How to Understand a Codebase You Didn't Write

Terms in this cluster

• Codebase intelligence — Codebase intelligence is a category of tooling that analyses an entire repository — its structure, dependencies, history and risks — to answer questions about the system as a whole, rather than checking one file at a time.
• Repository intelligence — Repository intelligence is another name for codebase intelligence — analysis of a whole repository's structure, dependencies, history and risks to answer questions about the system as a whole. The two terms are used interchangeably.
• Intent map — An intent map is a description of why each part of a codebase exists — the purpose of a file or module and the capability it implements — as opposed to a dependency map, which shows only how the parts connect.

Features that answer this

• Intent map — Understand why your code exists, not just what it does. The Intent Map gives you AI summaries at repository, file and function level, the capabilities each file implements, and an evidence block that separates measured facts from inference.
• Code map & dependency graph — See your codebase as a live dependency graph. Mapnostics maps every file, import and route, highlights the high-blast-radius hubs, and layers ownership, schema and performance patterns over the same canvas.
• MCP server — Give Claude, Cursor and any MCP-compatible agent grounded answers about your codebase instead of guesses. Ten tools over your real dependency graph — connect in minutes, no vector database to run yourself.

When this comes up

• Inherited codebase

Who this is for

• Software architects
• Agencies & consultants