search-repos

name	search-repos
description	Search for open source repositories on Gitee with advanced filtering by language, popularity, and activity. Use when the user wants to find repositories, explore open source projects, discover libraries by language, or compare multiple projects without forking. Keywords: search repos, find repositories, open source discovery, explore projects, compare libraries.

Search Repositories on Gitee

Search for open source repositories with advanced filters. After finding interesting projects, optionally explore them in depth.

Prerequisites

• Gitee MCP Server configured
• Required tool: search_open_source_repositories
• Optional: repo-explorer skill for deep dives

When to Use This Skill

Use search-repos when the user wants to:

• Find repositories by language (Go, Python, Java, etc.)
• Discover projects by keywords or categories
• Compare multiple repositories
• Explore without immediate forking intent

Not for: Forking repositories (use search-and-fork instead)

Supported Filters

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
q	string	Required. Search keywords	"web framework", "ORM"
language	string	Filter by programming language	"Go", "Python", "JavaScript"
sort	string	Sort field: stars_count, forks_count, watches_count, created_at, last_push_at	stars_count
order	string	Sort direction: desc (default), asc	desc
owner	string	Filter by namespace/organization	"oschina", "alibaba"
fork	boolean	Include forked repositories	false (default)

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Requirements

Ask the user:

1. Keywords - What functionality? (e.g., "web framework", "database ORM")
2. Language - Programming language preference? (Go / Python / Java / JavaScript / TypeScript / Rust / etc.)
3. Sort by - Popularity (stars_count) or recent activity (last_push_at)?
4. Filters - Include forks? Specific organization?

Step 2: Build Search Queries

Try multiple keyword variations for better coverage:

• English: "web framework"
• Chinese: "web 框架"
• Related terms: "HTTP router", "REST API framework"

Step 3: Execute Search

Call search_open_source_repositories with parameters:

{
  q: "web framework",
  language: "Go",           // If specified
  sort: "stars_count",      // or "last_push_at"
  order: "desc",
  per_page: 20
}

Step 4: Present Results

Format output as:

## 🔍 Search Results: [keywords] ([language])

Found N repositories (sorted by [criteria]):

| # | Repository | ⭐ Stars | 🍴 Forks | Language | Updated |
|---|------------|---------|----------|----------|---------|
| 1 | owner/repo | 1.2k | 150 | Go | 2 days ago |
| 2 | owner/repo | 890 | 98 | Go | 1 week ago |
| 3 | owner/repo | 650 | 75 | Go | 3 weeks ago |

---

### 📋 Detailed Information

**#1: [Full Repository Name]**
- **URL**: https://gitee.com/owner/repo
- **Description**: [Full description from API]
- **License**: [license type if available]
- **Tags**: [topics if available]

**#2: [Full Repository Name]**
[Same format...]

Step 5: Offer Next Actions

After presenting results:

What would you like to do next?

1. 🔍 **Refine search** - Try different keywords/filters
2. 🔎 **Deep dive** - Explore a specific repository (requires repo-explorer skill)
3. 📊 **Compare** - View side-by-side comparison
4. ✅ **Done** - End the session

If user chooses "Deep dive":

• Ask which repository (by number or name)
• Check if repo-explorer skill is available
• If yes: "I'll use the repo-explorer skill to analyze [owner/repo]"
• If no: Use get_file_content to manually read README and key files

Step 6: Iterative Refinement

If results are unsatisfactory, adjust:

• Broader or more specific keywords
• Different language filter
• Change sort criteria
• Toggle fork inclusion

Example Conversations

Example 1: Language-specific search

User: Find me Python machine learning libraries

→ search_open_source_repositories(
  q="machine learning",
  language="Python",
  sort="stars_count"
)

Example 2: Active projects

User: Show me recently updated Go web frameworks

→ search_open_source_repositories(
  q="web framework",
  language="Go",
  sort="last_push_at"
)

Example 3: Discovery without specific goal

User: What are popular JavaScript UI libraries?

→ search_open_source_repositories(
  q="UI component",
  language="JavaScript",
  sort="stars_count"
)

→ User: Can you explore the first one?
→ Check for repo-explorer skill and use it

Comparison with Related Skills

Task	Use This	Instead Of
Search without fork intent	search-repos ✅	search-and-fork
Search + Fork in one flow	search-and-fork ✅	search-repos
Deep exploration after search	Both can lead to repo-explorer	-

Notes

• Results limited to public repositories on Gitee
• Language names use GitHub conventions (e.g., "Go", not "Golang")
• Keyword variations yield different results - experiment with synonyms
• Consider both English and Chinese keywords for broader coverage
• The repo-explorer skill provides detailed analysis; this skill focuses on discovery