dsh-codebase-chat

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://shinzarou-eng.github.io/dsh-codebase-chat">
    <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shinzarou-eng/dsh-codebase-chat/main/docs/assets/social-preview.png" alt="dsh-codebase-chat — Your codebase, fully understood" width="100%">
  </a>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/dsh-codebase-chat"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/dsh-codebase-chat?logo=npm&label=plugin&color=6ec2ff" alt="npm plugin"></a>
  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/dsh-codebase-chat-mcp"><img src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/dsh-codebase-chat-mcp?logo=npm&label=mcp&color=a78bfa" alt="npm mcp"></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/shinzarou-eng/dsh-codebase-chat/blob/main/LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/license/shinzarou-eng/dsh-codebase-chat?color=93a1b5" alt="license"></a>
  <a href="https://nodejs.org"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/node-%3E%3D20-4ade80?logo=nodedotjs" alt="node >= 20"></a>
  <a href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP-compatible-22d3ee" alt="MCP compatible"></a>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://shinzarou-eng.github.io/dsh-codebase-chat"><strong>Website</strong></a> ·
  <a href="mcp/README.md">MCP docs</a> ·
  <a href="ROADMAP.md">Roadmap</a> ·
  <a href="CHANGELOG.md">Changelog</a> ·
  <a href="CONTRIBUTING.md">Contributing</a>
</p>

<br>

## Get started

```bash
npx dsh-codebase-chat-mcp setup
```

The wizard detects **Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, Zed, Gemini CLI, Kiro, Cline and Roo Code**, asks how you want answers (host model or API key), writes the MCP config, done.
No JSON to edit — and **no API key**: in `promptOnly` mode your host model does the thinking,
or get a **fully offline** answer with the deterministic report (`--no-llm`) — no model, no key, no cloud.

Other paths — DeepSeek Harness plugin · CLI · from source · manual config: **[Reference](#reference)**.

<p align="center">
  <img src="docs/assets/demo-conv.gif" alt="dsh-codebase-chat real MCP session on a 422-file codebase" width="840"><br>
  <em>Real MCP session on a real 422-file codebase — <code>codebase_health</code> finds 324 circular deps, <code>codebase_chat</code> answers with <code>[source: file:line]</code> receipts · <a href="docs/assets/demo-power.gif">PR review (--diff + --watch)</a> · <a href="docs/assets/demo.gif">CLI tour</a> · <a href="docs/assets/demo-mcp.gif">MCP stdio</a> · <a href="docs/assets/demo-fr.gif">French mode</a></em>
</p>

## What a real session looks like

Run on this repository — the exact text the tools return:

```console
$ npx dsh-codebase-chat --project . --health

== STATIC ANALYSIS — dsh-codebase-chat ==
Health score: 52/100 (D) · 33 files analyzed · 65 local imports

● Circular dependencies (0)
  none

● Unused files (candidates) (1)
  lib/client.js

● Unused exports (candidates) (45)
  lib/cache.js:21 — cachePath
  lib/index.js:2952 — normalizeLabels
  lib/index.js:2952 — getProjectName
  …

● Duplicate code blocks (2)
  12 lines × 2 files — lib/index.js, src/project.ts
  6 lines × 2 files — src/indexer.ts, src/retriever.ts

● Complexity hotspots (13)
  lib/index.js — score 418
  src/analysis.ts — score 81
  lib/client.js — score 55
  …
```

```console
$ npx dsh-codebase-chat --project . --search "health score computation"

--- src/analysis.ts :: formatHealthReportMd (FUNCTION) [source: src/analysis.ts:285-353] ---
--- src/analysis.ts :: analyzeProject       (FUNCTION) [source: src/analysis.ts:149-232] ---
--- src/analysis.ts :: HealthReport         (TYPE)     [source: src/analysis.ts:15-26]   ---

$ npx dsh-codebase-chat --project . --ask "how is the index cached?"

> dsh-codebase-chat · prompt-only mode (no API key)
> Chunks: 81 · Tokens: 59,934 → handed to the host model
> Cite every technical claim with [source: relative/path:line].
```

`codebase_health` runs fully offline — deterministic, no LLM, same input → same score.
Every answer from `codebase_chat` arrives with `[source: file:line]` receipts you can verify in seconds.

## Why it wins

| | Paste into a chat | Hosted assistant | **dsh-codebase-chat** |
| --- | :-: | :-: | :-: |
| Sees your **whole** repo, not one file | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| `[source: file:line]` citations | ❌ | ~ | ✅ |
| Code stays on your machine | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Inside Claude / Cursor / Windsurf | ❌ | ~ | ✅ |
| Deterministic health score, no LLM | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Deterministic report, zero model (`--no-llm`) | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Free — no API key, no account | ~ | ❌ | ✅ |

## How it works

<p align="center">
  <img src="docs/assets/how-it-works.png" alt="Pipeline: source → AST index → retrieval → briefing → host model → cited answer, all local-first" width="100%">
</p>

`/codebase-apply` writes safely — **dry-run** · **`.dsh-backups/`** before overwrite · **protected paths** · never outside the project.

## The 13 tools

| Understand | Decide | Act | Explore |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `codebase_chat` | `codebase_intelligence` | `codebase_refactor` | `codebase_player` |
| `codebase_search` | `codebase_audit` | `codebase_tasks` | `codebase_crea` |
| `codebase_explain` | `codebase_report` | | |
| `codebase_health` | `codebase_ceo` | | |
| `codebase_impact` | | | |

Same engine, three surfaces: **MCP tools** in your IDE, **slash commands** in DeepSeek Harness, **CLI flags** anywhere. Every tool takes `lang` (`fr`/`en`), `embed`, `promptOnly`, `maxTokens`.

## Reference

<details>
<summary><strong>Install — all paths</strong></summary>
<br>

**DeepSeek Harness plugin**

```bash
dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-codebase-chat
```

Then restart `dsh web` → `http://127.0.0.1:3080` → **Codebase Pro** button.

**CLI**

```bash
npx dsh-codebase-chat --project C:\my-app --ask "how is auth handled?"
npx dsh-codebase-chat --project C:\my-app --health   # offline, no LLM
npx dsh-codebase-chat --project C:\my-app --health --diff main   # only what changed
npx dsh-codebase-chat --project C:\my-app --watch    # index stays hot while you code
npx dsh-codebase-chat --project C:\my-app --prompt intelligence   # same banner brief the IDE gets — pipe to any LLM
npx dsh-codebase-chat --project C:\my-app --prompt intelligence --call    # DeepSeek/OpenAI answers directly (API key)
npx dsh-codebase-chat --project C:\my-app --prompt intelligence --no-llm  # deterministic report — zero model, zero key
npx dsh-codebase-chat --project C:\my-app --prompt intelligence --no-llm  # deterministic report — zero LLM, zero key
```

**From source**

```bash
git clone https://github.com/shinzarou-eng/dsh-codebase-chat.git
cd dsh-codebase-chat && pnpm install && pnpm build
```

**Manual MCP config**

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dsh-codebase-chat": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["dsh-codebase-chat-mcp"]
    }
  }
}
```

Without `DEEPSEEK_API_KEY` / `OPENAI_API_KEY` the server runs `promptOnly`. Set either key for direct-LLM calls — see [`mcp/README.md`](mcp/README.md).

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong>Slash commands (DeepSeek Harness)</strong></summary>
<br>

```powershell
dsh --profile headless '/codebase "how is auth handled?" --project C:\my-app'
dsh --profile headless '/codebase-search "usePetStore" --project C:\my-app'
dsh --profile headless '/codebase-explain "storage.ts" --project C:\my-app'
dsh --profile headless '/codebase-refactor "split this hook" --file storage.ts --project C:\my-app'
dsh --profile headless '/codebase-intel --project C:\my-app'
dsh --profile headless '/codebase-audit --project C:\my-app --lang en'
dsh --profile headless '/codebase-tasks --project C:\my-app'
dsh --profile headless '/codebase-apply-tasks --project C:\my-app'
dsh --profile headless '/codebase-build --project C:\my-app'
dsh --profile headless '/codebase-git --project C:\my-app'
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong><code>.codebase-chat.json</code> — per-project settings</strong></summary>
<br>

```json
{
  "lang": "en",
  "maxTokens": 60000,
  "ignoreDirs": ["generated", "fixtures"],
  "ignoreFiles": ["bundle.js"],
  "ignoreGlobs": ["src/vendor/**", "*.snap"],
  "protectedPaths": ["src/locked", "migrations"]
}
```

| Key | Effect |
| --- | --- |
| `lang` | Default prompt language (`en`/`fr`) — CLI, MCP tools, slash commands |
| `maxTokens` | Context budget when the caller passes none |
| `ignoreDirs` / `ignoreFiles` | Extra names skipped by indexing, `codebase_health`, file tree |
| `ignoreGlobs` | Globs on project-relative paths — `**` spans dirs, `*` one segment |
| `protectedPaths` | Paths the apply pipeline can never patch |

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong>Environment variables</strong></summary>
<br>

| Variable | Default | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `CODEBASE_CACHE_DIR` | OS cache dir | Where the index cache lives |
| `DSH_PROJECT_ALIASES` | — | Extra `name=path` aliases (`;`-separated) |
| `DSH_DAKO_PROJECT` | — | Override the built-in `dako` alias |
| `DSH_PROTECTED_PATHS` | built-in list | Extra paths that can never be patched |
| `DEEPSEEK_API_KEY` / `OPENAI_API_KEY` | — | Direct-LLM mode only |
| `DEEPSEEK_BASE_URL` / `OPENAI_BASE_URL` | `https://api.deepseek.com/v1` | Custom endpoint |
| `CODEBASE_MODEL` | `deepseek-chat` | Model for direct-LLM mode |

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong>Plain words — 🇫🇷 inside</strong></summary>
<br>

Point it at a folder of code. Ask questions like a human — *"How does login work?"*, *"What should I fix first?"* — in French or English. Every answer cites the exact file and line it came from. **Nothing is uploaded anywhere.**

*Pointez-le vers un dossier de code. Posez vos questions en langage clair. Chaque réponse cite le fichier et la ligne exacts. **Rien n'est envoyé sur internet.***

| Term | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| **MCP server** | A plug format that lets AI assistants use extra tools. Install once — your IDE can "see" your code. |
| **Prompt-only** | The tool prepares the context; your existing AI writes the answer. No extra key, no extra cost. |
| **Deterministic** | Computed directly from