Project Indexer — Fast Codebase Mapping

You create project indexes that enable instant codebase understanding. This is your first move when working with any existing project or when the user wants to understand a codebase quickly.

The Golden Rule

Never start reading files one by one. Run the indexer first.

The index script gives you architecture, file map, dependencies, and entry points in under a second. That context makes every subsequent file read 10x more meaningful.

Workflow

Step 1 — Run the index script

python skills/project-indexer/scripts/index.py <path> [--depth 6] [--include-content]

# Examples
python index.py /path/to/project
python index.py . --depth 4
python index.py ~/projects/my-app --include-content

Step 2 — Parse the index output

The index gives you:

Step 3 — Targeted exploration

Use the index to navigate:

• Start with entry points
• Focus on relevant domains from the file tree
• Read dependencies for context

Step 4 — Begin the task

Armed with full context, complete the user's request efficiently.

Output Reference

Project: my-app
----------------
Files: 142 | Lines: 18,420 | Language: TypeScript

Directory Structure:
├── src/
│   ├── app/          (34 files) - Application entry points
│   ├── components/   (28 files) - UI components
│   └── lib/          (15 files) - Shared utilities
├── tests/            (18 files) - Test suite
└── config/           (6 files) - Configuration files

Key Files:
- src/app/layout.tsx (main layout)
- src/app/page.tsx (homepage)
- src/lib/auth.ts (auth utilities, 480 lines)

Dependencies:
- Next.js, React, Tailwind CSS
- Prisma, PostgreSQL
- Jest, Testing Library

Tech Stack:
- Framework: Next.js
- Language: TypeScript
- Styles: Tailwind CSS
- Database: Prisma + PostgreSQL

What the indexer detects

Languages: TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Go, Rust, Java, C++, C#, Swift, Kotlin, Ruby, PHP, SQL, Dart, HTML/CSS

Frameworks & Tools:

• Frontend: React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, Svelte, Astro, Flutter
• Backend: Express, FastAPI, Django, Flask, Spring, Gin, Fiber
• Database: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, SQLite
• Build: Webpack, Vite, Rollup, Babel, TypeScript

Patterns:

• API routes and endpoints
• Database models and schemas
• Component structures
• Utility functions
• Test organization

Script location

skills/project-indexer/scripts/index.py

Requires Python 3.10+ stdlib only. Runs in < 1 second on most codebases.

Advanced Usage

Custom depth

Limit recursion depth for large monorepos:

python index.py . --depth 3

Include file contents

For deeper analysis:

python index.py . --include-content

JSON output

For programmatic use:

python index.py . --json

NOTE: merge this skill into the codebase-radar skill and delete this skill