📋 Table of Contents
What is GitIngest?
GitIngest is a code editor extension that analyzes your entire codebase—Git repos or local folders—so you can explore structure, detect patterns, and export insights without leaving your editor.
🌟 Why Choose GitIngest?
|
🔧 Zero Setup Required
- No CLI installation needed
- Everything runs within your editor
- Works offline with 100% local execution
|
🌍 Universal Compatibility
- Supports any codebase (Git or non-Git)
- Cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Smart filtering of unnecessary files
|
Key Features
🎨 Modern Interface
- Beautiful three-panel webview layout
- Interactive directory tree visualization
- Real-time progress indicators
- Responsive design for all screen sizes
- One-click copy functionality
|
🔍 Smart Analysis
- Comprehensive codebase scanning
- Intelligent file filtering
- Summary insights and metrics
- Searchable and exportable results
- Custom folder selection
|
⚡ Seamless Integration
- Right-click context menus
- Command palette integration
- No external dependencies
- Instant results in webview
|
🛠 Flexible Workflow
- Analyze entire repositories
- Target specific folders
- Selective file inclusion
- Optional cleanup after analysis
|
Quick Start
Prerequisites
Before getting started, ensure you have:
- VS Code 1.54.0 or higher
- Python 3.x installed and added to your system PATH
💡 Quick Check: Open a terminal and run python --version or python3 --version to verify installation
Installation & First Analysis
📦 Install the Extension
- Open Editor Extensions (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + X)
- Search for "GitIngest"
- Click Install
🎯 Analyze Your First Repository
- Open any project folder in your editor
- Right-click on the folder in Explorer
- Select "GitIngest: Analyze This Folder"
- View results in the webview panel!
Usage Guide
Method 1: Quick Analysis (Recommended)
🖱️ Right-Click Analysis
Perfect for immediate analysis of any folder
- Right-click on any folder in your editor Explorer
- Choose "GitIngest: Analyze This Folder" for immediate analysis
- View results in the automatically opened webview panel
Method 2: Selective Analysis (Advanced)
🎯 Cherry-Pick Your Files
Ideal for large codebases where you only need specific parts analyzed
- Right-click on files/folders while holding Ctrl/Cmd
- Select "GitIngest: Add To Ingest" for each item
- Once you've selected all desired items, run the analysis
- Optionally enable auto-cleanup in settings
Method 3: Command Palette
⌨️ Keyboard-First Approach
- Press
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + P to open Command Palette
- Type and select "GitIngest: Analyze Repository"
- Follow the prompts and review your analysis
Understanding Your Analysis
Your analysis results are presented in three comprehensive panels:
📋 Summary Panel
📈 Repository Overview
├── 📁 Files Analyzed: 156
├── 📊 Estimated Tokens: 12,450
├── 🗂️ Directory Structure
└── 📝 File Content Analysis
Export Options Available:
🌳 Directory Structure
Interactive tree view with smart filtering:
- ✅ Source code files included
- ❌ Build artifacts excluded
- ❌ Node_modules filtered out
- ❌ IDE-specific files hidden
📄 File Content Analysis
Detailed breakdown including:
- Code snippets and key functions
- Documentation and README files
- Configuration files
- Dependencies and imports
Available Export Formats:
- 📋 Copy to Clipboard - Quick sharing
- 💾 Save as Text - Local backup
Configuration & Settings
Automatic Management
GitIngest handles these automatically:
- ✅ Python environment detection
- ✅ GitIngest package verification
- ✅ Platform-specific command execution
- ✅ Intelligent process management
Customizable Options
Access via File > Preferences > Settings > Extensions > GitIngest:
- Ingest Folder Name – Folder name used to stage files when using "Add to Ingest" (default:
gitingest-ingest).
- Delete After Ingest – When enabled, the staging folder is removed after a successful analysis.
- File Exclusions – Glob patterns to exclude from ingestion (e.g.
**/node_modules, **/*.min.js). Applied in addition to .gitignore and .gitingestignore.
.gitingestignore
You can add a .gitingestignore file in the root of the folder you are analyzing. It uses the same format as .gitignore. Files and folders listed there are excluded from ingestion but remain in version control, so you don't need to add them to .gitignore just to keep them out of the digest.
The engine respects both .gitignore and .gitingestignore by default. A recent version of the gitingest Python package (e.g. 0.3.x) is required for .gitingestignore support.
Troubleshooting
Common Issues & Quick Fixes
🐍 Python Not Found Error
Problem: Extension can't locate Python installation
Quick Solutions:
- Install Python 3.x from python.org
- Ensure "Add Python to PATH" is checked during installation
- Restart your editor after installation
- Test with
python --version in terminal
Platform-Specific Help:
- Windows: Use "Add Python to PATH" option during installation
- macOS: Install via Homebrew:
brew install python3
- Linux: Install via package manager:
sudo apt install python3
⚠️ Analysis Failing or Hanging
Problem: Analysis starts but doesn't complete
Solutions:
- Check file permissions - Ensure your editor can read project files
- Close other Python processes - Free up system resources
- Restart your editor - Clear any stuck processes
- Try a smaller folder first - Test with a simple project
For Large Repositories:
- Use selective analysis instead of full repository scan
- Exclude large directories (node_modules, .git, build folders)
- Consider analyzing in smaller chunks
🔧 Extension Not Loading
Problem: GitIngest commands not appearing in Editor
Solutions:
- Reload your editor - Use
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + P > "Reload Window"
- Check extension status - Ensure it's enabled in your Extensions panel
- Update your editor - Ensure you're using a compatible version
- Reinstall extension - Remove and reinstall from marketplace
Need More Help?
- 📝 Check the Developer Console:
Help > Toggle Developer Tools
- 🐛 Report bugs on GitHub Issues
- 💬 Join discussions in our GitHub repository
Privacy & Security
Your privacy and security are our top priorities:
🔒 100% Local Execution
- All analysis happens on your machine
- No code sent to external servers
- No internet connection required
🔐 Zero Data Collection
- We don't collect or store any of your code
- No telemetry or usage tracking
- Your intellectual property stays private
🛡️ Safe Operation
- Read-only analysis of your files
- No modifications to your codebase
- Optional cleanup features with user consent
Contributing
GitIngest is open source and we welcome contributions.
- 🌟 Star the repository – Help others discover GitIngest
- 🐛 Report bugs – Open an issue
- 💡 Suggest features – Share ideas via GitHub Discussions or issues
- 🔧 Contribute code – See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup, code style, and how to submit pull requests
📜 License
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for complete details.
🙌 Acknowledgments
💙 GitIngest – Core engine.
💙 VS Code API – Enabling smooth integration.
Made with ❤️ for developers worldwide.
⭐ If this extension helped you, please consider giving it a star on the GitHub and marketplace!
_Deep insights, modern UI, and effortless integration into your workflow._
