An interactive CLI tool for selecting and bundling code into a single, LLM-ready output file.

❓ Why?

When working with LLMs, sharing code context is essential for getting accurate responses. However, manually copying files or creating code snippets is tedious. CodeGrab streamlines this process by providing a clean Terminal UI (TUI), alongside a versatile command-line interface (CLI). This allows you to easily select files from your project, generate well-formatted output, and copy it directly to your clipboard, ready for LLM processing.

✨ Features

• 🎮 Interactive Mode: Navigate your project structure with vim-like keybindings in a TUI environment
• 🧹 Filtering Options: Respect .gitignore rules, handle hidden files, and apply customizable glob patterns
• 🔍 Fuzzy Search: Quickly find files across your project
• ✅ File Selection: Toggle files or entire directories (with child items) for inclusion or exclusion
• 📄 Multiple Output Formats: Generate Markdown, Plain Text, or XML output
• ⏳ Temp File: Generate the output file in your system's temporary directory
• 📋 Clipboard Integration: Copy content or output file directly to your clipboard
• 🌲 Directory Tree View: Display a tree-style view of your project structure
• 🧮 Token Estimation: Get estimated token count for LLM context windows
• 🛡️ Secret Detection & Redaction: Uses gitleaks to identify potential secrets and prevent sharing sensitive information

📦 Installation

Homebrew

brew tap epilande/tap
brew install codegrab

Go Install

go install github.com/epilande/codegrab/cmd/grab@latest

Binary Download

Download the latest release for your platform.

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/epilande/codegrab
cd codegrab
go build ./cmd/grab

Then move the binary to your PATH

🚀 Quick Start

1. Go to your project directory and run:

   grab
   

2. Navigate with h/j/k/l

3. Select files using the Space or Tab key

4. Press g to generate output file or y to copy contents to clipboard

CodeGrab will generate codegrab-output.md in your current working directory (on macOS this file is automatically copied to your clipboard), which you can immediately send to an AI assistant for better context-aware coding assistance.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/48f245f4-695d-4cea-8fc0-4b0158bb46a5

🎮 Usage

grab [options] [directory]

Arguments

Options

📖 Examples

1. Run in interactive mode (default):

   grab
   

2. Grab all files in current directory (non-interactive):

   grab -n
   

3. Grab a specific directory:

   grab /path/to/project
   

4. Specify custom output file:

   grab -o output.md /path/to/project
   

5. Generate XML output:

   grab -f xml -o output.xml /path/to/project
   

6. Filter files using glob pattern:

   grab -g="*.go" /path/to/project
   

7. Use multiple glob patterns for include/exclude:

   grab -g="*.{ts,tsx}" -g="!*.spec.{ts,tsx}"
   

⌨️ Keyboard Controls

Navigation

Search

Selection & Output

View Options

🛡️ Secret Detection & Redaction

CodeGrab automatically scans the content of selected files for potential secrets using gitleaks with its default rules. This helps prevent accidental exposure of sensitive credentials like API keys, private tokens, and passwords.

• Enabled by Default: Secret scanning and redaction are active unless explicitly disabled.
• Redaction Format: Detected secrets are replaced with [REDACTED_RuleID], where RuleID indicates the type of secret found (e.g., [REDACTED_generic-api-key]).
• Skipping Redaction: You can disable this feature using the -S / --skip-redaction flag when running the command, or by pressing S in the interactive TUI. Use this option with caution, as it may expose sensitive information in the output.

🎨 Themes

CodeGrab comes with several built-in themes:

• Catppuccin (Latte, Frappe, Macchiato, Mocha)
• Dracula
• Nord

Select a theme using the --theme flag:

grab --theme=dracula

📄 Output Formats

Markdown (Default)

grab --format markdown

Example Output

# Project Structure

```
./
└── internal/
    ├── filesystem/
    │   ├── filter.go
    │   ├── gitignore.go
    │   └── walker.go
    └── generator/
        └── formats/
            ├── markdown.go
            └── registry.go
```

# Project Files

## File: `internal/filesystem/filter.go`

```go
package filesystem

import (
    "path/filepath"
    "strings"
)

// ... rest of the file content
```

Plain Text

grab --format text

Example Output

=============================================================
PROJECT STRUCTURE
=============================================================

./
└── internal/
    ├── filesystem/
    │   ├── filter.go
    │   ├── gitignore.go
    │   └── walker.go
    └── generator/
        └── formats/
            ├── markdown.go
            └── registry.go


=============================================================
PROJECT FILES
=============================================================
=============================================================
FILE: internal/filesystem/filter.go
=============================================================

package filesystem

import (
    "path/filepath"
    "strings"
)

// ... rest of the file content

XML

grab --format xml

Example Output

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project>
  <filesystem>
    <directory name=".">
      <directory name="internal">
        <directory name="filesystem">
          <file name="filter.go"/>
          <file name="gitignore.go"/>
          <file name="walker.go"/>
        </directory>
        <directory name="generator">
          <directory name="formats">
            <file name="markdown.go"/>
            <file name="registry.go"/>
          </directory>
        </directory>
      </directory>
    </directory>
  </filesystem>
  <files>
    <file path="internal/filesystem/filter.go" language="go"><![CDATA[
package filesystem

import (
    "path/filepath"
    "strings"
)

// ... rest of the file content
]]></file>
    <!-- Additional files -->
  </files>
</project>