explain_code
Generate human-readable code explanations and documentation from GitHub repositories. Transform technical analysis into accessible overviews, tutorials, and architectural insights for developers.
Instructions
📚 AI-powered code explanation generating human-readable documentation, tutorials, and architectural insights. Transforms technical analysis into accessible explanations.
Input Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| url | Yes | GitHub repository URL | |
| file_paths | No | Specific files to explain (optional - explains key files if not specified) | |
| explanation_type | No | Type of explanation to generate | overview |
| options | No |
Implementation Reference
- src/index.ts:863-964 (handler)Main execution handler for 'explain_code' tool. Fetches repo info and files, generates AI explanation using OpenAI service based on type (overview, detailed, architecture, etc.).
async function handleExplainCode(args: any) { try { const { url, file_paths, explanation_type = 'overview', options = {} } = args; // Get repository info and code content const repoInfo = await githubService.getRepositoryInfo(url); let filesToExplain: Record<string, string> = {}; if (file_paths && file_paths.length > 0) { // Get specific files for (const filePath of file_paths) { try { const content = await githubService.getFileContent(url, filePath); filesToExplain[filePath] = content; } catch (error) { // Skip files that can't be fetched } } } else { // Use key files from repository filesToExplain = repoInfo.keyFiles; } if (Object.keys(filesToExplain).length === 0) { throw new Error('No files found to explain'); } // Generate AI explanation based on type let aiExplanation: string; let aiExplanationResult: { content: string; modelUsed: string; warning?: string }; switch (explanation_type) { case 'architecture': aiExplanation = await openaiService.explainArchitecture(url, repoInfo); // For architecture, create a mock result for consistency aiExplanationResult = { content: aiExplanation, modelUsed: options.ai_model || 'anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet', warning: undefined }; break; case 'overview': case 'detailed': case 'tutorial': case 'integration': default: // Create a prompt for the specific explanation type const codeContext = Object.entries(filesToExplain) .map(([path, content]) => `--- ${path} ---\n${content}`) .join('\n\n'); const prompt = `Please provide a ${explanation_type} explanation of this ${repoInfo.language || 'code'} repository: Repository: ${repoInfo.name} Description: ${repoInfo.description || 'No description'} Language: ${repoInfo.language || 'Multiple'} Code: ${codeContext} Please focus on: ${options.focus_on_patterns ? '- Design patterns and architecture' : ''} ${options.include_examples ? '- Code examples and usage' : ''} ${options.include_diagrams ? '- Visual diagrams where helpful' : ''} Target audience: ${options.target_audience || 'intermediate'}`; aiExplanationResult = await openaiService.chatWithRepository(url, prompt, undefined, options.ai_model); aiExplanation = aiExplanationResult.content; break; } const result = { repository: { name: repoInfo.name, description: repoInfo.description, language: repoInfo.language, owner: repoInfo.owner, }, explanation: { type: explanation_type, files_analyzed: Object.keys(filesToExplain), ai_model_used: aiExplanationResult.modelUsed, ai_model_requested: options.ai_model || 'auto', target_audience: options.target_audience || 'intermediate', content: aiExplanation, timestamp: new Date().toISOString(), model_warning: aiExplanationResult.warning, }, metadata: { file_count: Object.keys(filesToExplain).length, total_lines: Object.values(filesToExplain).reduce((sum, content) => sum + content.split('\n').length, 0), }, }; const response = createResponse(result); return formatToolResponse(response); } catch (error) { const response = createResponse(null, error); return formatToolResponse(response); } } - src/tools/consolidated.ts:402-457 (schema)Tool definition including name, description, and input schema for validation.
{ name: 'explain_code', description: '📚 AI-powered code explanation generating human-readable documentation, tutorials, and architectural insights. Transforms technical analysis into accessible explanations.', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { url: { type: 'string', description: 'GitHub repository URL', }, file_paths: { type: 'array', items: { type: 'string' }, description: 'Specific files to explain (optional - explains key files if not specified)', }, explanation_type: { type: 'string', enum: ['overview', 'detailed', 'architecture', 'tutorial', 'integration'], description: 'Type of explanation to generate', default: 'overview', }, options: { type: 'object', properties: { ai_model: { type: 'string', description: 'AI model to use for explanation (OpenRouter models). Use "auto" for intelligent model selection', default: 'auto', }, target_audience: { type: 'string', enum: ['beginner', 'intermediate', 'advanced'], description: 'Target audience for explanation', default: 'intermediate', }, include_examples: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Include code examples in explanations', default: true, }, include_diagrams: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Include ASCII diagrams where helpful', default: true, }, focus_on_patterns: { type: 'boolean', description: 'Focus on design patterns and architecture', default: true, }, }, }, }, required: ['url'], }, }, - src/index.ts:236-240 (registration)Registers the consolidatedTools array (including 'explain_code') for the ListToolsRequestHandler.
server.setRequestHandler(ListToolsRequestSchema, async () => { return { tools: consolidatedTools, }; }); - src/index.ts:277-279 (registration)Dispatch case in CallToolRequestHandler switch statement that routes 'explain_code' calls to the handler function.
case 'explain_code': result = await handleExplainCode(args); break;