bash commands require careful review before approval
  • System changes should be understood before proceeding

Approval Dialog Options​

When prompted for approval, you can choose:

  • Yes - Approve this specific operation
  • No - Deny this operation
  • Always - Auto-approve this tool for all future uses
  • Always for This Run - Auto-approve for the current session

Security Best Practices​

  1. Review bash commands carefully before approval
  2. Understand file operations before allowing "Always" approval
  3. Use "Ask" mode when working with unfamiliar projects
  4. Monitor tool usage through the message history
  5. Disable unused tools to reduce attack surface

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Power tools not available:

  • Check that "Use Power Tools" is enabled in settings
  • Verify your agent profile has power tools configured
  • Restart AiderDesk if settings don't take effect

File operations failing:

  • Ensure files exist and are readable/writable
  • Check file paths are correct (relative to project root)
  • Verify you have necessary file system permissions

Search tools returning no results:

  • Try broader search terms or patterns
  • Check file paths and glob patterns
  • Ensure target files contain the expected content

Bash commands failing:

  • Verify the command syntax is correct
  • Check that required programs are installed
  • Review working directory and environment

Performance Issues​

Semantic search is slow:

  • Reduce max tokens limit in queries
  • Use more specific search terms
  • Filter by language or path when possible

Too many approval dialogs:

  • Set frequently used tools to "Always" approval
  • Use "Always for This Run" for batch operations
  • Consider disabling unused tools

Getting Help​

If you encounter issues with power tools:

  1. Check the message history for error details
  2. Review your approval settings
  3. Try simpler operations to isolate the problem
  4. Restart AiderDesk if tools become unresponsive
  5. Check the AiderDesk logs for technical details

Conclusion​

Power tools significantly enhance AiderDesk's capabilities by providing direct, efficient access to file system operations and development tasks. By understanding their capabilities and configuring them appropriately, you can create powerful workflows that combine the best of both targeted operations and comprehensive code management.

Remember to balance convenience with security by thoughtfully configuring approval settings, and don't hesitate to experiment with different tools to find the workflows that work best for your development style.