GUIDE
What Is Code Intelligence?
Code intelligence transforms raw source code into structured, queryable, visual knowledge. It's the difference between reading code and understanding systems.
Defining Code Intelligence
Code Intelligence is the automated extraction, analysis, and presentation of structural and relational information from source code, enabling developers to understand, navigate, and reason about codebases at scale.
In simpler terms: code intelligence makes the invisible visible. It reveals the structure, relationships, and patterns that exist in your code but aren't apparent from reading files.
What Code Intelligence Includes
Structural Analysis
Identifying code elements: functions, classes, methods, variables. Not just names—complete profiles with parameters, return types, scope, location.
Relationship Mapping
Understanding connections: who calls whom, what imports what, which classes extend which. The web of dependencies that defines behavior.
Semantic Understanding
Going beyond syntax to meaning. Recognizing callbacks, singletons, user input paths. Context that informs decisions.
Query Capability
Making information searchable semantically. Not text search—queries like "all async functions that call database methods."
Visualization
Presenting complex information visually. Dependency graphs, hierarchy trees, flow diagrams. Seeing structure instead of reading about it.
Change Detection
Tracking what's changed, what's new, what's affected. Body hashes, signature changes, impact propagation.
Why Code Intelligence Matters
Codebases Outgrow Human Memory
A developer can hold maybe a few thousand lines in working memory. Modern codebases are millions of lines. Code intelligence fills the gap between human capacity and codebase size.
Understanding Beats Reading
Studies show developers spend 60-70% of their time reading code, not writing it. Code intelligence reduces that time by providing direct answers instead of search-and-read cycles.
Relationships Are Everything
A function in isolation is simple. A function in context—what calls it, what it calls, what depends on it—is complex. Code intelligence provides that context instantly.
Architecture Needs Visibility
You can't enforce architecture you can't see. You can't fix dependencies you don't know about. Code intelligence makes architectural reality visible.
How Code Intelligence Works
At a high level, code intelligence systems follow a pipeline.
Parsing
Source code is parsed into an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST). Text becomes structure.
Extraction
Elements are identified and attributes extracted. Functions, classes, parameters—all cataloged.
Resolution
References are resolved. Imports traced to sources. Calls connected to targets.
Indexing
Information indexed for fast retrieval. Elements and relationships become queryable.
Presentation
Intelligence presented through search, visualizations, and APIs. Understanding becomes accessible.
Applications of Code Intelligence
Developer Onboarding
New developers explore the codebase visually instead of relying on tribal knowledge.
Impact Analysis
Before making changes, see exactly what will be affected.
Architecture Documentation
Generate accurate architecture from actual code, not outdated drawings.
Technical Debt Assessment
Identify coupled modules, circular dependencies, dead code.
AI Context Provision
Feed AI coding tools the relationship context they need.
Security Auditing
Trace data flows from inputs to sensitive operations.
Experience Code Intelligence
LOOM is a complete code intelligence platform. See your codebase transformed.
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