Question 1

ptags vs universal-ctags: which should I use for my project?

Accepted Answer

Use ptags if you work with large git repositories and need faster tag generation, as it parallelizes ctags. However, if you need tags for all files regardless of git status or use non-git VCS, universal-ctags alone might be more flexible.

Question 2

How to configure ptags for a monorepo with submodules?

Accepted Answer

Enable the --include-submodule flag to tag files in submodules. Adjust the thread count in ~/.ptags.toml for performance, and use --exclude options to filter out unwanted directories or file types.

Question 3

Does ptags work with Vim or Emacs?

Accepted Answer

Yes, ptags generates standard tags files compatible with Vim, Emacs, and other editors that support ctags. Just ensure your editor is configured to read the tags file, typically named 'tags' in the project root.

Question 4

How to handle large binary files or exclude them from tagging?

Accepted Answer

Use the --exclude-lfs flag to skip git-lfs tracked files, or specify glob patterns with --exclude. Combine this with .gitignore rules to prevent tagging of binary or irrelevant files.

Question 5

What's the best thread count for ptags on my machine?

Accepted Answer

Start with the default of 8 threads and benchmark with your repository using the -s flag for statistics. Increase threads based on CPU cores, but beware of diminishing returns or system overload on very large repos.

Question 6

Can ptags update tags automatically when files change?

Accepted Answer

No, ptags does not have built-in file watching or incremental updates. You need to run it manually or set up a cron job or hook (e.g., git post-commit) to regenerate tags periodically.

ptags

What is ptags?

Overview

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Pros & Cons

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Frequently Asked Questions