GID Server

Model Context Protocol server for Graph-Indexed Development

License: AGPL-3.0 npm

Give AI assistants structural awareness of your codebase. GID represents software systems as typed, directed graphs — so AI can reason about architecture, not just syntax.

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Why GID?

AI can generate code, but it can't answer:

• "What breaks if I change UserService?"
• "Which components implement the auth feature?"
• "What's the dependency path from Controller to Database?"

GID fills this gap by providing a graph-based map of your software architecture that AI assistants can query and update.

Two workflows:

• Top-down: Describe what you want to build → GID generates the architecture graph → AI implements against it
• Bottom-up: Extract a graph from existing code → Use it for impact analysis, safe refactoring, and planning new changes

The graph evolves with your project. Every time you add a feature or refactor, the graph updates — so AI always has the current map.

Dogfooding: GID's own architecture is defined as a GID graph. We used GID to build GID — tracking components, querying impact before refactoring, and planning new features. See the self-referential graph.

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Tools

Query & Analysis

Tool	Description
gid_query_impact	Analyze what components and features are affected by changing a node
gid_query_deps	Get dependencies or dependents of a node (with depth control)
gid_query_common_cause	Find shared dependencies between two nodes (useful for debugging)
gid_query_path	Find dependency path between two nodes
gid_analyze	Deep analysis of a file (functions, classes, complexity)
gid_get_file_summary	Structured file analysis for AI summarization
gid_advise	Graph health score, validation issues, and improvement suggestions
gid_get_schema	Get the GID graph schema with dynamic relations

Graph Management

Tool	Description
gid_read	Read graph structure (YAML, JSON, or summary)
gid_init	Initialize a new GID graph in a project
gid_edit_graph	Add, update, or delete nodes, edges, and relation types
gid_refactor	Rename, move, or delete nodes with cascade
gid_history	Version history — list, diff, or restore previous versions

AI-Assisted

Tool	Description
gid_design	Generate a graph from natural language requirements
gid_extract	Extract dependency graph from existing code (TypeScript/JavaScript)
gid_semantify	Propose semantic upgrades — map files to components, assign layers, detect features
gid_complete	Analyze docs to identify gaps and suggest graph additions
gid_visual	Generate interactive D3.js HTML visualization

Resources

Resource	Description
gid://graph	Current dependency graph (YAML)
gid://health	Health score and validation results
gid://features	List of all features in the graph

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Installation

Claude Desktop

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gid": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["graph-indexed-development-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

claude mcp add gid -- npx graph-indexed-development-mcp

Cursor / VS Code

Add to your MCP settings:

{
  "gid": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["graph-indexed-development-mcp"]
  }
}

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Quick Start

1. Install the MCP server (see above)
2. Initialize a graph in your project:

You: "Initialize a GID graph for this project"
→ Claude uses gid_init

3. Extract dependencies from your code:

You: "Extract the dependency graph from the codebase"
→ Claude uses gid_extract

4. Start querying:

You: "What would break if I change UserService?"
→ Claude uses gid_query_impact

You: "Design the architecture for a notification feature"
→ Claude uses gid_design

You: "Show me the project health score"
→ Claude uses gid_advise

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Example Conversations

Top-Down: Design First, Then Build

You: "Design an e-commerce backend with auth, payments, and order tracking"
Claude uses gid_design →
  Created 4 features: UserAuth, Payment, OrderTracking, ProductCatalog
  Created 8 components across 4 layers
  Created 15 dependency edges
  Health score: 95/100

You: "Now implement the AuthService based on the graph"
Claude uses gid_query_deps →
  AuthService depends on: UserRepository, TokenManager
  Implements: UserAuth feature
  Layer: application
Claude generates code that fits the architecture.

Bottom-Up: Extract from Existing Code

You: "Extract the dependency graph from this project"
Claude uses gid_extract →
  Found 42 files, 156 dependencies
  Grouped into 12 components across 4 layers

You: "I need to refactor UserService. What would break?"
Claude uses gid_query_impact →
  Direct dependents: AuthController, ProfileController, OrderService
  Affected features: UserRegistration, OrderPayment
  5 components impacted, 2 features at risk

You: "Why do OrderService and PaymentService keep failing together?"
Claude uses gid_query_common_cause →
  Shared dependency: DatabaseService
  Both services depend on it — that's likely the root cause.

Continuous: Keep the Graph Updated

You: "I just added a NotificationService. Update the graph."
Claude uses gid_edit_graph →
  Added node: NotificationService (Component, application layer)
  Added edges: depends_on EmailClient, implements Notifications feature

You: "Check the project health"
Claude uses gid_advise →
  Health: 87/100
  Warning: NotificationService has no tests
  Warning: EmailClient has 6 dependents (high coupling)
  Suggestion: Consider splitting EmailClient into smaller modules

Visualization

You: "Visualize the current project architecture"
Claude uses gid_visual → Generates an interactive D3.js HTML file

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Graph Format

GID uses a YAML-based graph format (.gid/graph.yml):

nodes:
  UserAuth:
    type: Feature
    description: User authentication and authorization
    priority: core
    status: active
  AuthService:
    type: Component
    layer: application
    description: Handles authentication logic
    path: src/services/auth.ts
  AuthController:
    type: Component
    layer: interface
    path: src/controllers/auth.ts

edges:
  - from: AuthService
    to: UserAuth
    relation: implements
  - from: AuthController
    to: AuthService
    relation: depends_on

Node types: Feature, Component, Interface, Data, File, Test, Decision

Relation types: implements, depends_on, calls, reads, writes, tested_by, defined_in, enables, blocks, requires, precedes, refines, validates, related_to, decided_by — plus custom relations you define.

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Task Tracking

Nodes can have an optional tasks field for inline step tracking:

webhook-push:
  type: Component
  layer: infrastructure
  status: in_progress
  description: "Webhook push notifications HMAC-SHA256"
  tasks:
    - "[x] Implement HMAC signing"
    - "[x] DM webhook events"
    - "[ ] Run migration 011 on prod"
    - "[ ] Add retry logic"

Convention: When all tasks are done, remove the tasks field and set status: active.

Tools

Tool	Description
gid_tasks	Query tasks across the graph. No args = all pending. --node <id> for specific node. --done to include completed.
gid_task_update	Toggle task completion: --node <id> --task "task text" --done true/false
gid_read	Now shows tasks inline in summary output

Display Format

webhook-push [Component, infrastructure, in_progress]
  "Webhook push notifications HMAC-SHA256"
  Tasks: 2/4 done
    ✅ Implement HMAC signing
    ✅ DM webhook events
    ☐ Run migration 011 on prod
    ☐ Add retry logic

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Requirements

• Node.js >= 20.0.0

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Related

• GID Methodology — Specification, examples, and dogfood graph
• GID CLI — Command line interface
• GID Paper — Formal methodology (Zenodo)

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License

AGPL-3.0 — See LICENSE for details.

For commercial licensing, see COMMERCIAL-LICENSE.md.

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Author

Toni Tang — @tonioyeme