Tcl — 128 Operations for AI Agents

Tcl runs the tooling behind chips and infrastructure: EDA flows, synthesis scripts, test automation. act101 exposes procs and namespaces as navigable structure, so agents work inside decades-old scripts with confidence.

This page is the canonical reference an AI coding agent uses to refactor, query, and analyze Tcl code through the act MCP server. 128 operations available: 54 refactor, 18 query, 42 analysis, 14 verification. Each operation is callable from Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, OpenCode, or any MCP-compatible agent host. Click any operation for a stable anchor link suitable for citation.

Premium language. Operations on Tcl require an Elite license or above. See pricing.

18Query

54Refactor

42Analysis

14Verify

Worked Tcl examples

act101 parses Tcl with the tree-sitter grammar and edits proc bodies, command lines, and control structures as syntax nodes, so a rewritten mapping or a wrapped command lands on the exact lines it targets. It can replace a simple switch -- $value mapping of literal cases with an equivalent dict get lookup. It can wrap a single command line in a catch guard that returns the caught error with a Tcl error code. And it can extract a line range from inside a proc body into a new top-level proc, replacing the selected lines with a call to it. Each example below is the verbatim output of the command shown, run against the file shown.

Convert a switch mapping to a dict lookup

label.tcl's label proc maps code to a name through a switch -- $code with two literal cases.

$ act refactor-lang convert_switch_to_dict --file label.tcl --params '{"line":2,"column":1}'

Before

proc label {code} {
    switch -- $code {
        alpha {return Alpha}
        beta {return Beta}
    }
}

After

proc label {code} {
    return [dict get {alpha Alpha beta Beta} $code]
}

The switch statement becomes a single return [dict get {alpha Alpha beta Beta} $code] expression.

Guard a command with catch

loader.tcl's loadScript proc calls source $path with no error handling.

$ act refactor-lang add_error_handling --file loader.tcl --params '{"line":2,"error_var":"err","column":1}'

Before

proc loadScript {path} {
    source $path
}

After

proc loadScript {path} {
    if {[catch {source $path} err]} {
        return -code error $err
    }
}

The source call is wrapped in if {[catch {...} err]}, returning the caught error with -code error.

Extract commands into a new proc

demo.tcl's demo proc builds a greeting and prints it before printing done.

$ act refactor-lang extract_proc --file demo.tcl --params '{"name":"announce","start_line":2,"end_line":3,"line":2,"column":1}'

Before

proc demo {} {
    set greeting "Hello"
    puts $greeting
    puts done
}

After

proc demo {} {
    announce
    puts done
}

proc announce {} {
    set greeting "Hello"
    puts $greeting
}

The greeting-building lines move into a new announce proc; demo now calls announce in their place.

Query

18 query tools, the same on every supported language. Descriptions live in the shared reference: /docs/query-tools.

callers control_flow data_flow definition diagnostics effect_closure effect_summary fix_auto get_type graph import_organize interface mutations references repo_outline skeleton symbols symbols_batch

Refactor

Operation	Description
`add-comment`	Add a Tcl comment before a proc
`add-default-parameter`	Add a default value to a Tcl proc parameter
`add-error-handling`	Wrap a Tcl command in a catch error guard
`add-namespace-export`	Add a Tcl proc to a namespace export command
`add-package-provide`	Add a Tcl package provide declaration
`add-parameter`	Add a Tcl proc parameter and update direct call sites
`convert-class-to-procs`	Convert TclOO methods into standalone Tcl procs
`convert-dict-to-switch`	Convert a simple Tcl dict get return to a switch mapping
`convert-global-to-namespace`	Convert a Tcl global declaration to a namespace variable declaration
`convert-namespace-to-global`	Convert a Tcl namespace variable declaration to a global declaration
`convert-regexp-to-string-match`	Convert a simple Tcl regexp command to string match
`convert-return-to-upvar`	Convert a simple Tcl return value to an upvar output assignment
`convert-string-match-to-regexp`	Convert a simple Tcl string match glob to regexp
`convert-switch-to-dict`	Convert a simple Tcl switch return mapping to dict get
`convert-to-tcloo-class`	Convert namespace-style Tcl procs into a TclOO class
`convert-upvar-to-return`	Convert a simple Tcl upvar output variable to a returned value
`extract-namespace`	Extract selected Tcl procs into a new namespace
`extract-proc`	Extract selected Tcl command lines into a new proc
`extract-to-package`	Extract selected Tcl procs into a package namespace
`extract-variable`	Extract a selected Tcl word or expression into a variable
`extract_function`	Extract a code selection into a new function — automatically infers parameters, return types, and inserts the call site. Use instead of manually cutting/pasting code. Works without LSP; LSP improves type inference. Params: file (string), new_name (string), start_line (u32), start_column (u32), end_line (u32), end_column (u32) [, preview (bool), receipt (bool)]
`extract_variable`	Extract an expression into a named variable — inserts the declaration and replaces the expression with the variable name. Works without LSP. Params: file (string), new_name (string), start_line (u32), start_column (u32), end_line (u32), end_column (u32) [, preview (bool)]
`fix-eval-to-expansion`	Replace a simple Tcl eval command with {*} expansion
`fix-incorrect-quoting`	Replace incorrect Tcl expression quotes with braces
`fix-missing-braces`	Add missing braces to a Tcl expression or condition
`fix-missing-namespace`	Qualify a bare Tcl command with a namespace path
`fix-undefined-variable`	Add a Tcl global or namespace variable declaration
`gen-arg-parser`	Generate Tcl command-line arg parser
`gen-cgi-handler`	Generate Tcl CGI handler scaffold
`gen-config-reader`	Generate Tcl config reader
`gen-logging-procedure`	Generate Tcl logging procedure
`gen-namespace-scaffold`	Generate a Tcl namespace scaffold
`gen-proc-scaffold`	Generate a Tcl proc scaffold
`gen-tcloo-class`	Generate a TclOO class scaffold
`gen-test-procedure`	Generate a Tcl tcltest test scaffold
`inline`	Inline a variable, function, or method — replace every usage with its definition body, then remove the original. The inverse of extract. Works without LSP (single-file); LSP enables cross-file inlining. Params: file (string), symbol (string) [, line (u32), preview (bool), receipt (bool)]
`inline-namespace`	Inline a Tcl namespace into the top-level scope
`inline-proc`	Inline a single-use no-argument Tcl proc at its direct call site
`inline-variable`	Inline a single-use Tcl variable assignment
`insert_body`	Replace a function's implementation body with new code. AST-validated — rejects if the result has parse errors, so you can't accidentally break syntax. Use instead of manual text editing for function rewrites. Params: file (string), symbol (string), code (string) [, commit (bool)]
`modernize-syntax`	Modernize selected Tcl syntax
`move_symbol`	Move a function, class, or type to a different file and automatically update all imports across the codebase. Use instead of manually cut/paste + fixing imports. Works without LSP (single-file); LSP enables cross-file import updates. Params: file (string), symbol (string), destination (string) [, preview (bool), receipt (bool)]
`organize-imports`	Sort and deduplicate top-level Tcl package requirements
`recipe_run`	Run a codemod recipe: declarative match → transform → optional verify across modeled grammars. Preview lists matches; apply writes with optional E7 receipts and all-or-nothing rollback. Returns a per-site report.
`remove-default-parameter`	Remove a default value from a Tcl proc parameter
`remove-error-handling`	Remove a simple Tcl catch error guard
`remove-namespace-export`	Remove a Tcl proc from a namespace export command
`remove-parameter`	Remove an unused Tcl proc parameter and matching direct call arguments
`rename`	Rename a symbol and automatically update ALL references across the codebase. Safer and faster than find-and-replace — AST-aware, won't rename strings or comments. Works without LSP (single-file); LSP enables cross-file renames. Params: file (string), old_name (string), new_name (string) [, line (u32), column (u32), preview (bool), receipt (bool)]
`rename-namespace`	Rename a Tcl namespace declaration and qualified same-file references
`rename-proc`	Rename a Tcl proc declaration and direct command call sites
`rename-variable`	Rename a Tcl variable in the selected proc or namespace scope
`reorder-parameters`	Reorder Tcl proc parameters and matching direct call arguments
`wrap-if`	Wrap selected Tcl command lines in an if block

Analysis

42 analysis tools, the same on every supported language. Descriptions live in the shared reference: /docs/analysis-tools.

analyze_api_diff analyze_chokepoints analyze_clones analyze_clusters analyze_cohesion analyze_conformance analyze_coupling analyze_cycle_risk analyze_cycles analyze_dead_code analyze_depth analyze_entry_points analyze_export analyze_extraction analyze_fan_balance analyze_features analyze_hotspots analyze_impact analyze_inconsistencies analyze_inheritance analyze_interface_bloat analyze_interfaces analyze_layers analyze_orphan_types analyze_patterns analyze_platform_deps analyze_readiness analyze_roles analyze_seams analyze_stability analyze_surface analyze_test_gaps analyze_thickness analyze_type_completeness churn_hotspots co_change_clusters coverage_overlay ownership_map profile_overlay simulate split_module trace_overlay

Verify

14 verify tools, the same on every supported language. Descriptions live in the shared reference: /docs/verification.

bisect_regression gate generate_test_harness scan secret_surface summarize_pr taint_flow unsafe_surface verify_behavioral_equivalence verify_contract_preserved verify_diff_semantics verify_port_parity verify_side_effects verify_test_impact

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