Grafema: Graph-Based Codebase Analysis

Core Principle

Query the graph, not read code.

Grafema builds a graph database from your codebase via static analysis. Instead of reading dozens of files to understand how code connects, query the graph to get structured, complete answers instantly.

BAD:  Read 20 files hoping to find all callers of a function
GOOD: find_calls({ name: "processPayment" }) -> get all callers in one query

BAD:  Grep for variable name across files, miss aliased references
GOOD: trace_dataflow({ source: "userInput", direction: "forward" }) -> complete data flow

BAD:  Read file by file to understand module dependencies
GOOD: get_file_overview({ file: "src/api.ts" }) -> structured imports, exports, classes, functions

When to Use Grafema

• •Finding where functions/methods are called
• •Understanding module dependencies and imports
• •Tracing data flow (forward or backward)
• •Getting function details (signature, callers, callees)
• •Checking code invariants with Datalog rules
• •Exploring file structure and entity relationships

When NOT to Use Grafema

• •Reading a single specific file (use your editor/Read tool — faster)
• •Editing code (Grafema is read-only analysis)
• •Runtime behavior questions (Grafema is static analysis)
• •Files not yet analyzed (run analyze_project first)

Essential Tools (Tier 1)

These 5 tools handle ~80% of queries. Start here.

find_nodes — Find entities by type, name, or file

find_nodes({ type: "FUNCTION", name: "validateUser" })
find_nodes({ type: "CLASS", file: "src/auth.ts" })
find_nodes({ type: "http:request" })
find_nodes({ type: "MODULE" })

Use when: "Find all X", "What functions are in file Y", "List all routes"

Node types: MODULE, FUNCTION, METHOD, CLASS, VARIABLE, PARAMETER, CALL, PROPERTY_ACCESS, METHOD_CALL, CALL_SITE, http:route, http:request, db:query, socketio:emit, socketio:on

find_calls — Find function/method call sites

find_calls({ name: "processPayment" })
find_calls({ name: "query", className: "Database" })

Use when: "Where is X called?", "Who calls this function?", "Find all usages"

Returns call sites with file locations and whether the target is resolved.

get_function_details — Complete function info

get_function_details({ name: "handleRequest" })
get_function_details({ name: "validate", file: "src/auth.ts" })
get_function_details({ name: "processOrder", transitive: true })

Use when: "What does function X do?", "What does it call?", "Who calls it?"

Returns: signature, parameters, what it calls, who calls it. Use transitive: true to follow call chains (A calls B calls C, max depth 5).

get_context — Deep context for any node

get_context({ semanticId: "src/api.ts:handleRequest#fn" })
get_context({ semanticId: "src/db.ts:Database#class", edgeType: "CALLS" })

Use when: "Tell me everything about this entity", "Show me its relationships"

Returns: node info, source code, ALL incoming/outgoing edges with code context. Use after find_nodes to deep-dive into a specific result.

trace_dataflow — Trace data flow

trace_dataflow({ source: "userInput", file: "src/handler.ts", direction: "forward" })
trace_dataflow({ source: "dbResult", file: "src/query.ts", direction: "backward" })
trace_dataflow({ source: "config", direction: "both", max_depth: 5 })

Use when: "Where does this value end up?", "Where does this data come from?", "Is user input reaching the database unsanitized?"

Directions: forward (where does it go?), backward (where did it come from?), both.

Decision Tree

START: What do you need?
|
|-- "Find entities (functions, classes, routes)"
|   -> find_nodes({ type, name, file })
|
|-- "Find who calls function X"
|   -> find_calls({ name: "X" })
|   -> For full details: get_function_details({ name: "X" })
|
|-- "Understand a specific entity deeply"
|   -> First: find_nodes to get its semantic ID
|   -> Then: get_context({ semanticId: "..." })
|
|-- "Trace data flow"
|   -> trace_dataflow({ source, file, direction })
|
|-- "Understand a file's structure"
|   -> get_file_overview({ file: "path/to/file.ts" })
|
|-- "Trace an alias/re-export chain"
|   -> trace_alias({ variableName: "alias", file: "path.ts" })
|
|-- "Check a code rule/invariant"
|   -> check_invariant({ rule: "violation(X) :- ..." })
|
|-- "Custom complex query"
|   -> query_graph({ query: "violation(X) :- ..." })
|   -> See references/query-patterns.md for Datalog syntax
|
|-- "Explore unknown codebase"
|   -> get_stats() for high-level overview
|   -> get_schema() for available node/edge types
|   -> find_nodes({ type: "MODULE" }) for module list
|   -> get_file_overview for specific files

Common Workflows

1. Impact Analysis: "What breaks if I change function X?"

get_function_details({ name: "X", transitive: true })
-> Check calledBy array for all callers (direct + transitive)
-> For critical callers: get_context({ semanticId }) for full picture

2. Security Audit: "Does user input reach the database?"

find_nodes({ type: "http:request" })
-> For each route, trace_dataflow({ source: requestParam, direction: "forward" })
-> Check if flow reaches db:query nodes
-> Use find_guards to check for sanitization

3. Onboarding: "How is this codebase structured?"

get_stats()                              -> Node/edge counts by type
find_nodes({ type: "MODULE" })           -> All modules
get_file_overview({ file: "src/index.ts" })  -> Entry point structure
find_nodes({ type: "http:request" })     -> All API endpoints

4. Dependency Analysis: "What does module X depend on?"

get_file_overview({ file: "src/service.ts" })
-> Check imports section for dependencies
-> For each import: get_context for deeper relationships

5. Find Dead Code: "What functions have no callers?"

query_graph({
  query: 'violation(X) :- node(X, "FUNCTION"), \\+ edge(_, X, "CALLS").'
})

Anti-Patterns

Don't read files to find call sites. Use find_calls — it finds ALL callers across the entire codebase, including indirect references you'd miss by grepping.

Don't use query_graph for simple lookups. find_nodes, find_calls, and get_function_details are optimized for common queries. Reserve Datalog for complex patterns (joins, transitive closure, invariant checks).

Don't skip analysis status. If you just ran analyze_project, check get_analysis_status before querying — partial results are misleading.

Don't request excessive depth. get_context with no filters returns everything. Use edgeType filter to focus on specific relationships (e.g., "CALLS,ASSIGNED_FROM").

Don't use Grafema for single-file questions. If you only need to read one file, use your editor. Grafema shines for cross-file relationships.

Advanced Tools (Tier 2)

query_graph — Custom Datalog queries

For complex patterns not covered by high-level tools. See references/query-patterns.md for syntax and examples.

query_graph({
  query: "violation(X) :- node(X, \"CALL\"), attr(X, \"name\", \"eval\").",
  explain: true
})

Available predicates: node(Id, Type), edge(Src, Dst, Type), attr(Id, Name, Value). Must define violation/1 predicate for results. Use explain: true to debug empty results.

get_file_overview — File-level structure

Structured overview of imports, exports, classes, functions, variables with relationships. Recommended first step when exploring a specific file before using get_context.

trace_alias — Resolve alias chains

For code like const alias = obj.method; alias() — traces "alias" back to "obj.method".

get_schema — Available types

Returns all node and edge types in the graph. Use when you need exact type names.

check_invariant — Code rule checking

Check if a Datalog rule has violations. For persistent rules, use create_guarantee.

Specialized Tools (Tier 3)

Troubleshooting

Query returns nothing?

1. •Check analysis ran: get_analysis_status
2. •Check type names: get_schema for available types
3. •Use explain: true in query_graph to debug
4. •Check file paths match (relative to project root)

Need help with Datalog syntax?

• •See references/query-patterns.md
• •Use get_documentation({ topic: "queries" }) for inline help

Graph seems incomplete?

• •Run get_coverage({ path: "src/" }) to check coverage
• •Re-analyze with analyze_project({ force: true })
• •Check .grafema/config.yaml for include/exclude patterns

References

• •Node and Edge Types — Complete graph schema
• •Query Patterns — Datalog cookbook with examples