codebase-memory-exploring

name	codebase-memory-exploring
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "explore the codebase", "understand the architecture", "what functions exist", "show me the structure", "how is the code organized", "find functions matching", "search for classes", "list all routes", "show API endpoints", or needs codebase orientation.

Codebase Exploration via Knowledge Graph

Use graph tools for structural code questions. They return precise results in ~500 tokens vs ~80K for grep-based exploration.

Workflow

Step 1: Check if project is indexed

list_projects

If the project is missing from the list:

index_repository(repo_path="/path/to/project")

If already indexed, skip — auto-sync keeps the graph fresh.

Step 2: Get a structural overview

get_graph_schema

This returns node label counts (functions, classes, routes, etc.), edge type counts, and relationship patterns. Use it to understand what's in the graph before querying.

Step 3: Find specific code elements

Find functions by name pattern:

search_graph(label="Function", name_pattern=".*Handler.*")

Find classes:

search_graph(label="Class", name_pattern=".*Service.*")

Find all REST routes:

search_graph(label="Route")

Find modules/packages:

search_graph(label="Module")

Scope to a specific directory:

search_graph(label="Function", qn_pattern=".*services\\.order\\..*")

Step 4: Read source code

After finding a function via search, read its source:

get_code_snippet(qualified_name="project.path.to.FunctionName")

Step 5: Understand structure

For file/directory exploration within the indexed project:

list_directory(path="src/services")

When to Use Grep Instead

• Searching for string literals or error messages → search_code or Grep
• Finding a file by exact name → Glob
• The graph doesn't index text content, only structural elements

Key Tips

• Results default to 10 per page. Check has_more and use offset to paginate.
• Use project parameter when multiple repos are indexed.
• Route nodes have a properties.handler field with the actual handler function name.
• exclude_labels removes noise (e.g., exclude_labels=["Route"] when searching by name pattern).