Large Codebase Strategies: Tips 76-90

Working with codebases containing hundreds of thousands or millions of lines requires specialized strategies. These 15 tips will help you maintain productivity and accuracy when dealing with enterprise-scale projects.

Codebase Understanding

Tip 76: Enable Advanced Project Structure Indexing

Configure Cursor for optimal large codebase understanding:

{
  "cursor.indexing.strategy": "smart",
  "cursor.indexing.includeProjectStructure": true,
  "cursor.indexing.priorityPatterns": [
    "**/src/core/**",
    "**/src/api/**",
    "**/src/services/**"
  ],
  "cursor.indexing.merkleTree": {
    "enabled": true,
    "updateInterval": "3m",
    "maxDepth": 10
  }
}

Wskazówka

Merkle tree indexing creates a hierarchical understanding of your codebase, enabling AI to navigate complex relationships efficiently.

Tip 77: Use Semantic Codebase Search

Master the @codebase symbol for intelligent searches:

Concept Search

// Find by functionality, not text
"@codebase how is user authentication implemented"
"@codebase payment processing flow"
"@codebase error handling patterns"

Architecture Search

// Understand system design
"@codebase database connection pooling"
"@codebase caching strategies"
"@codebase API rate limiting implementation"

Dependency Search

// Trace dependencies
"@codebase what depends on UserService"
"@codebase Redis usage across the codebase"
"@codebase third-party API integrations"

Tip 78: Create Codebase Maps with AI

Use chat to build mental models:

// Architecture overview
"Create a high-level architecture diagram of our system based on
@src analyzing the main components and their interactions"

// Dependency graph
"Map out the dependency relationships between our core services
in @src/services"

// Data flow analysis
"Trace the data flow for a user registration request through
our entire system"

Performance Optimization

Tip 79: Configure Smart File Exclusions

Optimize indexing with intelligent exclusions:

{
  "cursor.indexing.exclude": {
    "patterns": [
      "**/node_modules/**",
      "**/dist/**",
      "**/build/**",
      "**/.next/**",
      "**/coverage/**",
      "**/*.min.js",
      "**/*.bundle.js"
    ],
    "sizeThreshold": "10MB",
    "generatedFilePatterns": [
      "**/*.generated.ts",
      "**/schema.graphql",
      "**/migrations/*.sql"
    ]
  }
}

Tip 80: Implement Priority File Patterns

Guide AI focus with priority configurations:

{
  "cursor.codebase.priorityFiles": [
    {
      "pattern": "**/index.{ts,js}",
      "weight": 1.5,
      "reason": "Entry points"
    },
    {
      "pattern": "**/routes/**",
      "weight": 1.3,
      "reason": "API definitions"
    },
    {
      "pattern": "**/*.service.{ts,js}",
      "weight": 1.4,
      "reason": "Business logic"
    }
  ]
}

Tip 81: Use Incremental Indexing Strategies

Maintain performance with smart indexing:

1. Initial index: Full scan on project open
2. File watch: Real-time updates on changes
3. Periodic refresh: Background re-indexing every 5 minutes
4. Manual trigger: Force re-index when needed

Commands for index management:

Ctrl+Shift+P → "Cursor: Rebuild Index"
Ctrl+Shift+P → "Cursor: Clear Index Cache"
Ctrl+Shift+P → "Cursor: Show Indexing Status"

Navigation Strategies

Tip 82: Master Cross-Repository Navigation

Work efficiently across multiple related repositories:

Multi-Root Setup

workspace/
├── frontend/
├── backend/
├── shared/
└── infrastructure/

Shared Context

Reference across repos:

@frontend/src/api/client.ts
@backend/src/routes/user.ts

Tip 83: Use AI-Powered Dependency Tracing

Navigate complex dependency chains:

// Trace usage
"Show me all the places where UserRepository.findById is called,
including indirect usage through other services"

// Impact analysis
"If I change the signature of AuthService.validateToken,
what files would be affected?"

// Circular dependency detection
"Check for circular dependencies in @src/services"

Tip 84: Create Smart Navigation Shortcuts

Set up efficient navigation patterns:

{
  "cursor.navigation.bookmarks": [
    {
      "name": "API Routes",
      "pattern": "**/routes/**/*.ts"
    },
    {
      "name": "Database Models",
      "pattern": "**/models/**/*.ts"
    },
    {
      "name": "Test Files",
      "pattern": "**/*.{test,spec}.{ts,js}"
    }
  ]
}

Search and Analysis

Tip 85: Combine Multiple Search Strategies

Layer different search approaches for comprehensive results:

Pattern Search

// 1. Semantic search for concept
"@codebase authentication middleware"

// 2. Grep for specific patterns
"Search for: req.user across all routes"

// 3. Symbol search
"@definitions AuthMiddleware"

Architectural Search

// 1. Find all services
"@codebase list all service classes"

// 2. Trace interactions
"Show service-to-service communication"

// 3. Identify patterns
"Common patterns in service implementations"

Tip 86: Use Scoped Searches for Performance

Limit search scope intelligently:

// Scope by directory
"@folder:src/api search for rate limiting"

// Scope by file type
"In all TypeScript files: find async functions without try-catch"

// Scope by recent changes
"@recent-changes review error handling in modified files"

// Combine scopes
"@folder:src/services @git:last-week find new database queries"

Tip 87: Implement Code Quality Scans

Use Agent for codebase-wide quality checks:

// Security scan
"Scan the codebase for potential security vulnerabilities:
- SQL injection risks
- XSS vulnerabilities
- Exposed secrets or API keys
- Missing authentication checks"

// Performance audit
"Identify performance bottlenecks:
- N+1 query problems
- Missing database indexes references
- Synchronous operations that should be async
- Large bundle imports"

// Technical debt assessment
"Find areas of technical debt:
- TODO/FIXME comments
- Deprecated API usage
- Code duplication
- Complex functions (cyclomatic complexity > 10)"

Architecture Management

Tip 88: Maintain Architectural Consistency

Use AI to enforce architectural patterns:

Layer Validation

Ensure proper separation:

"Verify that controllers only call services,
never repositories directly"

Pattern Enforcement

Check implementation patterns:

"Ensure all services follow our
standard error handling pattern"

Dependency Rules

Validate dependencies:

"Check that domain layer doesn't
depend on infrastructure layer"

Tip 89: Generate Architecture Documentation

Keep documentation synchronized with code:

// Component documentation
"Generate a README for @src/services explaining:
- Purpose of each service
- Key methods and their usage
- Dependencies and interactions
- Configuration requirements"

// API documentation
"Create OpenAPI documentation for all routes in @src/api
based on the actual implementation"

// Dependency visualization
"Create a Mermaid diagram showing the relationships
between all major components in our system"

Example output:

graph TD A[API Gateway] --> B[Auth Service] A --> C[User Service] C --> D[Database] B --> E[Redis Cache] C --> E

Tip 90: Implement Modular Refactoring

Refactor large codebases systematically:

1. Identify boundaries: “Analyze @src/monolith and suggest module boundaries”
2. Create interfaces: “Define interfaces between proposed modules”
3. Extract incrementally: “Extract UserModule maintaining all tests passing”
4. Verify isolation: “Ensure UserModule has no circular dependencies”
5. Update imports: “Update all imports to use the new module structure”

Best Practices for Scale

Memory Management

Configure Cursor for large projects:

{
  "cursor.performance.largeFiles": {
    "threshold": "1MB",
    "strategy": "stream",
    "maxInMemory": 50
  },
  "cursor.performance.maxOpenTabs": 20,
  "cursor.performance.gcInterval": "5m"
}

Context Window Optimization

Important Large codebases can quickly exceed context limits

Strategies:

1. Focused context: Reference specific files, not entire folders
2. Progressive disclosure: Start broad, then narrow
3. Clear regularly: Reset context between unrelated tasks
4. Use summaries: Create compressed documentation files

Team Collaboration

Shared Indexing Teams can share codebase indexes to reduce individual indexing time

Setup shared index:

# Generate shareable index
cursor index --export ./shared-index

# Import on team member's machine
cursor index --import ./shared-index

Common Large Codebase Challenges

Challenge: Slow Initial Indexing

Solutions:

• Pre-configure exclusions before opening
• Use priority patterns for critical paths
• Enable incremental indexing
• Share team indexes

Challenge: Context Overflow

Solutions:

• Work with file subsets
• Create summary documents
• Use scoped searches
• Break tasks into smaller chunks

Challenge: Finding Relevant Code

Solutions:

• Combine semantic and grep search
• Maintain good documentation
• Use consistent naming conventions
• Create codebase maps

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Next Steps

With large codebase strategies mastered, explore Advanced Techniques to leverage expert-level features like custom MCP servers, advanced rules, and automation workflows.