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name explore-codebase
description Explore unfamiliar repositories in Codex by building a quick structural map, identifying execution entry points, and drilling into only the highest-value files.
compatibility Codex CLI with terminal access, git, tokenlean CLI (npm i -g tokenlean)

Explore Codebase (Codex)

Understand architecture quickly with targeted reads.

Workflow

Map -> Entry points -> Key modules -> Dependencies -> Summary

1. Map repository

tl structure

Identify core directories, file counts, and token estimates. Note likely runtime paths (bin/, src/, test/, config files).

2. Find entry points

tl parallel "tl entry" "tl hotspots"

3. Inspect key modules

For each important file:

File size → Decision
  ├─ <150 lines → Just read it
  ├─ 150-400 lines → tl symbols first, tl snippet for specifics
  └─ 400+ lines → tl symbols only, then tl snippet as needed

# Per file, gather context in one call:
tl parallel "symbols=tl symbols <file>" "exports=tl exports <file>"

# Or for entire directories:
tl symbols src/           # All files in a directory (compact one-liner per file)

4. Trace dependencies

tl parallel \
  "deps=tl deps <file>" \
  "impact=tl impact <file>" \
  "flow=tl flow <function> <file>"

5. Summarize

Produce:

  • What the project does
  • Top directories and responsibilities
  • Main execution flow
  • High-risk or high-churn areas

Tips

  • Use tl parallel to gather context on multiple files simultaneously.
  • tl context <dir> shows token cost of a directory — skip reading dirs over 50k tokens directly.
  • Use commit history (git log -- <file>) to identify active areas.