Codebase Analysis via Gemini

Use Gemini’s codebase_investigator tool for deep architectural analysis.

Quick Start

gemini "Use codebase_investigator to analyze this project. Do not make any changes. Respond with analysis only." --allowed-tools codebase_investigator -o text 2>&1

When to Use

• Onboarding to unfamiliar codebases
• Understanding legacy systems
• Mapping component relationships
• Finding hidden dependencies
• Architecture documentation
• Technical debt assessment

Examples

Full project analysis:

gemini "Use codebase_investigator to analyze this project. Report on:
- Overall architecture
- Key dependencies
- Component relationships
- Potential issues
Do not make any changes. Respond with analysis only." --allowed-tools codebase_investigator -o text

Flow mapping:

gemini "Use codebase_investigator to map the authentication flow. Identify all components involved. Do not make any changes. Respond with analysis only." --allowed-tools codebase_investigator -o text

Dependency analysis:

gemini "Use codebase_investigator to analyze dependencies:
- Direct vs transitive
- Outdated packages
- Circular dependencies
- Bundle size impact
Do not make any changes. Respond with analysis only." --allowed-tools codebase_investigator -o text

Technical debt:

gemini "Use codebase_investigator to identify technical debt:
- Deprecated patterns
- Inconsistent conventions
- Missing documentation
- Complex dependency chains
Do not make any changes. Respond with analysis only." --allowed-tools codebase_investigator -o text

Iterative Analysis

Use sessions for multi-turn investigation:

# Initial analysis
gemini "Use codebase_investigator to analyze this project. Do not make any changes. Respond with analysis only." --allowed-tools codebase_investigator -o text

# Follow-up (continues session)
echo "What patterns did you find in the auth module? Do not make any changes. Respond with analysis only." | gemini --allowed-tools codebase_investigator -r 1 -o text

# Deeper dive
echo "Are there security concerns with that pattern? Do not make any changes. Respond with analysis only." | gemini --allowed-tools codebase_investigator -r 1 -o text

Notes

• Gemini must not make any changes, provide feedback ONLY.
• Gemini respects .gitignore – it cannot read files matching gitignore patterns
• Can take 5-10 minutes for large codebases
• Requires sandbox bypass: use dangerouslyDisableSandbox: true
• Use sessions for iterative exploration
• See references/setup.md for troubleshooting