When you open a project in Alex Sidebar, it automatically analyzes and indexes your code files to better understand your codebase.

Think of this like creating a smart map of your code - Alex reads through each file and then can utilize this information to provide more accurate and relevant suggestions when going through your queries.

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What is Indexing?

Indexing is the process where Alex:

  • Scans through all your code files
  • Creates special embeddings for each file
  • Stores these embeddings to quickly reference later

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Why is it Important?

This indexing helps Alex:

  • Give you more accurate code suggestions
  • Better understand the context when you ask questions
  • Find relevant code examples from your own project
  • Make smarter recommendations based on your actual codebase

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Code Maps

Building on top of basic indexing, Alex now automatically parses your Swift project and constructs a “Code Map” for the files you are chatting about. This means Alex has an understanding of how files interact with each other, resulting in better code generation.

When you start a chat, Alex:

  • Analyzes file dependencies and imports
  • Maps class and type relationships
  • Understands protocol conformances
  • Tracks function calls between files

This deeper understanding helps Alex:

  • Generate more accurate code suggestions
  • Provide better refactoring recommendations
  • Maintain consistency across related files
  • Respect your project’s architecture

Code Maps are enabled by default for all chats, so you don’t need to do anything extra to get these benefits!

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Managing Indexes

1

Access Index Management

Open the “Indexed Files” section in Settings to access the indexing UI.

Here you can:

  • View all indexed files
  • Check indexing status
  • Manage existing indexes
  • Set custom override paths
2

Index Operations

The following operations are available:

  • Reload Index: Initialize or refresh indexing for files
  • Delete Index: Remove existing index data
  • Set override path: Manually specify a folder path to index

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Automatic Synchronization

Your codebase index automatically updates when:

  • Files are modified
  • New files are added
  • Files are deleted
  • Git branches are switched

This ensures Alex Sidebar always has the most up-to-date information about your codebase!