Codebase Navigation Skill

Navigate and explore the codebase structure using DevAC's Analytics Layer.

Triggers

This skill activates when users ask about:

• "find where X is defined"
• "explore module"
• "locate definition"
• "navigate to"
• "where is this function"
• "jump to definition"
• "show me the structure"

Capabilities

Symbol Location

Quickly find where any symbol is defined across the entire codebase.

Module Exploration

Understand the structure and contents of modules/packages.

Cross-Repository Navigation

Navigate between related code across multiple repositories.

File Discovery

Find files by patterns, symbols they contain, or relationships.

CLI Commands (Primary)

Use DevAC CLI commands for codebase navigation. CLI is preferred for lower context overhead.

devac query symbol

Locate symbol definitions by name.

devac query symbol handleAuthentication
devac query symbol UserService --kind class

devac file-symbols

Explore all symbols in a file or directory.

devac file-symbols src/auth/index.ts
devac file-symbols src/services/

devac query repos

See all repositories connected to the hub.

devac query repos
devac status --hub

devac query

Advanced navigation queries.

devac query "SELECT file_path, name, kind FROM symbols WHERE file_path LIKE '%/auth/%' ORDER BY file_path, line"

Example Interactions

User: "Where is the UserService defined?"

Response approach:

1. Use devac query symbol UserService to locate it
2. Return the exact file path and line number
3. Optionally show the class structure

User: "Explore the auth module structure"

Response approach:

1. Use devac file-symbols src/auth/ for all symbols
2. Present a tree view of the module structure
3. Highlight key classes and functions

User: "Find all API endpoint handlers"

Response approach:

1. Use devac query to find functions with handler patterns
2. Group by file/module
3. Present organized list with locations

MCP Tools (Alternative)

If MCP server is configured, these tools provide equivalent functionality:

find_symbol

find_symbol(name: "handleAuthentication")

get_file_symbols

get_file_symbols(file_path: "src/auth/index.ts")

list_repos

list_repos()

query_sql

SELECT file_path, name, kind
FROM symbols
WHERE file_path LIKE '%/auth/%'
ORDER BY file_path, line

Navigation Tips

• Use exact symbol names for precise matches
• Use patterns for broader exploration
• Cross-reference with impact-analysis to understand context
• In hub mode, navigation works across all connected repos

Notes

• Navigation is instant with indexed Seeds database
• Stale indexes may miss recent changes - run devac sync to update
• Works best with well-named, conventional code
• CLI and MCP share the same devac-core implementation and return identical results