Notely

Attached Code Repositories ​

Notely allows you to attach external local Git repositories to your workspace. This bridges the gap between your documentation notes and your codebase, powering deep AST symbol indexing, cross-referencing, and unified Knowledge Graph queries.

1. Overview & Capabilities ​

When you attach a code repository to Notely:

  • Zero Copying: Your codebase stays in its original location on disk; Notely only registers its metadata path.
  • AST Symbol Extraction: Notely's CodeKnowledgeSource engine scans code files across 8+ programming languages to extract modules, classes, functions, routes, and data models.
  • Bi-directional Knowledge Graph Links: Code symbols and modules become first-class graph entities (CodeModule, CodeClass, CodeFunction, APIEndpoint, DBModel) that link semantically to your architectural and design notes.
  • Note Cross-Referencing: Mention any repository name in your notes using [[RepoName]] or @RepoName to link your notes with that codebase.

2. Attaching a Repository ​

To attach a repository to your active workspace:

  1. Open the Attached Repositories page:
    • Click the Attached Repositories button on the Landing Dashboard.
    • Or select Workspace → Attached Code Repositories in the top menu bar.
    • Or press Cmd/Ctrl + K and type Attached Repositories.
  2. Click Attach Repo (+) in the top-right toolbar.
  3. Provide repository details:
    • Folder Path: Enter or browse (Browse) to the local Git repository directory.
    • Display / Alias Name: (Optional) Friendly name for the repo (e.g. backend-api, web-client).
    • Branch: (Optional) Target tracking branch (defaults to main).
  4. Click Attach Repository.

Notely immediately saves the repository entry into your workspace's .notes-app/metadata.json file.

3. Code Knowledge Graph & AST Indexing ​

Once attached, clicking Rescan Graph triggers Notely's offline AST parsing engine:

Supported Languages & File Extensions ​

  • JavaScript & TypeScript: .js, .jsx, .ts, .tsx, .mjs, .cjs
  • Python: .py
  • Go: .go
  • Rust: .rs
  • Java: .java
  • C & C++: .c, .cpp, .h, .hpp
  • C#: .cs
  • Ruby & PHP: .rb, .php
  • Frontend Components: .vue, .svelte

Extracted Entities & Relationships ​

Entity TypeDescription
CodeModuleCode file/module representation within the repository structure
CodeClassDeclared classes, struct definitions, and class inheritances
CodeInterfaceTypeScript interfaces and type definitions
CodeFunctionExported functions, arrow functions, and method definitions
APIEndpointHTTP routes (e.g. GET /api/v1/users, POST /login)
DBModelSchema definitions and database models

The graph automatically constructs CONTAINS, IMPORTS, and DOCUMENTS relationships, allowing you to explore your system architecture interactively in the Knowledge Graph view (ai-graph).

4. Monitoring & Inspector Drawer ​

Selecting any attached repository opens the Inspector Drawer on the right side:

  • Local Path & Commit Hash: Displays the full directory path, tracking branch, and recent HEAD commit hash.
  • Referenced Notes: Automatically queries all markdown documents in the workspace and lists notes mentioning the repository ([[RepoName]]), complete with 1-click note navigation.
  • Copy WikiLink ([[Name]]): Copies the formatted wikilink tag to your clipboard for quick pasting into markdown notes.
  • Open in VS Code: Direct vscode://file/... protocol integration to open the selected repository in VS Code immediately.
  • Reveal in File Explorer: Opens the repository root folder in the native operating system file manager.

5. Knowledge Graph Visualization ​

In the Knowledge Graph (Workspace → Knowledge Graph or Cmd/Ctrl + G), code entities from attached repositories appear with distinct visual badges and colors:

  • Purple: Classes (CodeClass) and Interfaces (CodeInterface)
  • Sky Blue: Functions (CodeFunction) and Exports
  • Indigo: Modules (CodeModule) and Import chains
  • Amber: API Endpoints (APIEndpoint)
  • Emerald Green: Data Models (DBModel)

Clicking any code node highlights its incoming and outgoing dependencies, enabling architecture verification directly within your note-taking environment.