Codemap Config Setup

Codemap Config Setup

Goal

Write or improve .codemap/config.json so future Codemap calls stay focused on the code that matters for this repo.

Use this when

1. .codemap/config.json is missing
2. The existing config looks like a bare bootstrap instead of a real project policy
3. Codemap output is dominated by assets, fixtures, generated files, vendor trees, PDFs, screenshots, models, or training data
4. The project stack is obvious, but Codemap is not prioritizing the right parts of the repo

Workflow

1. Inspect the repo quickly before writing config

   • Run codemap .
   • If needed, run codemap --deps .
   • Note the stack markers (Cargo.toml, Package.swift, *.xcodeproj, go.mod, package.json, pyproject.toml, etc.)
   • Identify large non-code directories and noisy extensions

2. Decide whether config is missing, boilerplate, or tuned

   • Missing: no .codemap/config.json
   • Boilerplate: only generic only values, no real shaping, no excludes despite obvious noise
   • Tuned: contains intentional project-specific includes/excludes, depth, or routing hints

3. Write a conservative code-first config

   • Keep primary source-language only values when they help
   • Add exclude entries for obvious non-code noise
   • Set a moderate depth when the repo is broad
   • Avoid overfitting or excluding real source directories

4. Prefer stack-aware defaults

   • Rust: focus src, tests, benches, examples; de-prioritize corpora, sample PDFs, training data, large generated artifacts
   • iOS/Swift: focus app/framework source, tests, package/project manifests; de-prioritize .xcassets, screenshots, snapshots, vendor/build outputs
   • TS/JS: focus src, apps, packages, tests; de-prioritize dist, coverage, Storybook assets, large fixture payloads
   • Python: focus package roots, tests, tool config; de-prioritize notebooks, data dumps, models, fixtures when they overwhelm code
   • Go: focus packages, cmd, internal, tests; de-prioritize generated assets, sample data, vendor-like noise

5. Preserve user intent

   • If config already looks curated, do not replace it wholesale
   • Make minimal edits and explain why

6. Verify immediately

   • Rerun codemap .
   • If the repo still looks noisy, refine exclude and possibly depth
   • Only rerun codemap --deps . after tree output looks reasonable