| name | ontoindex-exploring |
| description | Use when the user asks how code works, wants to understand architecture, trace execution flows, or explore unfamiliar parts of the codebase. Examples: "How does X work?", "What calls this function?", "Show me the auth flow" |
Exploring Codebases with OntoIndex
When to Use
- "How does authentication work?"
- "What's the project structure?"
- "Show me the main components"
- "Where is the database logic?"
- Understanding code you haven't seen before
Workflow
1. READ ontoindex://repos → Discover indexed repos
2. READ ontoindex://repo/{name}/context → Codebase overview, check staleness
3. ontoindex_query({query: "<what you want to understand>"}) → Find related execution flows
4. ontoindex_context({name: "<symbol>"}) → Deep dive on specific symbol
5. READ ontoindex://repo/{name}/process/{name} → Trace full execution flow
If step 2 says "Index is stale" → run npx ontoindex analyze in terminal.
Checklist
- [ ] READ ontoindex://repo/{name}/context
- [ ] ontoindex_query for the concept you want to understand
- [ ] Review returned processes (execution flows)
- [ ] ontoindex_context on key symbols for callers/callees
- [ ] READ process resource for full execution traces
- [ ] Read source files for implementation details
Resources
| Resource | What you get |
|---|
ontoindex://repo/{name}/context | Stats, staleness warning (~150 tokens) |
ontoindex://repo/{name}/clusters | All functional areas with cohesion scores (~300 tokens) |
ontoindex://repo/{name}/cluster/{name} | Area members with file paths (~500 tokens) |
ontoindex://repo/{name}/process/{name} | Step-by-step execution trace (~200 tokens) |
Tools
ontoindex_query — find execution flows related to a concept:
ontoindex_query({query: "payment processing"})
→ Processes: CheckoutFlow, RefundFlow, WebhookHandler
→ Symbols grouped by flow with file locations
ontoindex_context — 360-degree view of a symbol:
ontoindex_context({name: "validateUser"})
→ Incoming calls: loginHandler, apiMiddleware
→ Outgoing calls: checkToken, getUserById
→ Processes: LoginFlow (step 2/5), TokenRefresh (step 1/3)
Example: "How does payment processing work?"
1. READ ontoindex://repo/my-app/context → 918 symbols, 45 processes
2. ontoindex_query({query: "payment processing"})
→ CheckoutFlow: processPayment → validateCard → chargeStripe
→ RefundFlow: initiateRefund → calculateRefund → processRefund
3. ontoindex_context({name: "processPayment"})
→ Incoming: checkoutHandler, webhookHandler
→ Outgoing: validateCard, chargeStripe, saveTransaction
4. Read src/payments/processor.ts for implementation details
