serena

Serena MCP Tools

You have a Serena MCP server running. Prefer Serena's semantic tools over reading entire files.

Key Tools

• get_symbols_overview - Understand a file's structure without reading it entirely
• find_symbol - Search for classes, methods, fields by name pattern. Use include_body: true only when needed
• find_referencing_symbols - Find all references to a symbol across the codebase
• search_for_pattern - Regex search across files when you don't know the symbol name
• replace_symbol_body - Replace a symbol's definition precisely
• insert_before_symbol / insert_after_symbol - Add new code relative to existing symbols
• rename_symbol - Rename a symbol across the entire codebase
• think_about_task_adherence - Call before making edits to stay on track
• think_about_collected_information - Call after a sequence of searches to assess sufficiency

Workflow

1. Use get_symbols_overview or find_symbol to explore, not Read on entire files
2. Only read symbol bodies (include_body: true) when you need to understand or edit them
3. Use replace_symbol_body for editing instead of line-based Edit when replacing whole methods/classes
4. Use insert_after_symbol / insert_before_symbol for adding new code
5. Call think_about_task_adherence before any code modification
6. Always check_onboarding_performed and activate_project at the start of a session if not already done