> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cubent.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # File Operations > Read, write, and manage files with Cubent Coder ## Overview Cubent Coder can directly interact with files in your workspace, making it a powerful tool for code generation, refactoring, and project management. The AI can read existing files to understand context, create new files, and modify existing ones with precision. ## Reading Files ### Automatic Context Awareness Cubent Coder automatically understands your project structure: * **Project scanning**: Analyzes your workspace on startup * **File relationships**: Understands imports, dependencies, and references * **Code patterns**: Learns from your existing codebase style * **Configuration files**: Reads package.json, tsconfig.json, etc. ### Explicit File References You can explicitly reference files in your conversations: ``` @src/components/UserProfile.tsx ``` ``` Look at the file @utils/api.ts and explain how it works ``` ``` Based on @package.json, what testing framework are we using? ``` ### File Content Analysis Ask Cubent to analyze specific files: ``` What does this file do? @src/services/auth.ts ``` ``` Find potential issues in @components/Dashboard.jsx ``` ``` Explain the purpose of each function in @utils/helpers.js ``` ## Creating Files ### New File Generation Cubent can create complete files from scratch: ``` Create a new React component for a product card that displays: - Product image - Title and description - Price and discount - Add to cart button Save it as src/components/ProductCard.tsx ``` ### Template-Based Creation Generate files based on existing patterns: ``` Create a new API route following the same pattern as @api/users.ts but for managing products. Save as api/products.ts ``` ### Multiple File Creation Create several related files at once: ``` Create a complete user management module with: - User model (models/User.ts) - User service (services/UserService.ts) - User controller (controllers/UserController.ts) - User routes (routes/users.ts) ``` ## Modifying Files ### Targeted Updates Make specific changes to existing files: ``` In @src/components/Header.tsx, add a dark mode toggle button ``` ``` Update @package.json to include the latest version of React ``` ``` Add error handling to the login function in @services/auth.ts ``` ### Refactoring Operations Perform complex refactoring across multiple files: ``` Refactor all class components in the src/components directory to functional components with hooks ``` ``` Convert all JavaScript files in src/ to TypeScript ``` ``` Extract common utility functions from @components/UserList.tsx into a separate utils file ``` ### Code Style Updates Apply consistent formatting and style: ``` Update all files in src/ to use consistent import ordering ``` ``` Add JSDoc comments to all public functions in @services/ ``` ``` Convert all var declarations to const/let throughout the project ``` ## File Management ### Directory Operations Organize your project structure: ``` Create a new feature directory structure for user authentication: - src/features/auth/ - components/ - services/ - types/ - index.ts ``` ### File Organization Reorganize existing files: ``` Move all utility functions from src/utils/ into feature-specific directories and update all imports ``` ``` Reorganize components into feature-based folders instead of type-based folders ``` ### Cleanup Operations Remove unused code and files: ``` Find and remove all unused imports across the project ``` ``` Identify unused components and suggest which ones to delete ``` ``` Clean up dead code in @src/legacy/ directory ``` ## Advanced File Operations ### Batch Processing Process multiple files with similar operations: ``` Add TypeScript interfaces for all API response types based on the existing JavaScript files in src/api/ ``` ``` Generate unit tests for all components in src/components/ ``` ``` Add error boundaries to all page components ``` ### Cross-File Analysis Analyze relationships between files: ``` Show me all files that import from @utils/api.ts ``` ``` Find circular dependencies in the src/ directory ``` ``` List all components that use the useAuth hook ``` ### Migration Tasks Handle large-scale code migrations: ``` Migrate from Create React App to Vite: 1. Update build configuration 2. Update import paths 3. Update environment variables 4. Update package.json scripts ``` ## File Safety and Best Practices ### Backup and Version Control Always use version control when working with file operations: 1. **Commit before major changes**: Create a checkpoint 2. **Review changes**: Use git diff to see what changed 3. **Test after modifications**: Ensure everything still works 4. **Incremental changes**: Make small, focused updates ### Approval Settings Configure what file operations require approval: * **Auto-approve**: Reading files, analyzing code * **Require approval**: Creating new files, major refactoring * **Always confirm**: Deleting files, destructive operations ### File Patterns and Exclusions Configure which files Cubent Coder can access: ```json theme={null} { "include": ["src/**/*", "tests/**/*"], "exclude": [ "node_modules/**/*", "dist/**/*", ".env*", "*.log" ] } ``` ## Integration with Development Tools ### IDE Integration Cubent Coder works seamlessly with VS Code: * **Syntax highlighting**: Maintains proper formatting * **IntelliSense**: Preserves type information * **Extensions**: Compatible with linters and formatters * **Git integration**: Tracks all file changes ### Build Tools Integrates with your build pipeline: * **TypeScript**: Respects tsconfig.json settings * **ESLint**: Follows your linting rules * **Prettier**: Maintains code formatting * **Webpack/Vite**: Understands build configuration ### Testing Frameworks Works with testing tools: * **Jest**: Generates tests following your patterns * **Cypress**: Creates E2E tests for new features * **Storybook**: Generates component stories * **Testing Library**: Follows testing best practices ## Troubleshooting ### Common Issues **File not found errors:** * Check file paths are relative to workspace root * Ensure files exist and are not excluded * Verify file permissions **Permission denied:** * Check file system permissions * Ensure VS Code has necessary access * Review workspace trust settings **Unexpected file changes:** * Review approval settings * Check auto-save configuration * Use version control to track changes ### Performance Considerations **Large file handling:** * Cubent Coder can handle large files efficiently * Consider breaking very large files into smaller modules * Use file exclusion patterns for build artifacts **Workspace scanning:** * Initial scan may take time for large projects * Exclude unnecessary directories to improve performance * Use .gitignore patterns to guide file selection ## Next Steps Execute commands and manage your development environment Extend capabilities with Model Context Protocol