Search Repositories on Gitee
Search for open source repositories with advanced filters. After finding interesting projects, optionally explore them in depth.
Prerequisites
- Gitee MCP Server configured
- Required tool:
search_open_source_repositories - Optional:
repo-explorerskill for deep dives
When to Use This Skill
Use search-repos when the user wants to:
- Find repositories by language (Go, Python, Java, etc.)
- Discover projects by keywords or categories
- Compare multiple repositories
- Explore without immediate forking intent
Not for: Forking repositories (use search-and-fork instead)
Supported Filters
| Parameter | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
q |
string | Required. Search keywords | "web framework", "ORM" |
language |
string | Filter by programming language | "Go", "Python", "JavaScript" |
sort |
string | Sort field: stars_count, forks_count, watches_count, created_at, last_push_at |
stars_count |
order |
string | Sort direction: desc (default), asc |
desc |
owner |
string | Filter by namespace/organization | "oschina", "alibaba" |
fork |
boolean | Include forked repositories | false (default) |
Workflow
Step 1: Gather Requirements
Ask the user:
- Keywords - What functionality? (e.g., "web framework", "database ORM")
- Language - Programming language preference? (Go / Python / Java / JavaScript / TypeScript / Rust / etc.)
- Sort by - Popularity (
stars_count) or recent activity (last_push_at)? - Filters - Include forks? Specific organization?
Step 2: Build Search Queries
Try multiple keyword variations for better coverage:
- English: "web framework"
- Chinese: "web 框架"
- Related terms: "HTTP router", "REST API framework"
Step 3: Execute Search
Call search_open_source_repositories with parameters:
{
q: "web framework",
language: "Go", // If specified
sort: "stars_count", // or "last_push_at"
order: "desc",
per_page: 20
}
Step 4: Present Results
Format output as:
## 🔍 Search Results: [keywords] ([language])
Found N repositories (sorted by [criteria]):
| # | Repository | ⭐ Stars | 🍴 Forks | Language | Updated |
|---|------------|---------|----------|----------|---------|
| 1 | owner/repo | 1.2k | 150 | Go | 2 days ago |
| 2 | owner/repo | 890 | 98 | Go | 1 week ago |
| 3 | owner/repo | 650 | 75 | Go | 3 weeks ago |
---
### 📋 Detailed Information
**#1: [Full Repository Name]**
- **URL**: https://gitee.com/owner/repo
- **Description**: [Full description from API]
- **License**: [license type if available]
- **Tags**: [topics if available]
**#2: [Full Repository Name]**
[Same format...]
Step 5: Offer Next Actions
After presenting results:
What would you like to do next?
1. 🔍 **Refine search** - Try different keywords/filters
2. 🔎 **Deep dive** - Explore a specific repository (requires repo-explorer skill)
3. 📊 **Compare** - View side-by-side comparison
4. ✅ **Done** - End the session
If user chooses "Deep dive":
- Ask which repository (by number or name)
- Check if
repo-explorerskill is available - If yes: "I'll use the repo-explorer skill to analyze [owner/repo]"
- If no: Use
get_file_contentto manually read README and key files
Step 6: Iterative Refinement
If results are unsatisfactory, adjust:
- Broader or more specific keywords
- Different language filter
- Change sort criteria
- Toggle fork inclusion
Example Conversations
Example 1: Language-specific search
User: Find me Python machine learning libraries
→ search_open_source_repositories(
q="machine learning",
language="Python",
sort="stars_count"
)
Example 2: Active projects
User: Show me recently updated Go web frameworks
→ search_open_source_repositories(
q="web framework",
language="Go",
sort="last_push_at"
)
Example 3: Discovery without specific goal
User: What are popular JavaScript UI libraries?
→ search_open_source_repositories(
q="UI component",
language="JavaScript",
sort="stars_count"
)
→ User: Can you explore the first one?
→ Check for repo-explorer skill and use it
Comparison with Related Skills
| Task | Use This | Instead Of |
|---|---|---|
| Search without fork intent | search-repos ✅ |
search-and-fork |
| Search + Fork in one flow | search-and-fork ✅ |
search-repos |
| Deep exploration after search | Both can lead to repo-explorer |
- |
Notes
- Results limited to public repositories on Gitee
- Language names use GitHub conventions (e.g., "Go", not "Golang")
- Keyword variations yield different results - experiment with synonyms
- Consider both English and Chinese keywords for broader coverage
- The
repo-explorerskill provides detailed analysis; this skill focuses on discovery