repo

Repo Command

The repo command analyzes and queries remote code repositories using Google's Gemini AI, allowing you to understand, explore, and extract insights from any public Git repository without cloning it manually.

Syntax

cursor-utils repo [OPTIONS] REPO_URL QUERY

Arguments

Argument	Description	Required	Example
REPO_URL	URL of the Git repository	Yes	https://github.com/org/repo
QUERY	The question or analysis request about the repository	Yes	"Explain the architecture"

Options

Option	Description	Default	Example
--branch	The branch to analyze	main or master	--branch develop
--depth	The clone depth (number of commits)	1	--depth 10
--max-files	Maximum number of files to include in analysis	30	--max-files 50
--model	The Gemini model to use	gemini-1.5-pro	--model gemini-2.0-pro-exp
--ignore	Patterns to ignore (comma-separated)	.git,node_modules,dist	--ignore "build,*.log"
--format	Output format (plain, markdown, json, rich)	rich	--format markdown
--debug/--no-debug	Enable/disable debug output	--no-debug	--debug
--help	Show command help	-	--help

Configuration

Before using the repo command, you need to set up your Google Gemini API key:

cursor-utils config set gemini_api_key YOUR_GEMINI_API_KEY

You can obtain an API key from Google AI Studio.

Examples

Basic Usage

Analyze a GitHub repository:

cursor-utils repo https://github.com/facebook/react "Explain the core architecture"

Analyze a GitLab repository:

cursor-utils repo https://gitlab.com/organization/project "How does error handling work?"

Specifying Branches

Analyze a specific branch:

cursor-utils repo https://github.com/facebook/react --branch experimental "What are the new experimental features?"

Clone Depth

Adjust clone depth for repositories with relevant history:

cursor-utils repo https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow --depth 5 "How has the API evolved recently?"

Limiting Analysis Scope

Limit the number of files analyzed:

cursor-utils repo https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes --max-files 50 "Explain the core scheduling algorithm"

Ignore specific files or patterns:

cursor-utils repo https://github.com/django/django --ignore "docs,tests,*.md" "Explain the ORM implementation"

Output Formats

Save analysis results as markdown:

cursor-utils repo https://github.com/expressjs/express --format markdown "Document the middleware system" > express-middleware.md

Get structured JSON output:

cursor-utils repo https://github.com/vuejs/vue --format json "List key components and their purposes"

Using Different Models

Use a specific model for more complex analysis:

cursor-utils repo https://github.com/rust-lang/rust --model gemini-2.0-pro-exp "Explain the ownership system"

Debug Mode

Enable debug output for troubleshooting:

cursor-utils repo https://github.com/pytorch/pytorch --debug "How does autograd work?"

Use Cases

Open Source Exploration

• Understand popular frameworks:

  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/angular/angular "Explain the dependency injection system"
  

• Explore new libraries before adopting:

  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/new-library/new-library "What are the main features and limitations?"
  

• Learn best practices from well-maintained projects:

  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/pallets/flask "Explain the extension system and patterns"
  

Dependency Evaluation

• Evaluate dependencies before integration:

  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/dependency/project "What is the API stability commitment?"
  

• Assess security practices:

  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/auth-library/library "Review the security implementation"
  

• Check implementation quality:

  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/utility/library "Analyze code quality and test coverage"
  

Learning and Research

• Study implementation techniques:

  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/redis/redis "How does the event loop work?"
  

• Understand algorithms:

  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow "Explain the gradient descent implementation"
  

• Research architecture patterns:

  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/nestjs/nest "Explain the module system and architecture"
  

Technical Decision Making

• Compare implementations:

  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/ORG1/implementation "How is feature X implemented?"
  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/ORG2/implementation "How is feature X implemented?"
  

• Evaluate migration paths:

  cursor-utils repo https://github.com/framework/next-version "What breaking changes are in this version?"
  

Advanced Techniques

Focused Analysis

Target specific directories for focused analysis:

# Analyze just the authentication module
cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo --branch main "Analyze the code in src/auth directory"

Comparative Analysis

Compare different repositories:

# Compare ORM implementations
cursor-utils repo https://github.com/sequelize/sequelize "Explain the query building system"
cursor-utils repo https://github.com/typeorm/typeorm "Explain the query building system"

Compare different versions or branches:

# Compare approaches in different branches
cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo --branch main "How is feature X implemented?"
cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo --branch experimental "How is feature X implemented?"

Sequential Deep Dives

Build understanding through sequential queries:

# Start with architecture overview
cursor-utils repo https://github.com/nestjs/nest "Provide an architectural overview"

# Dive deeper into specific areas
cursor-utils repo https://github.com/nestjs/nest "Explain the dependency injection system in detail"
cursor-utils repo https://github.com/nestjs/nest "How does the middleware system work?"

Integration with Development Workflow

Use for research during architectural decisions:

# Research pattern implementations before deciding approach
cursor-utils repo https://github.com/well-known/implementation "How is the repository pattern implemented?"

Use for learning before contribution:

# Understand contribution guidelines and patterns
cursor-utils repo https://github.com/project/to-contribute "Explain the contribution workflow and standards"

Best Practices

1. Be Specific with Your Queries: More specific questions yield better results

   # Less effective
   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo "How does it work?"
   
   # More effective
   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo "How does the authentication system handle JWT validation?"
   

2. Limit Analysis Scope: For large repositories, focus on specific areas

   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes --max-files 40 "Explain just the scheduler component"
   

3. Choose Appropriate Branch: Analyze the relevant branch for your needs

   # For stable code
   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo --branch main "Explain the core functionality"
   
   # For upcoming features
   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo --branch develop "What new features are being implemented?"
   

4. Save Insights for Reference: Save valuable analyses for future reference

   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/important/dependency --format markdown "Document the API" > dependency-api.md
   

5. Follow Up with Specific Questions: Start broad, then ask targeted questions

   # First query
   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo "What are the main components?"
   
   # Follow-up query
   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo "Explain how the caching system works in detail"
   

6. Compare with Documentation: Validate analysis against official documentation

   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo "What does the code actually do vs. what the documentation claims?"
   

Performance Considerations

Repository Size

For large repositories:

1. Limit clone depth to avoid downloading full history:

   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/large/repo --depth 1 "Analyze the core architecture"
   

2. Limit the number of files analyzed:

   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/large/repo --max-files 30 "Focus on the authentication system"
   

3. Ignore irrelevant directories:

   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/large/repo --ignore "docs,examples,tests,*.md" "Analyze core functionality"
   

Network Considerations

1. Enable debug mode to monitor cloning progress:

   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo --debug "Your query"
   

2. Consider caching for repositories you analyze frequently: Repositories are temporarily cached, which speeds up subsequent analyses of the same repository.

Troubleshooting

Repository Access Issues

If you have trouble accessing a repository:

Error: Failed to clone repository

Verify: 1. The repository URL is correct 2. The repository is public or you have access 3. Your network connection can reach the Git server

API Key Issues

If you receive authentication errors:

Error: Invalid API key

Verify your API key is correctly set:

cursor-utils config get gemini_api_key

If it's missing or incorrect, set it:

cursor-utils config set gemini_api_key YOUR_GEMINI_API_KEY

Context Size Limitations

If you receive an error about context size:

Error: Context size limit exceeded

Try reducing the number of files analyzed:

cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo --max-files 15 "Your query"

Branch Not Found

If the specified branch doesn't exist:

Error: Branch not found

Check available branches and use the correct name:

git ls-remote --heads https://github.com/org/repo
cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo --branch correct-branch-name "Your query"

Vague or Confusing Results

If the analysis results are vague or confusing:

1. Try being more specific with your query
2. Use debug mode to see what files are being analyzed:

   cursor-utils repo https://github.com/org/repo --debug "Your query"
   

3. Adjust the ignore patterns to focus on relevant files