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Claude Code is the recommended way to use SHARC. This guide covers the complete setup process.

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Quick Setup

Add SHARC to Claude Code with a single command: 
claude mcp add sharc \
  -e SHARC_API_KEY=your_api_key \
  -- npx @sharc-code/mcp@latest
Restart Claude Code, and you’re ready to go!

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Manual Configuration

If you prefer manual configuration, add this to your Claude Code settings: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sharc": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@sharc-code/mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "SHARC_API_KEY": "your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Settings File Location

  • macOS/Linux: ~/.config/claude-code/settings.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\claude-code\settings.json

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Usage Examples

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Indexing a Codebase

> Please index this codebase for semantic search

● index_codebase (MCP)
  path: "/Users/you/project"
  ⎿ Scanning files...
  ⎿ Found 342 files to index
  ⎿ Chunking code (AST-based for .ts, .py, .go...)
  ⎿ Generating embeddings (2,450 chunks)
  ⎿ ✓ Indexed 2,450 chunks in 18.3s

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Searching Code

> How does the authentication middleware work?

● search_code (MCP)
  query: "authentication middleware"
  limit: 3
  ⎿ Found 3 results for query: "authentication middleware"

  1. Code snippet (typescript) [project]
     Location: src/middleware/auth.ts:45-89
     Score: 0.9847
     ... +44 lines (ctrl+o to expand)

  2. Code snippet (typescript) [project]
     Location: src/routes/login.ts:12-56
     Score: 0.9234
     ... +44 lines (ctrl+o to expand)

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Incremental Updates

After the initial index, SHARC automatically watches for file changes: 
> I just modified the auth middleware, is the index updated?

● get_watch_status (MCP)
  ⎿ Watching: /Users/you/project
  ⎿ Last update: 2 seconds ago
  ⎿ Files processed: auth.ts (modified)

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Best Practices

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1. Index Before Deep Dives

For the best experience, index your codebase before asking complex questions: 
> Before we start, please index this codebase

[After indexing completes]

> Now, explain the data flow from API request to database

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2. Use Natural Language Queries

SHARC understands semantic meaning, not just keywords: 
# Good queries:
"How are users authenticated?"
"Where is the database connection configured?"
"Find the error handling for API requests"

# Less effective:
"auth" (too vague)
"config.ts" (use glob patterns for file search)

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3. Adjust Result Limits

For broad exploration, increase the limit: 
> Search for all API endpoints with limit 10
For specific answers, keep it low (default 3): 
> Where is JWT token validation implemented?

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Troubleshooting

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Tools Not Available

If SHARC tools don’t appear, try:
  1. Restart Claude Code
  2. Check the MCP server output: claude mcp logs sharc
  3. Verify environment variables are set

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Slow Indexing

Initial indexing can take 15-30 seconds for large codebases. Subsequent runs use Merkle diff for ~0.3s updates.

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Search Returns Unexpected Results

  • Try rephrasing your query semantically
  • Use extensionFilter to narrow to specific file types
  • Check if the codebase is fully indexed with get_indexing_status