ask-codex
Asks Codex CLI for coding assistance. Use for getting a second opinion, code generation, debugging, or delegating coding tasks.
When & Why to Use This Skill
The ask-codex skill integrates the power of the Codex CLI directly into the Claude environment, providing a robust interface for automated coding assistance. It streamlines the development workflow by enabling natural language code generation, intelligent debugging, and architectural analysis. By supporting local execution and automated sandbox modifications, it helps developers delegate repetitive tasks and maintain high-quality codebases with minimal manual effort.
Use Cases
- Automated Codebase Refactoring: Leverage the --full-auto flag to apply systematic changes, such as adding error handling or updating API endpoints, across an entire project directory.
- Intelligent Debugging and Troubleshooting: Use the skill to get a second opinion on complex bugs by analyzing code snippets and error logs through the Codex engine.
- Rapid Prototyping and Boilerplate Generation: Quickly generate optimized functions, algorithm implementations, or boilerplate code using simple natural language commands.
- Codebase Architecture Analysis: Gain a deeper understanding of unfamiliar projects by asking the tool to explain the architecture and logic flow of specific directories.
| name | ask-codex |
|---|---|
| description | Asks Codex CLI for coding assistance. Use for getting a second opinion, code generation, debugging, or delegating coding tasks. |
| allowed-tools | Bash(codex:*) |
Ask Codex
Executes the local codex CLI to get coding assistance.
Note: This skill requires the codex CLI to be installed and available in your system's PATH.
Quick start
Run a single query with codex exec:
codex exec "Your question or task here"
Common options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-m MODEL |
Specify model |
-C DIR |
Set working directory |
--full-auto |
Enable automatic execution with workspace-write sandbox |
For all available options, run
codex exec --help
Examples
Ask a coding question:
codex exec "How do I implement a binary search in Python?"
Analyze code in a specific directory:
codex exec -C /path/to/project "Explain the architecture of this codebase"
Use a specific model:
codex exec -m o4-mini "Write a function that validates email addresses"
Let Codex make changes automatically:
codex exec --full-auto "Add error handling to all API endpoints"
Notes
- Codex runs non-interactively with
execsubcommand - By default, output goes to stdout and no files are modified without approval
- Use
--full-autofor automatic execution within sandbox constraints - The command inherits the current working directory unless
-Cis specified