What You'll Learn
- •How to analyze project architecture and structure
- •Understanding code relationships and dependencies
- •Identifying security mechanisms and patterns
- •Effective prompting techniques for code analysis
Prerequisites
Completed Getting Started Tutorial
You should have Gemini CLI installed and authenticated on your system.
Access to a Codebase
Any existing project directory - your own code, an open-source project, or a cloned repository.
Setting Up for Code Exploration
Navigate to Your Project
Gemini CLI works best when run from within a project directory. It can analyze the current directory and its subdirectories to understand your codebase structure.
1. Navigate to your project directory:
cd /path/to/your/project2. Start Gemini CLI:
geminiTip: Gemini CLI can work with projects of any size, from small scripts to large enterprise applications. It uses Gemini's 1M+ token context window to analyze extensive codebases.
Understanding Project Architecture
High-Level Overview
Start with broad questions to understand the overall structure and purpose of the codebase:
Example Prompts:
> Describe the main pieces of this system's architecture.> What is the primary purpose and functionality of this application?> How is this project organized? What are the main directories and their purposes?Technology Stack Analysis
Understand what technologies, frameworks, and libraries the project uses:
Example Prompts:
> What programming languages and frameworks are used in this project?> What are the main dependencies and external libraries?> How is the build and deployment process configured?Security and Best Practices Review
Security Mechanisms
Analyze the security measures and patterns implemented in the codebase:
Security Analysis Prompts:
> What security mechanisms are in place?> How is user authentication and authorization handled?> Are there any potential security vulnerabilities or areas for improvement?Understanding Code Relationships
Component Interactions
Explore how different parts of the codebase interact with each other:
Relationship Analysis:
> How do the main components communicate with each other?> What is the data flow through the application?> Which files or modules are most central to the application's functionality?Specific File Analysis
Dive deeper into specific files or components:
Targeted Questions:
> Explain what the main.js file does and how it fits into the overall architecture.> What is the purpose of the utils directory and its contents?> How does the database layer interact with the business logic?Effective Analysis Techniques
✅ Do's
- Start with broad, high-level questions
- Ask follow-up questions for clarification
- Focus on understanding patterns and conventions
- Inquire about testing and documentation practices
- Ask about deployment and configuration
❌ Don'ts
- Don't ask overly specific questions initially
- Avoid making assumptions about the codebase
- Don't focus only on individual lines of code
- Avoid asking about proprietary business logic
- Don't expect instant understanding of complex systems
Next Steps
🎉 Great Work!
You now know how to effectively analyze and understand codebases using Gemini CLI. Ready to take it further?