gitignore-aware recursive directory traversal with intelligent file discovery
Recursively discovers files in a codebase while respecting .gitignore rules through native git integration, building an in-memory file tree that filters out ignored paths before processing. Uses the ignore crate to parse .gitignore patterns and applies them during traversal, avoiding unnecessary I/O on excluded directories. This enables developers to automatically exclude vendor directories, build artifacts, and other non-essential files without manual configuration.
Unique: Integrates the Rust `ignore` crate for native .gitignore parsing during traversal rather than post-filtering, eliminating I/O on ignored paths and providing performance benefits on large repositories with deep ignore rules
vs alternatives: Faster than tools that traverse all files then filter (e.g., simple glob-based tools) because it skips I/O on ignored directories entirely, and more reliable than regex-based .gitignore emulation because it uses the standard ignore crate
glob pattern-based file filtering with user override capability
Applies glob patterns to filter files discovered during directory traversal, supporting both inclusion and exclusion patterns with explicit user overrides that take precedence over defaults. The filtering engine evaluates patterns in sequence (include patterns first, then exclusions) and allows users to force-include files that would normally be filtered out via CLI flags or configuration. This enables fine-grained control over which files appear in the final prompt without re-running the entire traversal.
Unique: Implements a two-pass filtering system where user-specified overrides (via --include and --exclude flags) take precedence over default patterns, allowing developers to surgically override filtering rules without modifying configuration files
vs alternatives: More flexible than static .gitignore-only filtering because it supports dynamic inclusion/exclusion patterns, and more intuitive than regex-based filtering because it uses familiar glob syntax
session-based state management for multi-step prompt generation workflows
Implements a Code2PromptSession struct that maintains state across multiple configuration and generation steps, enabling developers to build multi-step workflows (configure filters, select files, generate prompt) without re-traversing the filesystem. Sessions encapsulate the file tree, token map, configuration, and template state, allowing incremental modifications and multiple prompt generations from the same session. This is particularly useful for interactive workflows where users make multiple selections before final output.
Unique: Implements a stateful session object that encapsulates the entire processing pipeline (file tree, token map, configuration, template) and allows incremental modifications without re-traversal, enabling efficient multi-step workflows and interactive tools
vs alternatives: More efficient than stateless tools because it avoids repeated filesystem traversals, and more flexible than single-shot tools because it supports incremental modifications and multiple generations
binary file detection and safe handling with encoding options
Detects binary files using magic byte analysis (checking file headers for known binary signatures) and handles them safely by either skipping them or base64-encoding them for inclusion in prompts. This prevents binary data from corrupting text-based prompts while preserving the option to include binary metadata if needed. The detection uses heuristics (null bytes, non-UTF8 sequences) to identify binary files with high accuracy.
Unique: Uses magic byte analysis (checking file headers for known binary signatures) combined with heuristic detection (null bytes, non-UTF8 sequences) to identify binary files with high accuracy, preventing corruption of text-based prompts
vs alternatives: More robust than extension-based detection because it identifies binaries by content rather than filename, and more efficient than reading entire files because it only examines headers
sorting and organization of files in prompt output with customizable ordering
Organizes files in the generated prompt using customizable sorting strategies (alphabetical, by size, by modification time, by directory depth) to improve readability and enable LLMs to process related files together. Files can be grouped by directory, sorted within groups, and presented in a hierarchical structure that mirrors the filesystem. This enables developers to control how files appear in the prompt without modifying the underlying file tree.
Unique: Implements multiple sorting strategies (alphabetical, by size, by modification time, by directory depth) that can be applied independently or combined, allowing developers to optimize file presentation for different use cases
vs alternatives: More flexible than fixed ordering because it supports multiple strategies, and more efficient than manual file organization because it's automated and reproducible
specialized file format conversion to llm-readable text
Processes specialized file types (CSV, JSONL, Jupyter notebooks, binary files) into structured text representations suitable for LLM consumption, with format-specific handlers that preserve semantic information. CSV files are converted to markdown tables, JSONL is pretty-printed with indentation, Jupyter notebooks extract code cells and markdown, and binary files are detected and either skipped or base64-encoded. Each processor is modular and can be extended to support additional formats without modifying the core pipeline.
Unique: Implements a pluggable processor architecture where each file format has a dedicated handler (CSVProcessor, JSONLProcessor, NotebookProcessor) that can be extended independently, allowing developers to add custom processors without touching the core pipeline
vs alternatives: More comprehensive than simple text extraction because it preserves semantic structure (tables for CSV, code cells for notebooks), and more robust than naive file reading because it detects binary files and prevents corruption
token counting and context window management with per-file accounting
Counts tokens using tiktoken-rs (OpenAI's tokenizer) to track context usage and prevent exceeding LLM context window limits, providing per-file token counts and cumulative totals. The system tracks tokens for file content, templates, and metadata separately, allowing developers to see exactly which files consume the most tokens and make informed decisions about inclusion. A token map is maintained during processing to enable interactive token-aware file selection in the TUI.
Unique: Maintains a detailed token map during processing that tracks tokens per file and enables interactive token-aware file selection in the TUI, allowing users to see real-time token impact of including/excluding files
vs alternatives: More granular than simple total token counts because it breaks down tokens by file, enabling informed decisions about which files to include; more accurate than manual estimation because it uses tiktoken-rs
git-aware context generation with diff, log, and branch comparison
Integrates with git to include version control information in prompts, supporting git diffs (staged/unstaged changes), commit logs, and branch comparisons. Developers can include recent commits, changes between branches, or the current diff to provide LLMs with context about recent modifications. This is implemented via git2-rs bindings that query the repository's git objects directly, avoiding shell invocations and enabling cross-platform compatibility.
Unique: Uses git2-rs for direct git object access rather than shelling out to git commands, enabling cross-platform compatibility and avoiding subprocess overhead while maintaining full access to git history and diff generation
vs alternatives: More efficient than shell-based git integration because it avoids subprocess overhead, and more reliable than parsing git CLI output because it uses the native libgit2 library
+5 more capabilities