Graph View

The Graph View draws one perspective of the code graph at a time. It starts empty and fills when you pick a perspective or type a query. The concepts behind it are described in The code graph.

The perspective callers of format_unix depth 2 with the inspector card of parse_current.

Open the Graph View

• View › Graph View (Cmd+6, Windows/Linux: Ctrl+6) shows the graph alone.
• View › Graph + Editor Split (Cmd+2, Windows/Linux: Ctrl+2) shows the graph left and the editor right. Drag the divider to resize it, double-click the divider to reset it.
• A ce://graph-perspective link in a chat answer or a projectdocs entry opens the graph with that perspective. From the code view it opens the split.

Run a perspective

The query bar at the top has two entry points:

• Perspectives… runs a perspective that needs no starting point: Dead Exports, Orphan Files, Circular Dependencies, Complexity Hotspots, Entry Points, Recent Changes, Reactive Graph and Semantic Domains.
• The text field takes a query in plain words, for example callers of parse_current depth 2 or impact of src/api/client.ts.

To type a query:

1. Click the text field.
2. Type the start of a query, for example ca. A list of matching query forms appears.
3. Press Tab to take the highlighted form, or use the arrow keys to pick another one.
4. Complete the symbol or file name and press Return.

Text that matches no query form runs a full-text search over the source and draws the 20 best matching files, without edges. Perspectives and queries lists every form.

The controls to the right of the text field:

Pick one of several symbols

If a query names a symbol that exists more than once, a dialog lists the definitions with their file and line.

• Click a row to run the perspective for that definition only.
• Show all N draws the merged result for all definitions.
• Cancel draws nothing.

Perspectives started from a node, from the context menu or from a link with focus_file and focus_line skip the dialog, because the definition is known.

Read a node

A node shows, from left to right: the ⓘ button, an icon for its kind, the name, and the number of incoming and outgoing edges in the current graph (2↑ 1↓). The second line depends on label.

The border colour shows the distance from the starting node. Hovering a node shows its full name and path.

Work with nodes

Nodes from a reference project open their file read-only on double-click or ⓘ.

Context menu

Call chain draws the call tree in the graph. The Call Chain Explorer is a separate view, see Call Chain Explorer. Add to AI Context passes the symbol or file to the running chat session as context for the next question.

Inspector card

The card of a symbol shows its file, kind and line, its callers and its callees. The card of a file shows its language, line count, its main symbols and its imports.

• Click a caller or callee to focus it in the graph. If it is not in the graph, its callers or callees are drawn.
• Open in Editor opens the file at the symbol and switches to the split.
• Drag the header to move the card. Drag it to the left or right edge to dock it.
• The pin keeps the card open when you open another one. Up to two cards can be pinned.
• × closes the card.

Go back

Each double-click adds a step to the trail under the query bar.

• Click a step to draw it again. Later steps are removed.
• × at the right end clears the trail and the graph.

Zoom and move

• Scroll or pinch to zoom, drag the background to move.
• View › Zoom In Graph (Cmd+=), View › Zoom Out Graph (Cmd+-).
• View › Zoom to Overview (Cmd+0) fits the graph into the view, at most at 100 %.
• The buttons at the bottom left zoom, fit the view and lock the layout. The minimap at the bottom right shows the visible part of a large graph.

A newly drawn graph is fitted into the view. A graph with few nodes is drawn enlarged; use Zoom to Overview to see it at normal size.

Sharpen call edges

Call edges come from the index and can be missing or wrong where calls go through traits, interfaces or same-named functions. ✦ Sharpen asks the language server of the file for the call hierarchy and compares it with the edges on screen.

Prerequisite: a language server for the language of the starting symbol is installed (Analysis › Language Servers…).

1. Draw callers, callees or a call tree of a symbol.
2. At the top right of the canvas, click ✦ Sharpen to check the edges of the starting symbol, or ✦ Sharpen all to check every visible node of this project.

The edges change their style:

A box under the buttons counts the three kinds. Sharpen changes only the graph on screen, not the index and not the code. Nodes from libraries and reference projects are skipped.

A language server needs time to index the project after it starts. While it does, the result can be empty and is marked provisional — server may still be indexing. Run Sharpen again when the status bar shows the server as ready.

Colour by spec coverage

With specs in the exploration, the graph can colour each node by how well it is specified. Choose a mode in coverage or in the View menu:

The auditor heatmap counts approved specs only. The reviewer heatmap and the drafts checkbox count draft and review specs too.

The legend at the bottom right names the active profile, the number of matched nodes and the counts per colour. off in the legend, coverage › off or View › Coverage Overlay Off removes the colours.

Follow calls into other projects

⇄ References at the top right continues callers, callees and call tree into reference projects with the purpose Linked. It has the same effect as View › Show Reference Projects in Graph and stays on until you switch it off. If no call of the current graph leaves the project, a note under the button says so. See Calls between linked projects.

Limits

• The perspectives in Perspectives… have no entries in the menu bar.
• depth goes up to 5. impact of and dependencies of typed as a query use depth 3 unless the query says otherwise; from the context menu they use depth 2.
• A cross-project graph that hits its size limit says Limit reached, graph incomplete. in the box at the top right.
• Show all N in the disambiguation dialog merges the edges of all definitions. The edges of one definition can no longer be told apart.