Metadata-Version: 2.5
Name: scantool
Version: 0.21.0
Summary: MCP server for multi-language code analysis with structure extraction, metadata parsing, and search capabilities across Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Rust, Go, C/C++, Java, PHP, C#, Ruby, Zig, HTML, CSS, SCSS, Markdown, Swift, plain text, and images
Project-URL: Homepage, https://github.com/mariusei/file-scanner-mcp
Project-URL: Repository, https://github.com/mariusei/file-scanner-mcp
Project-URL: Issues, https://github.com/mariusei/file-scanner-mcp/issues
Project-URL: Changelog, https://github.com/mariusei/file-scanner-mcp/releases
Project-URL: MCP Registry, https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/@mariusei/file-scanner-mcp
Author: Marius Berge Eide
License: MIT
License-File: LICENSE
Keywords: ai-tools,ast,claude,claude-code,code-analysis,code-structure,codebase-analysis,developer-tools,file-scanner,mcp,mcp-server,model-context-protocol,static-analysis,structure-extraction,tree-sitter
Classifier: Development Status :: 4 - Beta
Classifier: Environment :: Console
Classifier: Intended Audience :: Developers
Classifier: License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License
Classifier: Operating System :: OS Independent
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13
Classifier: Topic :: Software Development :: Code Generators
Classifier: Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules
Classifier: Topic :: Software Development :: Quality Assurance
Classifier: Typing :: Typed
Requires-Python: >=3.11
Requires-Dist: fastmcp>=4.0.2
Requires-Dist: numpy>=1.24.0
Requires-Dist: pglast>=7.7
Requires-Dist: pillow>=10.0.0
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-c-sharp>=0.23.0
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-cpp>=0.23.0
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-css>=0.23.0
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-go>=0.23.3
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-html>=0.23.0
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-java>=0.23.2
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-javascript>=0.23.1
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-language-pack>=1.15.8
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-markdown>=0.3.2
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-php>=0.23.4
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-python>=0.23.6
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-ruby>=0.23.0
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-rust>=0.23.2
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-sql>=0.3.11
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-swift>=0.0.1
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-typescript>=0.23.2
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter-zig>=1.1.2
Requires-Dist: tree-sitter>=0.23.2
Requires-Dist: uvicorn>=0.32.1
Description-Content-Type: text/markdown

# Scantool: Code Analysis MCP Server for Claude

[![PyPI version](https://badge.fury.io/py/scantool.svg)](https://pypi.org/project/scantool/)
[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)

MCP server that hands an AI agent a codebase's **structure** — classes, functions, call graphs, imports, hot functions, all with exact line numbers — instead of raw file dumps. Works with **Claude Code**, **Claude Desktop**, **Cursor**, **VS Code** and any **Model Context Protocol** client. 20+ languages via **tree-sitter** — and code *and* documents (Markdown, HTML, CSS, SQL, config) through the same lens, which the code-only tools don't do.

**What that buys, measured — not claimed:**

```
"Where is the cache invalidated?"    scantool   378 tokens / 1 call
                                     grep      9,370 tokens / 4 calls    -> 25x less

pytest skipif-caching bug            scantool   solved in 3 calls
                                     grep       gave up after 13,450 tokens
```

On real agent episodes, scantool agents answered with **88% fact coverage vs 73%** for a grep-only agent — better-anchored answers, fewer wrong files. Honest scope: grep still wins plain literal lookups and top-level overviews. Scantool measures **both** axes and reports the losses too (`experiments/benchmark/`).

**Zero infrastructure**: no index to build, no API keys, no vector database, no model downloads. Point it at a directory and it scans on demand.

## Quick Start

**Requires [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)** (provides the `uvx` command). Install it first if you don't have it — without it, scantool will silently fail to start:

```bash
# macOS / Linux / WSL
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
```

Every install below has one side effect: when the server starts it also writes `sct`, the same reader as a shell command, into uv's tool bin directory for the agent to use. See [`sct` in the shell](#sct-in-the-shell); `SCANTOOL_NO_CLI=1` opts out.

### Claude Code

```bash
# Available in all your projects (recommended)
claude mcp add --scope user scantool -- uvx scantool

# Or just for the current project
claude mcp add scantool -- uvx scantool
```

Restart Claude Code and you're ready to go.

### Claude Desktop

Add to config (`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` on macOS):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scantool": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["scantool"]
    }
  }
}
```

Restart Claude Desktop after configuration.

### Cursor

Add to `~/.cursor/mcp.json` (global) or `.cursor/mcp.json` (per project):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scantool": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["scantool"]
    }
  }
}
```

### Windsurf

Add to `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scantool": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["scantool"]
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code (Copilot agent mode)

Add to `.vscode/mcp.json` in your workspace:

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "scantool": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["scantool"]
    }
  }
}
```

### Cline

In the Cline panel: MCP Servers icon → *Configure* tab → *Configure MCP Servers*, then add the same `mcpServers` entry as above. (Cline CLI reads `~/.cline/mcp.json`.)

### `sct` in the shell

Agents read most code through their shell, not through MCP tools. So when the server starts, it writes a launcher named `sct` into uv's tool bin directory (`uv tool dir --bin`: `~/.local/bin` on macOS and Linux, `%USERPROFILE%\.local\bin` on Windows, where it also writes `sct.cmd` for cmd.exe and PowerShell). The launcher runs the same tool functions the MCP server exposes, under the same interpreter. Nothing else is installed, PATH and shell profiles are never edited, and a file named `sct` that scantool did not write is never touched. A launcher scantool wrote earlier is kept as long as its interpreter still exists and the starting server is not newer, so two scantool installs on one machine do not take turns rewriting it.

```
sct <dir>                                        orientation: entry points, hot functions, map
sct scan   <path>... [--budget N] [--depth quick|normal|deep]
sct focus  <path> <name|heading>
sct search <dir> <pattern> [--names] [--type TYPE]
sct --help                                       the full help; --json on scan and search, --ascii anywhere
```

If the bin directory is not on the agent's PATH, every tool description carries the absolute fallback, `"<python>" -m scantool.cli`, with the interpreter the server runs under.

Opt out with `SCANTOOL_NO_CLI=1` in the server's environment, for example `"env": {"SCANTOOL_NO_CLI": "1"}` in the `mcpServers` entry. Without a running server, `uv tool install scantool` or `pipx install scantool` gives `sct` as a regular console script.

### Troubleshooting: `uvx` not found

`uvx` comes with [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/), the Python package manager. Install it first:

```bash
# macOS / Linux / WSL
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Windows (PowerShell)
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"
```

**After installing uv, restart your terminal** (or open a new one) so `uvx` is on your PATH. Then re-run the setup command above.

If `uvx` still isn't found after restarting the terminal, add it to your PATH manually:

```bash
# Linux / WSL - add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

# macOS - usually works out of the box, but if not:
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
```

### Alternative: Install from source

```bash
git clone https://github.com/mariusei/file-scanner-mcp.git
cd file-scanner-mcp
uv sync

# Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport stdio scantool -- uv run --directory /path/to/file-scanner-mcp scantool

# Claude Desktop
# Use command: "uv", args: ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/file-scanner-mcp", "scantool"]
```

### Share with your team (.mcp.json)

Add a `.mcp.json` file to your project root to share the config with your team:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scantool": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["scantool"]
    }
  }
}
```

Claude Code will prompt team members for approval on first use.

## Features

### Multi-language Support
Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Rust, Go, C/C++, Java, PHP, C#, Ruby, Zig, Swift, SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite), HTML, CSS, SCSS, Markdown, Plain Text, Images

### Structure Extraction
- Classes, methods, functions, imports
- Function signatures with type annotations
- Decorators and attributes
- Docstrings and JSDoc comments
- Precise line numbers (from-to ranges)

### Analysis Tools
- **preview_directory**: Intelligent codebase analysis with entry points, import graph, call graph, and hot functions (5-10s)
- **scan_file**: Detailed file structure with signatures and metadata; `focus=` reads one named function/class/section verbatim with parent context
- **scan_directory**: Compact directory tree with inline function/class names
- **search_structures**: Filter by type, name pattern, decorator, or complexity
- **list_directories**: Directory tree (folders only)
- **find_divergence**: Audit a directory for peer divergence — functions that break a call pattern their siblings follow (peers calling X also call Y, this one doesn't); a review hint, not a verified bug; silent on a consistent codebase. The same section also appears inline in `scan_diff` (changed code) and `preview_directory` (deep)

### Output Formats
- Tree format with box-drawing characters
- JSON format for programmatic use
- Configurable display options

## Usage

### preview_directory - Code analysis (primary tool)

Analyzes codebase structure including entry points, import graph, call graph, and hot functions.

```python
preview_directory(
    directory=".",
    depth="deep",  # "quick", "normal", or "deep" (default: "deep")
    max_files=10000,  # Safety limit (default: 10000)
    max_entries=20,  # Entries per section (default: 20)
    respect_gitignore=True,  # Honor .gitignore (default: True)
)
```

**Depth levels:**
- `"quick"`: Metadata only (0.5s) - file counts, sizes, types
- `"normal"`: Architecture analysis (2-5s) - imports, entry points, clusters
- `"deep"`: Full analysis (5-10s) - includes hot functions and call graph (default)

**Example output (depth="deep"):**

```
project/

--- ENTRY POINTS ---
  main.py:main() @1
  backend/application.py:Flask app @15
  frontend/index.ts:export default

--- CORE FILES (by centrality) ---
  backend/database.py: imports 0, used by 15 files
  backend/auth.py: imports 1, used by 8 files
  shared/utils.py: imports 2, used by 12 files

--- ARCHITECTURE ---
  Entry Points: 25 files
  Core Logic: 68 files
  Plugins: 15 files
  Tests: 42 files

--- HOT FUNCTIONS (most called) ---
  get_database() (function): called by 41, calls 1 @backend/database.py
  authenticate() (function): called by 23, calls 5 @backend/auth.py
  validate_input() (function): called by 15, calls 2 @shared/utils.py

Analysis: 486 files in 4.82s (layer1+layer2)
```

**Use cases:**
- First-time codebase exploration
- Understanding multi-modality projects (frontend/backend/database)
- Finding critical functions (hot spots)
- Identifying entry points

### scan_file - Detailed file analysis

```python
scan_file(
    file_path="path/to/file.py",
    focus=None,  # Read ONE node verbatim by name ("query",
    # "DatabaseManager.query", a markdown heading)
    # instead of guessing line ranges — see below
    show_signatures=True,  # Include function signatures with types
    show_decorators=True,  # Include @decorator annotations
    show_docstrings=True,  # Include first line of docstrings
    show_complexity=False,  # Show complexity metrics
    condense=True,  # Condensed skeletons (set False for verbatim lines)
    budget=None,  # Approx token cap for skeletons — least salient
    # functions degrade first, output stays predictable
    output_format="tree",  # "tree" or "json"
)
```

**Example output:**

```
example.py (1-57)
- file-info: 1.4KB modified: 2 hours ago
- imports: import statements (3-5)
- class: DatabaseManager (8-26)
    "Manages database connections and queries."
  - method: __init__ (self, connection_string: str) (11-13)
  - method: connect (self) (15-17)
      "Establish database connection."
  - method: query (self, sql: str) -> list (24-26)
      "Execute a SQL query."
      return self.cursor.execute(sql).fetchall()
- function: main () (53-57)
    "Main entry point."
```

Functions additionally show their implementation as a condensed method
skeleton: pseudocode lines without line numbers where control flow with
conditions, calls and returns are kept and trivial statements fold to `…`
(verbatim lines always carry `N |` line numbers — that's how you tell them
apart). Skeletons come in two tiers: the most salient functions (by entropy,
uniqueness and centrality) get full depth, every other function gets a
shallow depth-2 outline — measured as the best fact-coverage per token.
Markers are plain ASCII because box-drawing glyphs cost 2-3 BPE tokens each.
Pass `condense=False` to get line-numbered excerpts (top tier only) instead.

Condensation adapts to the language: imperative languages (Python, TypeScript,
Go, Rust, Java, ...) get fold-by-default skeletons, declarative ones (CSS,
SQL, HTML) keep their content and drop only blanks, comments and closing
punctuation, and prose/config stay verbatim — where there is nothing safe to
fold, the original excerpt is shown unchanged.

#### focus= — the read step

After a scan or search has located a node, pass `focus=` to read exactly
that function/class/method/heading verbatim — instead of guessing a line
range for Read/cat/sed:

```python
scan_file(file_path="example.py", focus="DatabaseManager.query")
```

```
focus: DatabaseManager.query @24-26
example.py (3-57)
- import statements @3
- DatabaseManager @8 # Manages database connections and queries.
  - __init__ (self, connection_string: str) @11
  - connect (self) @15 # Establish database connection.
  - disconnect (self) @19 # Close database connection.
  - query (self, sql: str) -> list @24 # Execute a SQL query.
     24 |     def query(self, sql: str) -> list:
     25 |         """Execute a SQL query."""
     26 |         return []
- UserService @29 # Handles user-related operations.
- validate_email (email: str) -> bool @48 # Validate email format.
- main () @53 # Main entry point.
```

The rest of the file stays as a depth-1 skeleton, so the node arrives with
its parent context. Names resolve in three tiers: exact match, qualified
path (`ClassA.method`, works for markdown headings too), then
case-insensitive substring; an ambiguous name returns the qualified
candidate list instead of guessing. Measured on real agent episodes
(`experiments/benchmark/M2C.md`): equal answer quality at 75% fewer
read tokens than cat/sed line-range guessing.

### scan_file_content - Analyze content directly

Scan content without requiring a file path. Works with remote files, APIs, or in-memory content.

```python
scan_file_content(
    content="def hello(): pass\n\nclass MyClass:\n    pass",
    filename="example.py",  # Extension determines parser
    show_signatures=True,
    show_decorators=True,
    show_docstrings=True,
    show_complexity=False,
    output_format="tree",
)
```

### scan_directory - Compact overview

Shows directory tree with inline class/function names.

```python
scan_directory(
    directory="./src",
    pattern="**/*",  # Glob pattern
    max_files=None,  # File limit
    respect_gitignore=True,  # Honor .gitignore
    exclude_patterns=None,  # Additional exclusions
    output_format="tree",  # "tree" or "json"
)
```

**Example output:**

```
src/ (22 files, 15 classes, 127 functions, 89 methods)
├─ languages/
│  ├─ python.py (1-329) [11.9KB, 2 hours ago] - PythonLanguage
│  ├─ typescript.py (1-505) [18.9KB, 1 day ago] - TypeScriptLanguage
│  └─ rust.py (1-481) [17.6KB, 3 days ago] - RustLanguage
├─ scanner.py (1-232) [8.8KB, 5 mins ago] - FileScanner
└─ server.py (1-735) [27.2KB, just now] - scan_file, scan_directory, ...
```

**Pattern examples:**

```python
# Specific file types
scan_directory("./src", pattern="**/*.py")

# Multiple types
scan_directory("./src", pattern="**/*.{py,ts,js}")

# Shallow scan (1 level deep)
scan_directory(".", pattern="*/*")

# Exclude directories
scan_directory(".", exclude_patterns=["tests/**", "docs/**"])
```

### search_structures - Find and filter

```python
# Find test functions
search_structures(directory="./tests", type_filter="function", name_pattern="^test_")

# Find classes ending in "Manager"
search_structures(directory="./src", type_filter="class", name_pattern=".*Manager$")

# Find functions with @staticmethod
search_structures(directory="./src", has_decorator="@staticmethod")

# Find complex functions (>100 lines)
search_structures(directory="./src", type_filter="function", min_complexity=100)
```

### list_directories - Folder structure

Shows directory tree without files.

```python
list_directories(
    directory=".",
    max_depth=3,  # Maximum depth (default: 3)
    respect_gitignore=True,  # Honor .gitignore (default: True)
)
```

**Example output:**

```
/Users/user/project/
├─ src/
│  ├─ components/
│  ├─ services/
│  └─ utils/
├─ tests/
│  ├─ unit/
│  └─ integration/
└─ docs/
```

## Output Contract

The default output format IS the API: LLM agents consume scantool output
directly and uncritically, so format drift is behavior drift in the
consumer (measured in `experiments/benchmark/M2B.md`). Two consequences:

- **Defaults are the measured optimum — parameters are escape hatches.**
  Every default (two-tier condensation, saliency selection, skeleton
  depth, compact vs verbatim per language) is backed by measurements in
  `experiments/condensation/`, `experiments/entropy_metrics/` and
  `experiments/benchmark/`. Override them when a specific situation
  demands it, not as a style preference.
- **The default format is frozen by golden tests** (`tests/test_golden.py`,
  snapshots in `tests/golden/`). A deliberate format change requires a
  deliberate snapshot update (`UPDATE_GOLDEN=1 uv run pytest
  tests/test_golden.py`); an accidental change fails CI. Environment-
  dependent parts (file size/mtime, git churn, delta memory) live outside
  the frozen layer. Peer divergence is a pure function of the code, so it
  is frozen too (`tests/golden/consensus.txt`, fixture in
  `tests/golden/consensus_fixture/`).

## Supported Languages

| Extension | Language | Extracted Elements |
|-----------|----------|-------------------|
| `.py`, `.pyw` | Python | classes, methods, functions, imports, decorators, docstrings |
| `.js`, `.jsx`, `.mjs`, `.cjs` | JavaScript | classes, methods, functions, imports, JSDoc comments |
| `.ts`, `.tsx`, `.mts`, `.cts` | TypeScript | classes, methods, functions, imports, type annotations, JSDoc |
| `.rs` | Rust | structs, enums, traits, impl blocks, functions, use statements |
| `.go` | Go | types, structs, interfaces, functions, methods, imports |
| `.c`, `.h` | C | functions, structs, enums, includes |
| `.cpp`, `.hpp`, `.cc`, `.hh` | C++ | classes, functions, namespaces, templates, includes |
| `.java` | Java | classes, methods, interfaces, enums, annotations, imports |
| `.php` | PHP | classes, methods, functions, traits, interfaces, namespaces |
| `.cs` | C# | classes, methods, properties, structs, enums, namespaces |
| `.rb` | Ruby | modules, classes, methods, singleton methods |
| `.zig` | Zig | functions, structs, enums, unions, tests |
| `.swift` | Swift | classes, structs, enums, protocols, functions, extensions |
| `.sql` | SQL | tables, views, functions, procedures, indexes, columns |
| `.html` | HTML | document structure, elements, attributes |
| `.css` | CSS | selectors, properties, media queries |
| `.scss` | SCSS | selectors, mixins, variables, nesting |
| `.md` | Markdown | headings (h1-h6), code blocks with hierarchy |
| `.txt` | Plain Text | sections, paragraphs |
| `.png`, `.jpg`, `.gif`, `.webp` | Images | format, dimensions, colors, content type |

All files include metadata (size, modified date, permissions) automatically.

## Use Cases

### Code Navigation
- Structural overview of unfamiliar codebases
- File organization understanding
- Navigation using precise line ranges

### Refactoring
- Identify class and function boundaries for safe splitting
- Find implementations of specific patterns
- Locate functions above complexity thresholds

### Code Review
- Generate structural diffs
- Find functions with specific decorators
- Identify test coverage gaps
- Peer divergence: spot a changed function that breaks a call pattern its
  siblings across the repo follow (a likely regression — adjudicate by reading)

### Documentation
- Auto-generate table of contents with line numbers
- Extract API signatures
- Feed structured data to analysis tools (JSON output)

### AI Code Assistance
- Primary exploration tool (replaces ls/grep/find workflows)
- Partition large files intelligently for LLM context windows
- Extract code sections with exact boundaries
- Search patterns across codebases
- Reduce token usage: get structure first, read content only when needed

## Architecture

```
scantool/
├── server.py        # FastMCP server (stdio + HTTP entry points)
├── scanner.py       # Core scanning logic using tree-sitter
├── formatter.py     # Tree formatting with box-drawing characters
├── code_map.py      # Architecture analysis (Layer 1 + 2)
├── call_graph.py    # Hot functions, centrality analysis
├── preview.py       # Quick directory preview
└── languages/       # Unified language system (one file per language)
    ├── base.py      # BaseLanguage - all languages inherit from this
    ├── models.py    # StructureNode, CallInfo, ImportInfo, etc.
    ├── python.py    # PythonLanguage
    ├── typescript.py
    ├── rust.py
    └── ...          # 20+ languages
```

## HTTP Transport (advanced)

For environments where stdio doesn't work, or when sharing a server across multiple clients:

```bash
# Start the HTTP server
uvx --from scantool scantool-http
# Listens on port 8080 by default (set PORT env var to change)

# Connect Claude Code to it
claude mcp add --transport http scantool http://127.0.0.1:8080/mcp
```

Note: The HTTP server must be started separately and kept running. For most users, the stdio transport (default) is simpler and recommended.

## Testing

```bash
# Run all tests
uv run pytest

# Run specific tests
uv run pytest tests/languages/
uv run pytest tests/python/
uv run pytest tests/typescript/

# Run with coverage
uv run pytest --cov=src/scantool

# Run with verbose output
uv run pytest -v
```

## Contributing

See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for details on adding language support.

## License

MIT License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.

## Dependencies

- [FastMCP](https://github.com/jlowin/fastmcp) - MCP server framework
- [tree-sitter](https://tree-sitter.github.io/) - Parsing library
- [uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv) - Python package installer

## Known Limitations

### MCP Tool Response Size Limit

Claude Desktop enforces a 25,000 token limit on MCP tool responses. Claude Code has a configurable limit (set `MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_TOKENS` env var to adjust).

**Built-in mitigations:**
- `scan_directory()` uses compact inline format
- Respects `.gitignore` by default (excludes node_modules, .venv, etc.)
- Shows file metadata with relative timestamps

**Manual controls:**
- Use `pattern` to limit scope: `"**/*.py"` vs `"*/*"` (shallow)
- Use `max_files` to cap number of files processed
- Use `exclude_patterns` for additional exclusions
- Scan specific subdirectories instead of entire codebase

**For large codebases:**
```python
# Scan specific areas
scan_directory("./src", pattern="**/*.py")
scan_directory("./tests", pattern="**/*.py")
```

### Agent Delegation

When using Claude Code, asking to "explore the codebase" may delegate to the Explore agent which doesn't have access to MCP tools. Be explicit: "use scantool to scan the codebase" to ensure the MCP tool is used directly.

## Support

- [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/mariusei/file-scanner-mcp/issues)
- [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/mariusei/file-scanner-mcp/discussions)
