# ast-grep — tools that shaped CodeVetter

> Canonical page: https://codevetter.com/inspiration/ast-grep

Structural search can express focused review rules more clearly than text matching.

## What we admire

ast-grep makes syntax-aware search available as a straightforward CLI. It is well suited to small, inspectable rules over changed code rather than an opaque, sweeping analyzer.

## The principle that stayed

A rule match is a lead with a source location. An absent match does not mean the patch is safe; the rule may not cover the language, pattern, or behavior that matters.

## Where CodeVetter stands

CodeVetter can use an installed `sg` as an optional collector for narrow changed-file evidence. It falls back cleanly when absent and does not require ast-grep for the canonical graph.

## Sources

- [ast-grep CLI reference](https://ast-grep.github.io/reference/cli) — the creator's own source
- [CodeVetter OSS integration decision](https://github.com/Codevetter/codevetter/blob/main/docs/architecture/decisions/oss-integration.md) — the CodeVetter project record

This is independent appreciation, not endorsement, partnership, code reuse, or feature parity.

## Public product links

- [CodeVetter](https://codevetter.com/)
- [Download](https://codevetter.com/download)
- [Documentation](https://codevetter.com/docs/)
- [Source](https://github.com/Codevetter/codevetter)