Note: If you have mcporter installed locally, you should use mcporter to invoke the MCP tool instead of directly calling the MCP tool. The mcporter CLI provides a more convenient interface and better error handling.

Repo Explorer via Gitee MCP

Quickly explore the structure and core content of a Gitee repository and generate an overview report to help get up to speed on an unfamiliar project.

Prerequisites

Gitee MCP Server configured (tools: get_file_content, search_files_by_content, list_user_repos)
User must provide: repository owner, repository name
Optional: specific area of interest (e.g., "I want to understand the authentication mechanism")

Steps

Step 1: Fetch Key Documentation

Start by reading these files using get_file_content:

README.md or README_CN.md: project introduction
CONTRIBUTING.md: contribution guide (development conventions)
CHANGELOG.md: change history (evolution of the project)
package.json / go.mod / pom.xml / requirements.txt: tech stack and dependencies

Step 2: Explore Project Structure

First, use get_file_content with path="/" to get the root directory tree:

get_file_content(owner="[owner]", repo="[repo]", path="/")

This returns the top-level directory structure in a single call, providing a quick overview of the project's layout.

Then, browse key subdirectories to identify:

Common project structure patterns

src/ or lib/: core source code
cmd/ or bin/: CLI entry points (Go / C++ projects)
api/ or routes/: API definitions
tests/ or test/: test code
docs/: detailed documentation
scripts/ or .gitee/ or .github/: build / CI scripts
config/ or configs/: configuration files

Step 3: Analyze Core Code

Based on the project type, read key files in depth:

Web application

Entry file (main.go / index.js / app.py)
Route definition files
Database schema or model definitions

Library / SDK

Main entry file (public API entry point)
Core algorithm files

CLI tool

Command definition files
Configuration handling logic

Use search_files_by_content to locate core logic:

Search for main, init, Router, etc.
Search for specific keywords matching the user's area of interest

Step 4: Generate Repository Overview Report

# Repository Overview: [owner/repo]

## About
[One-paragraph description summarizing the project based on the README]

## Tech Stack
- **Language**: [primary language]
- **Framework**: [main framework]
- **Storage**: [database / cache]
- **Deployment**: [Docker / K8s / other]

## Directory Structure
[Key directory annotations]
├── src/          # Core source code
├── api/          # API definitions
├── tests/        # Tests
└── docs/         # Documentation

## Core Modules
| Module | Path | Responsibility |
|--------|------|---------------|
| [name] | [path] | [one-sentence description] |

## Data Models (if applicable)
[Main entities and their relationships]

## Getting Started
[Setup steps extracted from README / CONTRIBUTING]

\`\`\`bash
# Install dependencies
[command]

# Start the project
[command]
\`\`\`

## Contribution Highlights
[Key conventions from CONTRIBUTING.md]

## Recent Activity
[Latest version highlights from CHANGELOG or README]

Step 5: Deep Dive (optional)

If the user has a specific area of interest, use search_files_by_content for targeted searches:

Authentication: search auth, token, permission
Database operations: search SELECT, INSERT, Model
Configuration: search config, env, ENV

Notes

Prefer smaller files when reading; avoid loading very large files all at once
Keep the report focused and concise — do not try to cover everything
If the project has no README, infer its purpose from the code structure and comments

repo-explorer