Configuration

Prerequisites

Ensure you have gnaw installed. Familiarity with TOML syntax is helpful but not required.

What is .gnawconfig?

The .gnawconfig file is a configuration file written in TOML format. When you run gnaw, it automatically searches for this file in your current working directory.

It allows you to define:

Filtering Rules: persistent include/exclude patterns.
Output Formats: default to JSON, Markdown, or XML.
Template Context: pre-define variables for your Handlebars templates.

Quick Start

Create a file named .gnawconfig at the root of your project:

.gnawconfig

default_output = "stdout" # Options: stdout, clipboard, file
include_patterns = ["src/**/*.rs", "Cargo.toml"]
exclude_patterns = ["**/target/**", "tests/fixtures/**"]
line_numbers = true
output_format = "markdown"

[user_variables]
project_name = "MyAwesomeProject"
author = "Developer"

Configuration Reference

Key	Type	Description
`path`	String	Default path to codebase (usually `.`).
`include_patterns`	Array	Glob patterns of files to include.
`exclude_patterns`	Array	Glob patterns of files to exclude.
`line_numbers`	Boolean	If `true`, adds line numbers to code blocks.
`absolute_path`	Boolean	Use absolute paths instead of relative paths.
`full_directory_tree`	Boolean	Generate the full tree even for excluded files.
`output_format`	String	`markdown`, `json`, or `xml`.
`sort_method`	String	`name_asc`, `name_desc`, `date_asc`, `date_desc`.
`encoding`	String	Tokenizer: `cl100k`, `p50k`, `o200k`.
`diff_enabled`	Boolean	Include git diff (HEAD vs Index).
`token_map_enabled`	Boolean	Display a hierarchical token usage map.

Understanding Precedence

Example: The "Review-Ready" Config

.gnawconfig

default_output = "clipboard"
line_numbers = true
token_map_enabled = true

exclude_patterns = [
    "tests/**",
    "**/migrations/**",
    "*.md"
]

[user_variables]
review_focus = "Check for DRY principle violations and complexity."

Next Steps

Explore Custom Templates to see how to use user_variables effectively, and the Filtering Guide for advanced glob pattern syntax.