Does it require any external dependencies?

The skill uses Python with the tree-sitter and tree-sitter-languages libraries to perform AST-based analysis of your source code.

Which programming languages does the codebase mapper support?

The skill supports a wide range of popular languages including Python, JavaScript, TypeScript (TSX), Go, Rust, Ruby, and Java.

Can I exclude specific directories from being mapped?

Yes, you can use the --skip flag to exclude noisy directories such as tests, migrations, locales, or build artifacts to keep your maps focused.

Is there a way to keep maps updated automatically?

You can integrate the mapping script into a Git pre-commit hook to ensure your _MAP.md files stay synchronized with your latest code changes.

How does this help with AI token limits?

By generating high-level _MAP.md files, the AI can understand the project structure and symbol exports without reading every file, significantly reducing context window usage.

Codebase Navigator & Mapper

Name: Codebase Navigator & Mapper
Author: oaustegard

byoaustegard

•

Learning & Documentation

Generates hierarchical, navigable Markdown maps of complex codebases to accelerate project onboarding and architectural understanding.

The Mapping Codebases skill automates the discovery phase of software development by creating structured _MAP.md files throughout your repository using AST-based extraction via tree-sitter. By mapping exports and imports without requiring a full read of every source file, it provides a high-level architectural overview that helps developers navigate unfamiliar projects, assess directory scope, and pinpoint relevant logic quickly. This hierarchical approach is specifically designed to handle massive codebases efficiently, allowing both developers and AI agents to 'drill down' into specific modules without overwhelming their context window with irrelevant code.

Key Features

01Customizable skip patterns to filter out noise like tests, builds, and node_modules

024 GitHub stars

03Summary statistics including file counts and subdirectory density

04Hierarchical Markdown navigation with cross-links between directories

05Smart truncation of long export lists to maintain map readability

06AST-driven extraction of exports and imports for precise structural data

Use Cases

01Optimizing AI context usage by providing structural summaries instead of full source code

02Performing dependency analysis or architectural audits before refactoring

03Rapidly onboarding to a large, unfamiliar legacy codebase

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add oaustegard/oaustegard.github.io mapping-codebases

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill