get_changed_files
Returns a list of files changed since a git ref (default: HEAD~1), grouped by status (added/modified/deleted). Optionally includes the full unified diff. Use this to understand what changed in a branch or commit.
LABSCO SUMMARY
The ordering is the design: the project index is meant to be the first call, so the expensive reads only happen where the signatures point.
Its own description says to call the index first on an unfamiliar project, and the shape of everything else follows from that — the semantic context tool takes one file and walks its dependency tree rather than a directory, and search answers with paths and line numbers rather than bodies. The change tool is what makes it useful on a branch rather than a snapshot. Nothing here writes, so it pairs with an editing tool rather than replacing one.
What it is
A code-reading server that answers with structure rather than with file dumps: a gitignore-aware tree, a signature-only project index, a file together with its local dependency tree, text or regex search, and the diff since a git ref. It reads the filesystem and git directly — there is no vector database and no embedding API to set up.
What you get
- A signature-only map of the whole project: get_project_index returns exported functions, classes, interfaces and types with their signatures and no implementation bodies, with an option to widen it to non-exported symbols and a file pattern to narrow it.
- A tree that respects .gitignore: get_project_tree returns the repository structure, with depth and hidden-file controls.
- A file with the context around it: get_semantic_context returns a file's content along with its local dependency tree, with a depth for how far it follows imports and an outline-only mode that keeps the signatures and drops the bodies — enforced by the project's own benchmarks to be at most half the full length.
- Search that answers with locations: search_codebase matches text or a regex and returns file paths with line numbers, using ripgrep when it is installed and falling back to a pure Node scanner when it is not.
- What a branch changed: get_changed_files groups files as added, modified, deleted or renamed since a base ref, with line counts and optionally the full unified diff.
Requirements
A checked-out repository the server can read, and git for the change tools. Nothing is configured as a credential. The depth of the analysis depends on the language: TypeScript and JavaScript get full signatures and import-chain traversal through the TypeScript compiler API; Python, Go and Rust get names without signatures and no dependency graph; other languages get the tree, the search and the raw file, and nothing structural. On a large repository, scope the index with a file pattern — its output grows with the number of exported symbols.
Setup effort
One command — npx synapse-code-mcp --root <YOUR_ROOT>
USE CASES
01
Getting your bearings in a repository you have never opened
Take the signature-only index first, then read only the files the signatures point you at.
02
Reviewing what a branch actually changed
Group the changed files by status against the base ref, with the unified diff attached when you need to read it.
03
Tracking down every place a symbol is used before you rename it
Search by name or regex for paths and line numbers, then pull the dependency tree around the file that matters.
04
Explaining a file without pasting the whole thing
Ask for the outline: signatures and structure, at a fraction of the file's length, with its imports resolved around it.
5 tools
Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.
get_project_index
Returns a compressed semantic map of the entire project: all exported functions, classes, interfaces, and types with their signatures — no implementation bodies. Ideal for getting an overview of a large codebase in a single call (~500 tokens). Call this first when exploring an unfamiliar project.
get_project_tree
Returns a structured tree view of the project repository, respecting .gitignore rules.
get_semantic_context
Returns the content of a file along with its local dependency tree, providing rich context for understanding the code.
search_codebase
Searches the codebase for text or regex patterns, returning matches with file paths and line numbers.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
5 tools when we connected.
Requires
- npx on PATH
- Node.js ≥ 18
Where it runs
All 4 documented clients run the server on your machine.
CONTEXT COST
Light Standing cost
Rated by the size of the 5 tool definitions that ride along on every turn, not by how many there are
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
npx synapse-code-mcp --root <YOUR_ROOT>MCP Clients
Claude Desktop
CLAUDE DESKTOP · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"synapse": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"synapse-code-mcp",
"--root",
"<YOUR_PATH_TO_PROJECT>"
]
}
}
}Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf
JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"synapse": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"synapse-code-mcp",
"--root",
"<YOUR_ROOT>"
]
}
}
}
