When analyzing large codebases or multiple files that might exceed context limits, use the Gemini CLI with its massive
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When analyzing large codebases or multiple files that might exceed context limits, use the Gemini CLI with its massive context window. Use
gemini -pUse the
@Single file analysis:
gemini -p "@src/main.py Explain this file's purpose and structure" Multiple files: gemini -p "@package.json @src/index.js Analyze the dependencies used in the code" Entire directory: gemini -p "@src/ Summarize the architecture of this codebase" Multiple directories: gemini -p "@src/ @tests/ Analyze test coverage for the source code" Current directory and subdirectories: gemini -p "@./ Give me an overview of this entire project" # Or use --all_files flag: gemini --all_files -p "Analyze the project structure and dependencies" Implementation Verification Examples Check if a feature is implemented: gemini -p "@src/ @lib/ Has dark mode been implemented in this codebase? Show me the relevant files and functions" Verify authentication implementation: gemini -p "@src/ @middleware/ Is JWT authentication implemented? List all auth-related endpoints and middleware" Check for specific patterns: gemini -p "@src/ Are there any React hooks that handle WebSocket connections? List them with file paths" Verify error handling: gemini -p "@src/ @api/ Is proper error handling implemented for all API endpoints? Show examples of try-catch blocks" Check for rate limiting: gemini -p "@backend/ @middleware/ Is rate limiting implemented for the API? Show the implementation details" Verify caching strategy: gemini -p "@src/ @lib/ @services/ Is Redis caching implemented? List all cache-related functions and their usage" Check for specific security measures: gemini -p "@src/ @api/ Are SQL injection protections implemented? Show how user inputs are sanitized" Verify test coverage for features: gemini -p "@src/payment/ @tests/ Is the payment processing module fully tested? List all test cases" When to Use Gemini CLI Use gemini -p when: - Analyzing entire codebases or large directories - Comparing multiple large files - Need to understand project-wide patterns or architecture - Current context window is insufficient for the task - Working with files totaling more than 100KB - Verifying if specific features, patterns, or security measures are implemented - Checking for the presence of certain coding patterns across the entire codebase Important Notes - Paths in @ syntax are relative to your current working directory when invoking gemini - The CLI will include file contents directly in the context - No need for --yolo flag for read-only analysis - Gemini's context window can handle entire codebases that would overflow Claude's context - When checking implementations, be specific about what you're looking for to get accurate results # Using Gemini CLI for Large Codebase Analysis When analyzing large codebases or multiple files that might exceed context limits, use the Gemini CLI with its massive context window. Use `gemini -p` to leverage Google Gemini's large context capacity. ## File and Directory Inclusion Syntax Use the `@` syntax to include files and directories in your Gemini prompts. The paths should be relative to WHERE you run the gemini command: ### Examples: **Single file analysis:** ```bash gemini -p "@src/main.py Explain this file's purpose and structure" Multiple files: gemini -p "@package.json @src/index.js Analyze the dependencies used in the code" Entire directory: gemini -p "@src/ Summarize the architecture of this codebase" Multiple directories: gemini -p "@src/ @tests/ Analyze test coverage for the source code" Current directory and subdirectories: gemini -p "@./ Give me an overview of this entire project" # Or use --all_files flag: gemini --all_files -p "Analyze the project structure and dependencies" Implementation Verification Examples Check if a feature is implemented: gemini -p "@src/ @lib/ Has dark mode been implemented in this codebase? Show me the relevant files and functions" Verify authentication implementation: gemini -p "@src/ @middleware/ Is JWT authentication implemented? List all auth-related endpoints and middleware" Check for specific patterns: gemini -p "@src/ Are there any React hooks that handle WebSocket connections? List them with file paths" Verify error handling: gemini -p "@src/ @api/ Is proper error handling implemented for all API endpoints? Show examples of try-catch blocks" Check for rate limiting: gemini -p "@backend/ @middleware/ Is rate limiting implemented for the API? Show the implementation details" Verify caching strategy: gemini -p "@src/ @lib/ @services/ Is Redis caching implemented? List all cache-related functions and their usage" Check for specific security measures: gemini -p "@src/ @api/ Are SQL injection protections implemented? Show how user inputs are sanitized" Verify test coverage for features: gemini -p "@src/payment/ @tests/ Is the payment processing module fully tested? List all test cases" When to Use Gemini CLI Use gemini -p when: - Analyzing entire codebases or large directories - Comparing multiple large files - Need to understand project-wide patterns or architecture - Current context window is insufficient for the task - Working with files totaling more than 100KB - Verifying if specific features, patterns, or security measures are implemented - Checking for the presence of certain coding patterns across the entire codebase Important Notes - Paths in @ syntax are relative to your current working directory when invoking gemini - The CLI will include file contents directly in the context - No need for --yolo flag for read-only analysis - Gemini's context window can handle entire codebases that would overflow Claude's context - When checking implementations, be specific about what you're looking for to get accurate results