comby ☆

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Description:
Tool for changing code across many languages

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 1.8.1@1 | Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: refactoring code-rewrite developer-tool search syntax-aware

Install: brew install comby

About:
Comby is a structural search and rewrite tool that understands code syntax for dozens of languages. It allows developers to safely find and change code patterns using simple, declarative syntax without complex regular expressions. This makes large-scale refactoring and code maintenance faster and more reliable.

Key Features:

Syntax-aware matching for over 40 programming languages
Simple, readable pattern syntax that avoids regex complexity
Supports both interactive previews and batch rewrites
Fast performance built on OCaml

Use Cases:

Performing large-scale code refactoring across multiple languages
Updating API calls or library usage patterns project-wide
Enforcing coding standards by finding and rewriting anti-patterns

Alternatives:

sed – sed uses line-based regex, which is less safe and accurate for structured code manipulation.
comby – Comby is specifically designed for code-aware transformations, offering greater precision and safety.

License: Apache-2.0

Dependencies: gmp, libev, pcre

Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_ventura, arm64_monterey, sonoma, ventura, monterey, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Nov 17, 2024 8:37pm		1	VERSION_BUMP	a8f98024