nanobot/workspace/TOOLS.md

Available Tools

This document describes the tools available to nanobot.

File Operations

read_file

Read the contents of a file.

read_file(path: str) -> str

write_file

Write content to a file (creates parent directories if needed).

write_file(path: str, content: str) -> str

edit_file

Edit a file by replacing specific text.

edit_file(path: str, old_text: str, new_text: str) -> str

list_dir

List contents of a directory.

list_dir(path: str) -> str

Shell Execution

exec

Execute a shell command and return output.

exec(command: str, working_dir: str = None) -> str

Safety Notes:

• Commands have a configurable timeout (default 60s)
• Dangerous commands are blocked (rm -rf, format, dd, shutdown, etc.)
• Output is truncated at 10,000 characters
• Optional restrictToWorkspace config to limit paths

Web Access

web_search

Search the web using Brave Search API.

web_search(query: str, count: int = 5) -> str

Returns search results with titles, URLs, and snippets. Requires tools.web.search.apiKey in config.

web_fetch

Fetch and extract main content from a URL.

web_fetch(url: str, extractMode: str = "markdown", maxChars: int = 50000) -> str

Notes:

• Content is extracted using readability
• Supports markdown or plain text extraction
• Output is truncated at 50,000 characters by default

Communication

message

Send a message to the user (used internally).

message(content: str, channel: str = None, chat_id: str = None) -> str

Background Tasks

spawn

Spawn a subagent to handle a task in the background.

spawn(task: str, label: str = None) -> str

Use for complex or time-consuming tasks that can run independently. The subagent will complete the task and report back when done.

Scheduled Reminders (Cron)

cron

Schedule reminders and recurring tasks. REQUIRED: Always include 'action' parameter.

cron(action: str, message: str = None, in_seconds: int = None, at: str = None, every_seconds: int = None, cron_expr: str = None, tz: str = None, job_id: str = None) -> str

Actions:

• action="add" - Create a new reminder or recurring task
• action="list" - List all scheduled jobs
• action="remove" - Remove a job by ID

Examples:

Reminder in N seconds (recommended for relative time):

cron(action="add", message="Send a text to your son", in_seconds=25)
cron(action="add", message="Take a break", in_seconds=300)  # 5 minutes

One-time reminder at specific time:

cron(action="add", message="Meeting starts now!", at="2025-01-31T15:00:00")

Recurring reminder:

cron(action="add", message="Drink water! 💧", every_seconds=7200)  # Every 2 hours

Scheduled task with cron expression:

cron(action="add", message="Good morning! ☀️", cron_expr="0 9 * * *")  # Daily at 9am
cron(action="add", message="Standup", cron_expr="0 9 * * 1-5", tz="America/Vancouver")  # Weekdays 9am Vancouver time

List or remove:

cron(action="list")
cron(action="remove", job_id="abc123")

Important: Always include action parameter. For "remind me in X seconds/minutes", use in_seconds instead of calculating at manually.

Heartbeat Task Management

The HEARTBEAT.md file in the workspace is checked every 30 minutes. Use file operations to manage periodic tasks:

Add a heartbeat task

# Append a new task
edit_file(
    path="HEARTBEAT.md",
    old_text="## Example Tasks",
    new_text="- [ ] New periodic task here\n\n## Example Tasks"
)

Remove a heartbeat task

# Remove a specific task
edit_file(
    path="HEARTBEAT.md",
    old_text="- [ ] Task to remove\n",
    new_text=""
)

Rewrite all tasks

# Replace the entire file
write_file(
    path="HEARTBEAT.md",
    content="# Heartbeat Tasks\n\n- [ ] Task 1\n- [ ] Task 2\n"
)

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Adding Custom Tools

To add custom tools:

1. Create a class that extends Tool in nanobot/agent/tools/
2. Implement name, description, parameters, and execute
3. Register it in AgentLoop._register_default_tools()