read_many_files - Read Multiple Files

Overview

The read_many_files tool reads content from multiple files specified by paths or glob patterns within a configured target directory. For text files, it concatenates their content into a single string. It is primarily designed for text-based files but can also process image (e.g., .png, .jpg) and PDF (.pdf) files if their file names or extensions are explicitly included in the 'paths' argument.

Tool Name

• Internal Name: read_many_files
• Display Name: ReadManyFiles
• Icon: FileStack

Parameters

Required Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
paths	string[]	An array of glob patterns or paths relative to the tool's target directory. Examples: ['src/**/*.ts'], ['README.md', 'docs/']. At least one path is required.

Optional Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
exclude	string[]	[]	Glob patterns for files/directories to exclude. Added to default excludes if useDefaultExcludes is true. Example: ["**/*.log", "temp/"]
include	string[]	[]	Additional glob patterns to include. These are merged with paths. Example: ["*.test.ts"] to specifically add test files
recursive	boolean	true	Whether to search recursively (primarily controlled by ** in glob patterns)
useDefaultExcludes	boolean	true	Whether to apply a list of default exclusion patterns (e.g., node_modules, .git, binary files)
per_file_max_lines	number	200	Maximum number of lines to read from each text file
per_file_max_chars	number	20000	Maximum characters to read from each text file
max_total_files	number	20	Maximum number of files to read before truncating the result
max_total_chars	number	200000	Maximum total characters to return across all files
prefer_full_read	boolean	false	Set to true to disable per-file truncation guards. Total limits (max_total_files, max_total_chars) remain in effect
file_filtering_options	object	-	File filtering options
file_filtering_options.respect_git_ignore	boolean	true	Whether to respect .gitignore patterns (only available in git repositories)
file_filtering_options.respect_sii_ignore	boolean	true	Whether to respect .siiignore patterns

Features

1. Batch Reading:

   • Read multiple files at once
   • Support glob pattern matching
   • Automatically merge file contents

2. File Type Support:

   • Primarily for text files
   • Can process explicitly specified image files (PNG, JPG, etc.)
   • Can process explicitly specified PDF files

3. Content Formatting:

   • Uses --- {filePath} --- separator
   • Default UTF-8 encoding
   • Clear file boundary markers

4. Smart Filtering:

   • Respects .gitignore rules
   • Respects .siiignore rules
   • Default excludes common large directories
   • Automatically skips binary files (unless explicitly requested)

5. Safety Limits:

   • File count limits
   • Per-file size limits
   • Total character limits
   • Prevents reading excessive content

Use Cases

This tool is useful when you need to:

• Get an overview of a codebase or parts of it (e.g., all TypeScript files in the 'src' directory)
• Find where specific functionality is implemented
• Review documentation files (e.g., all Markdown files in the 'docs' directory)
• Gather context from multiple configuration files
• When the user asks to "read all files in X directory" or "show me the content of all Y files"

Usage Examples

Read All TypeScript Files

{
  "paths": ["src/**/*.ts"]
}

Read Specific Files and Directories

{
  "paths": ["README.md", "package.json", "src/"]
}

Read with Exclusions

{
  "paths": ["src/**/*.js"],
  "exclude": ["**/*.test.js", "**/*.spec.js"]
}

Read Test Files

{
  "paths": ["src/**/*.ts"],
  "include": ["**/*.test.ts", "**/*.spec.ts"]
}

Full Read for Small Files

{
  "paths": ["config/**/*.json"],
  "prefer_full_read": true,
  "max_total_files": 50
}

Without Default Excludes

{
  "paths": ["node_modules/my-package/**/*.js"],
  "useDefaultExcludes": false,
  "file_filtering_options": {
    "respect_git_ignore": false
  }
}

Return Value

The tool returns an object containing:

• llmContent: Merged file content string
• returnDisplay: User-friendly display information
• summary: Operation summary (including number of files read, etc.)

Content Format

--- /path/to/file1.ts ---
[file1 content]

--- /path/to/file2.ts ---
[file2 content]

...

Error Handling

Possible error scenarios:

1. Path Errors:

   • Empty paths parameter
   • Invalid glob pattern
   • Path outside allowed directory scope

2. File Access Errors:

   • No read permission
   • File excluded by ignore rules

3. Limit Errors:

   • Exceeded file count limit
   • Exceeded total character limit
   • Individual file too large

Best Practices

1. Use Specific Glob Patterns:

   • ✅ src/**/*.ts - Specific file type
   • ❌ **/* - Too broad

2. Set Reasonable Limits:

   • Adjust max_total_files based on needs
   • Use more specific paths for large projects

3. Utilize Exclusions:

   • Exclude test files: exclude: ["**/*.test.ts"]
   • Exclude build artifacts: exclude: ["dist/", "build/"]

4. Process in Batches:

   • For large codebases, read in multiple passes
   • Read core files first, then others

5. Check Return Summary:

   • Confirm expected number of files read
   • Check if any files were truncated

Performance Considerations

1. File Count:

   • Default maximum of 20 files
   • Adjustable based on needs

2. File Size:

   • Per-file default: 200 lines or 20000 characters
   • Total default: 200000 characters

3. Read Speed:

   • Text files read quickly
   • Images and PDFs process slower

4. Memory Usage:

   • All content loaded into memory
   • Be mindful of total character limits

Comparison with Other Tools

Tool	Purpose	Use Case
read_file	Read single file	Need complete content of specific file
read_many_files	Batch read files	Need content from multiple files
glob	Find file paths	Only need file list, not content
search_file_content	Search file content	Find files containing specific patterns

Notes

1. Path Relativity: Paths are relative to the tool's target directory
2. Binary Files: Skipped by default unless explicitly specified
3. Large Files: Automatically truncated, use prefer_full_read with caution
4. Encoding: Defaults to UTF-8, other encodings may display incorrectly

Related Tools

• read_file: Read single file
• glob: Find matching file paths
• search_file_content: Search within file content
• list_directory: List directory contents