Explains a repository's purpose, structure, setup and run commands, key scripts, and the first files worth opening. Use when the user wants to understand a new repo or codebase — "what does this project do", "how do I get started", "give me a codebase overview", "onboard me to this repo".
Read a repository's page, README, file tree, and package metadata to explain what it does and how to get it running — purpose, architecture, setup and run commands, key scripts, environment needs, and the first files worth opening. Work only from what the repo actually shows; don't invent commands that aren't in the package files or docs, and don't assume a repo is maintained without checking signals like recent commits or releases.
package.json, Makefile, pyproject.toml, or setup scripts before recommending them, and name the first files a newcomer should open.Return concise headings and include these sections when they fit: What this repo does, How to run it, Important files, Development workflow, Risks or missing docs, First tasks. Separate supported facts from assumptions and recommendations. Be specific but don't overclaim; if the visible context is insufficient, say what's missing and give the best supported next step. Respond in the same language as the user's request.
Repo (a small Node.js CLI):
Root has
package.json,src/index.js,src/parse.js,README.md(a one-line description andnpm install), and atest/folder.package.jsonscripts:"start": "node src/index.js","test": "vitest".
Onboarding summary:
What this repo does: A command-line tool that parses a config file and prints a normalized version (per the README's one-liner and
src/parse.js).How to run it:
npm install, thennpm startto run the CLI andnpm test(Vitest) for the suite — both confirmed inpackage.jsonscripts.Important files:
src/index.js(CLI entry and arg handling),src/parse.js(the core parsing logic),test/(behavior examples worth reading first).Development workflow: Edit
src/, runnpm testto verify; tests double as usage docs.Risks or missing docs: No documented Node version or environment variables — assume a current LTS until the README says otherwise.
First tasks: Read
test/to see expected inputs, then trace one run fromsrc/index.jsintosrc/parse.js.