Improve the UX for AI Analysis of Codebase - Circle Map -suggested improvement

[ahmedkhan25]

Improve Circle Map Visualization for Codebase Explorer

@kleneway - Loving Jacob, both the concept and the approach you have taken with this!

Fun fact: I have been using this tool primarily as a codebase analysis tool, and I think it has great potential as a code evaluation and onboarding tool for developers. This could gain a lot of traction in helping companies understand unknown codebases.
Fyi, I'd like to contribute as well!

Here are some suggested improvements focused on code analysis specifically around the circle map

Description

The current circle map visualization effectively shows file sizes but does not adequately represent the importance of files (e.g., entry points, key dependencies). To make the visualization more meaningful, we should enhance it to prioritize and highlight critical files over scaffolding or less important files.

Proposed Enhancements

1. Weight Files by Importance

• Add a weighting system that combines file size and importance.
• Metrics to consider:
  • File type/role: Highlight entry points (e.g., index.ts) or critical components.
  • Dependency graph: Prioritize highly connected files.
  • Git metrics: Use commit history or the number of contributors to gauge importance.

Implementation Example:

function getWeightedCircleSize(textLength: number, importance: number) {
  const sizeFromLength = Math.floor(textLength / 50);
  return sizeFromLength + importance; // Combine size and importance
}

2. Use Color to Show Importance

• Apply a color scale to visually differentiate critical files:
  • Brighter colors (e.g., orange) for entry points or highly connected files.
  • Neutral colors (e.g., gray) for less important files.

Example:

<circle
  r={radius}
  fill={isEntryPoint ? "orange" : "gray"}
  stroke="black"
/>

3. Introduce Labels for File Importance

• Add visual indicators for critical files:
  • Icons or badges to mark entry points.
  • Always display labels for critical files, even if the circle is small.

4. Allow Dynamic Scaling or Filtering

• Add controls to switch between scaling by file size or importance.
• Allow filtering to highlight only entry points or files with high dependencies.

Implementation Example:

<button onClick={() => setScalingMode("importance")}>Scale by Importance</button>
<button onClick={() => setScalingMode("size")}>Scale by File Size</button>

5. Highlight Dependencies

• Draw lines or arrows between circles to show dependencies.
• Use line thickness or color to indicate the strength or number of dependencies.

Example:

{dependencies.map(dep => (
  <line
    x1={file.x}
    y1={file.y}
    x2={dep.x}
    y2={dep.y}
    stroke="blue"
    strokeWidth={2}
/>
))}

6. Combine Size and Position

• Place critical files (e.g., entry points or key dependencies) at the center of the map.
• Arrange less critical files in outer layers to emphasize hierarchy.

7. Add a Legend

• Include a legend to explain:
  • Color meanings (e.g., critical vs. neutral files).
  • How circle size is calculated (e.g., weighted by file size and importance).

8. Dynamic Text Adjustments

• Ensure critical file names are always visible.
• For smaller circles, move labels outside the circle or dynamically increase their size.

Example:

<text
  fontSize={isImportant ? "16px" : "12px"}
  x={0}
  y={radius + 10} // Position outside for small circles
>
  {file.name}
</text>

9. Show Additional Metrics on Hover

• Display file details in a tooltip or side panel when hovering over a circle:
  • File size (LOC), dependencies, last modified date, importance score, etc.

Example:

<circle
  onMouseEnter={() => setHoveredFile(file)}
  onMouseLeave={() => setHoveredFile(null)}
/>
{hoveredFile && (
  <Tooltip>
    <div>File: {hoveredFile.name}</div>
    <div>Size: {hoveredFile.size} LOC</div>
    <div>Importance: {hoveredFile.importance}</div>
  </Tooltip>
)}

10. Incorporate Metrics into the Sidebar

• Expand the details panel to show:
  • Why the file is important (e.g., its dependencies or role in the app).
  • Suggested actions for improvement (e.g., optimize, refactor).

---

Expected Benefits

• Improved clarity in visualizing the significance of files.
• Better prioritization of entry points and key files.
• Enhanced interactivity and usability for developers navigating the codebase.

---

Additional Notes

• Ensure performance optimizations for large codebases (e.g., lazy loading or virtualized rendering).
• Provide fallback behavior for files without importance metrics.

---

@jacob-ai-bot --skip-build
@jacob-ai-bot --skip-build
@jacob-ai-bot --skip-build

[jacob-ai-bot]

JACoB here...

You mentioned me on this issue and I am busy taking a look at it.

I'll continue to comment on this issue with status as I make progress.

[jacob-ai-bot]

Update

I've completed my work on this issue and have created a pull request: JACoB PR for Issue Improve the UX for AI Analysis of Codebase - Circle Map -suggested improvement.

Please review my changes there.

[kleneway]

Love this! And the nice thing is that there are already some versions of this already implemented in the original Github Next project. https://githubnext.com/projects/repo-visualization/#what-files-are-connected

Source code with some of the "importance" metrics is here:
https://github.com/githubocto/repo-visualizer/blob/main/src/Tree.tsx

FYI I just kicked off a quick JACoB code create for this issue just to see what it gives us, but it's a pretty gnarly file so it's probably not going to get it.

[ahmedkhan25]

awesome

[jacob-ai-bot]

JACoB here...

You mentioned me on this issue and I am busy taking a look at it.

I'll continue to comment on this issue with status as I make progress.

[jacob-ai-bot]

Update

I've completed my work on this issue and have created a pull request: JACoB PR for Issue Improve the UX for AI Analysis of Codebase - Circle Map -suggested improvement.

Please review my changes there.

[jacob-ai-bot]

JACoB here...

You mentioned me on this issue and I am busy taking a look at it.

I'll continue to comment on this issue with status as I make progress.

[jacob-ai-bot]

Update

I've completed my work on this issue and have created a pull request: JACoB PR for Issue Improve the UX for AI Analysis of Codebase - Circle Map -suggested improvement.

Please review my changes there.

[jacob-ai-bot]

Update

I've updated this pull request: JACoB PR for Issue Improve the UX for AI Analysis of Codebase - Circle Map -suggested improvement.

The changes currently result in an error, so I'll be making some additional changes before it is ready to merge.