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Getting Started

Get up and running with Library Insight to analyze Java, Kotlin, and Kotlin Multiplatform dependencies and enable correct API context for your development environment.

Requirements

  • JDK 17 or higher is required to execute the Java/Kotlin runtime engine.
  • An active terminal environment (macOS/Linux/Windows).

Installation Options

You can install the CLI globally on your system instantly with zero Node.js/npm dependencies using the installer script:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Coding-Meet/Library-Insight/main/install.sh | bash

Once installed, both library-insight and li commands are available globally and can be used interchangeably.

If you just want to run a local build without registering it globally on your system:

  1. Clone the repository and navigate to the project root: 
    git clone https://github.com/Coding-Meet/Library-Insight.git
cd Library-Insight
  2. Build using Gradle wrapper: 
    ./gradlew installDist
  3. The executable binary will be generated at: 
    ./library-insight-cli/build/install/library-insight/bin/library-insight

Uninstallation

To cleanly remove the global CLI binary, installation files, and registered AI agent skills from your system:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Coding-Meet/Library-Insight/main/uninstall.sh | bash

Basic Workflow / Quick Start

Library Insight works in a simple 4-step pipeline: Index -> Explore -> AI Context Export -> Version Audit.

Here is how developers and AI coding agents use Library Insight step-by-step:

Step 1: Index Your API Surface (scan / scan-source)

Why this step? AI models hallucinate outdated methods because they don't know the exact library version installed in your project. Indexing creates a version-aware local API database from real bytecode or source files.

  • Scan a Compiled Dependency (e.g. Jetpack Compose Layout):
library-insight scan androidx.compose.foundation:foundation-layout:1.12.0
  • Scan a Bill of Materials (BOM):

library-insight scan androidx.compose:compose-bom:2024.09.00 -i "compose-ui*"
(Filters out non-Android KMP targets by default. Use -i, --include <pattern> to selectively target specific BOM member artifacts like -i "compose-ui*" or -i "*animation*").

  • Scan Local Source Code:
library-insight scan-source app/src/main
  • Scan a Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) Library: 
    library-insight scan io.ktor:ktor-client-core:3.0.0 --platform android

Step 2: Explore & Inspect Signatures (search / explain)

Why this step? Discover classes, top-level functions, parameter signatures, and receiver scopes directly from your terminal or AI prompt.

  1. Search for symbols in the index:
library-insight search Grid
  1. Inspect standard symbol signatures & KDocs:
library-insight explain Grid
  1. Inspect DSL receiver scopes in 1 turn (--deep): 
    library-insight explain Grid --deep
    (Automatically resolves top-level @Composable fun Grid to GridKt and displays nested scopes like GridScope and GridItemSpanScope).

Step 3: Connect to AI Coding Assistants (ai-export / mcp)

Why this step? Feed version-accurate API knowledge to Cursor, Claude, Gemini, or Copilot so they generate 100% correct code without hallucinating.

  1. Export Token-Optimized Markdown Files:
library-insight ai-export

(Generates compact documentation under build/ai-context/ for workspace chats).

  1. Start the Native MCP Server: 
    library-insight mcp
    (Integrates natively with Android Studio Gemini, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, or Claude Desktop).

Step 4: Compare Library Versions & Upgrades (diff)

Why this step? Detect breaking changes, added/removed methods, or deprecations before upgrading a dependency in your project.

library-insight diff androidx.compose.foundation:foundation-layout:1.11.0 androidx.compose.foundation:foundation-layout:1.12.0