# Radar, deterministic code search/navigation

> Source: <https://radar.sanixdk.xyz/>
> Published: 2026-08-22 06:56:58+00:00

[same host / 300 Python files ↗](/evidence.html#local-comparison)

**37.1x**

### faster clean build

`0.056 s`

radar map versus `2.069 s`

code-review-graph build.

Why: compact maps, not a full review graph.

radar builds committed maps and exact source routes. Coding agents read fewer files, spend fewer tokens, and finish navigation sooner.

$ radar query "token verification"

FINAL SOURCE ANCHOR

src/auth.rs#verify_token

measured advantage

Radar builds the smallest useful index, returns a source pointer instead of a repository tour, and keeps models out of the lookup path.

[same host / 300 Python files ↗](/evidence.html#local-comparison)

`0.056 s`

radar map versus `2.069 s`

code-review-graph build.

Why: compact maps, not a full review graph.

`2.825 ms`

radar route versus `321.052 ms`

code-review-graph search.

Latest query internals: scorer-heavy fresh-query p50 is now 14.65%-25.90% faster; tie-break-heavy route lookup is 79.62% faster.

[frozen 40-case ledger / native contracts ↗](/evidence.html#retrieval)

Radar used `919`

actual `cl100k_base`

tokens versus TokenSave `13,947`

; Semble used `86,009`

, or `93.590x`

Radar's volume.

Why: exact anchors are smaller than bundled context or semantic snippets.

[7 tasks × 3 runs per condition / median sums ↗](/evidence.html#live-cost)

`$0.056409`

with radar versus `$0.155542`

with direct source search; uncached input fell 72.4%.

Why: the agent invokes one exact query instead of exploring files.

[agent prompt surfaces / current batch ↗](/evidence.html#prompt-surfaces)

The generated skill fell `368 → 156`

tokens, the navigation contract fell `835 → 462`

, route-add wrapper keys fell `577 → 152`

, and a 100-1,000-search daily session projects `159,400-1,594,000`

input tokens saved.

Why: Radar budgets the instructions and fallback files agents actually read.

[100-1,000 code searches / one session per day ↗](/evidence.html#cost-projection)

Projection: `$0.4402-$4.4020 → $0.1214-$1.2140`

per 100-1,000-search daily chat session, or `$2.23-$22.32/week`

.

Why: fewer exploratory source reads become fewer billable input tokens.

Scope matters. The external-tool rows compare different native output contracts on pinned versions; the agent-cost row is a published-rate reference scenario, not a Spark invoice. Broader graph and editing tools can be the better choice when an anchor is not enough.

Exact routes replace repository tours. Less context goes in, and the source stays in charge.

Repository structure stays beside the code.

Exact definition packets reject stale answers and whole-file reads.

Callers, tests, dependencies, and co-change history.

Abstention looked safe on 34 calibration answers, then returned 4 wrong anchors among 9 holdout directs. Radar published it and rolled it back.

Skills, MAPs, route caches, symbol indexes, MCP schemas, and overview rows are measured as agent input, not treated as free text.

Different tools, different jobs. This is where radar is the sharper fit.

| project | shape | signal | radar boundary | radar is better when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|

Rival numbers stay labeled. See the [full comparison ↗](/evidence.html#alternatives).