# Search Repos

> Search Repositories on Gitee

- Skill: `oschina/search-repos` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add oschina/search-repos`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/oschina/search-repos/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: oschina (https://skillmd.com/u/oschina)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/oschina/search-repos

---


# 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-explorer` skill 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:
1. **Keywords** - What functionality? (e.g., "web framework", "database ORM")
2. **Language** - Programming language preference? (Go / Python / Java / JavaScript / TypeScript / Rust / etc.)
3. **Sort by** - Popularity (`stars_count`) or recent activity (`last_push_at`)?
4. **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:

```javascript
{
  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-explorer` skill is available
- If yes: "I'll use the repo-explorer skill to analyze [owner/repo]"
- If no: Use `get_file_content` to 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-explorer` skill provides detailed analysis; this skill focuses on discovery