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NervusDB

nervusdb

by nervusdb

NervusDB transforms codebases into queryable knowledge graphs, enabling call hierarchy analysis, impact assessment, and

Transforms codebases into queryable knowledge graphs using repomix and tree-sitter to extract code entities, relationships, and dependencies for call hierarchy analysis, impact assessment, code smell detection, and automated documentation generation.

github stars

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Both formats append explainx.ai attribution and the canonical URL for this MCP server listing.

Cross-language code analysisAutomated GitHub workflow integrationShadow index strategy for reliable data

best for

  • / Refactoring large codebases safely
  • / Code review and impact assessment
  • / Automated documentation generation
  • / Developer workflow automation

capabilities

  • / Analyze impact of code changes on related files
  • / Find code definitions and references across projects
  • / Map file relationships and dependencies
  • / Generate project structure and statistics
  • / Create task branches and PR workflows
  • / Read and write project files with safety checks

what it does

Transforms codebases into queryable knowledge graphs to analyze code dependencies, relationships, and structure for impact assessment and automated workflow management.

about

NervusDB is a community-built MCP server published by nervusdb that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. NervusDB transforms codebases into queryable knowledge graphs, enabling call hierarchy analysis, impact assessment, and It is categorized under developer tools, productivity. This server exposes 20 tools that AI clients can invoke during conversations and coding sessions.

how to install

You can install NervusDB in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.

license

MIT

NervusDB is released under the MIT license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.

readme

@nervusdb/mcp

Official MCP server for NervusDB - Code knowledge graph with repomix integration

npm version License: MIT

Features

  • Code Knowledge Graph: Build cross-language code knowledge graphs using @nervusdb/core and repomix
  • Project Insights: Analyze code impact, find related files, and explore project structure
  • Workflow Automation: Task management with branch creation and PR submission
  • Code Operations: Read, write files, and run tests with safety checks
  • Database Tools: Query and maintain the knowledge graph index
  • Shadow Index Strategy: Ensures reliable indexing with fingerprint validation

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 20.0.0 or higher
  • pnpm 8.0.0 or higher

Quick Start

Install Dependencies

pnpm install

Run the Server

# For development
pnpm start:stdio

# Build for production
pnpm build

Index a Project

pnpm synapse:index -p /path/to/your/project

Claude Desktop Integration

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nervusdb-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@nervusdb/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Alternatively, if you've installed the package globally:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nervusdb-mcp": {
      "command": "nervusdb-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Installation Options:

# Option 1: Use npx (recommended, no installation needed)
# Just add the config above, Claude will run it automatically

# Option 2: Install globally for faster startup
npm install -g @nervusdb/mcp

Configuration

GitHub Authentication (for Workflow Tools)

Workflow tools (workflow.submitForReview) require GitHub authentication to create pull requests. The server supports 3 authentication methods with automatic fallback:

Method 1: Environment Variables (Recommended for CI/CD)

# Set GITHUB_TOKEN or GH_TOKEN
export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_personal_access_token

# Or in your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc)
echo 'export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_xxx' >> ~/.zshrc

Method 2: GitHub CLI (Recommended for Local Development)

# Install gh CLI
brew install gh # macOS
# Or see https://cli.github.com/ for other platforms

# Authenticate
gh auth login

Method 3: Claude Desktop Configuration

Add environment variables to Claude Desktop config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nervusdb-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@nervusdb/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_your_personal_access_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Authentication Priority:

  1. GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable (highest priority)
  2. GH_TOKEN environment variable
  3. gh auth token command (if gh CLI is authenticated)

If no authentication is available, workflow tools will provide clear error messages with setup instructions.

Available Tools

The NervusDB MCP server provides 13 tools across 4 categories:

1. Workflow Tools ⚙️

  • workflow.startTask - Create task branch and update ledger
  • workflow.submitForReview - Push branch and create pull request (requires GitHub authentication)

2. Project Tools

  • project.getStructure - Get project file structure with statistics
  • project.analyzeImpact - Analyze code impact based on knowledge graph
  • project.findRelatedFiles - Find files related to a target file
  • project.readFile - Read arbitrary file content

3. Code Tools

  • code.readFile - Read project file content
  • code.writeFile - Write content to project file (requires confirmation)
  • code.runTests - Run tests using Vitest and return results

4. Database Tools

  • db.getStats - Get index metadata and statistics
  • db.query - Execute typed or raw queries against knowledge graph
  • db.rebuildIndex - Rebuild project index with telemetry
  • db.getHealth - Check index health with fingerprint validation

Usage Example

// 1. Start a new task
workflow.startTask({
  taskId: '42',
  owner: 'alice',
  designDoc: 'docs/design/feature-42.md',
});

// 2. Analyze code impact
project.analyzeImpact({
  projectPath: '/workspace/my-project',
  functionName: 'calculateTotal',
  limit: 20,
});

// 3. Read a file
code.readFile({
  projectPath: '/workspace/my-project',
  file: 'src/services/orderService.ts',
});

// 4. Run tests
code.runTests({
  projectPath: '/workspace/my-project',
  filter: 'orderService',
});

// 5. Query the knowledge graph
db.query({
  projectPath: '/workspace/my-project',
  query: {
    type: 'typed',
    filter: { predicate: 'CONTAINS' },
    options: { limit: 100 },
  },
});

// 6. Submit for review
workflow.submitForReview({
  confirm: true,
  title: 'feat: optimize order calculation',
  reviewers: ['bob'],
});

How It Works

  1. Indexing: Uses repomix to collect project files and @nervusdb/core to build a knowledge graph
  2. Storage: Maintains shadow indices with fingerprint validation for data integrity
  3. Query: Provides typed and raw query interfaces to explore code relationships
  4. Workflow: Integrates with Git workflows for task management

Project Structure

nervusdb-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── server/           # MCP server implementation
│   ├── tools/            # Tool implementations (workflow, project, code, db)
│   ├── services/         # Business logic services
│   ├── domain/           # Core domain logic (indexing, query)
│   └── utils/            # Shared utilities
├── bin/                  # CLI executables
├── docs/                 # Documentation
└── tests/                # Test suites

Development

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Run tests
pnpm test

# Check code quality
pnpm check

# Build for production
pnpm build

Documentation

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for development guidelines.

License

MIT

FAQ

What is the NervusDB MCP server?
NervusDB is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server profile on explainx.ai. MCP lets AI hosts (e.g. Claude Desktop, Cursor) call tools and resources through a standard interface; this page summarizes categories, install hints, and community ratings.
How do MCP servers relate to agent skills?
Skills are reusable instruction packages (often SKILL.md); MCP servers expose live capabilities. Teams frequently combine both—skills for workflows, MCP for APIs and data. See explainx.ai/skills and explainx.ai/mcp-servers for parallel directories.
How are reviews shown for NervusDB?
This profile displays 67 aggregated ratings (sample rows for discoverability plus signed-in user reviews). Average score is about 4.8 out of 5—verify behavior in your own environment before production use.

Use Cases

Extended AI Capabilities

Add new capabilities to Claude beyond text generation

Example

Access external data sources, execute code, interact with tools and services

Transform Claude from chatbot to action-taking agent

Context Enhancement

Provide Claude with access to relevant context and data

Example

Load project documentation, access knowledge bases, query databases

Get more accurate, context-aware responses

Workflow Automation

Automate multi-step workflows combining AI and external tools

Example

Research → Summarize → Create document → Send notification

Complete complex tasks end-to-end without manual steps

Implementation Guide

Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop 0.7.0+ or Cursor IDE with MCP support
  • Basic understanding of MCP architecture and capabilities
  • Access credentials for integrated services (if required)
  • Willingness to experiment and iterate on configuration

Time Estimate

15-60 minutes depending on server complexity

Installation Steps

  1. 1.Install MCP server: npm install -g [package-name] or via GitHub
  2. 2.Add server configuration to ~/.claude/mcp.json
  3. 3.Provide required credentials and configuration
  4. 4.Restart Claude Desktop to load new server
  5. 5.Test basic functionality with simple prompts
  6. 6.Explore capabilities and experiment with use cases
  7. 7.Document successful patterns for reuse

Troubleshooting

  • MCP server not loading: Check config syntax, verify installation
  • Connection errors: Check network, firewall, credentials
  • Feature not working: Read server docs, check required parameters
  • Performance issues: Monitor resource usage, check for network latency
  • Conflicts with other servers: Check port assignments, namespace collisions

Best Practices

✓ Do

  • +Read server documentation thoroughly before setup
  • +Start with simple use cases to validate functionality
  • +Test in non-production environment first
  • +Monitor resource usage and performance
  • +Keep servers updated for bug fixes and new features
  • +Document configuration for team members
  • +Use environment variables for sensitive configuration

✗ Don't

  • Don't grant overly permissive access to MCP servers
  • Don't skip reading security considerations in docs
  • Don't expose sensitive data without proper controls
  • Don't run untrusted MCP servers without code review
  • Don't ignore error messages—investigate root cause

💡 Pro Tips

  • Combine multiple MCP servers for powerful workflows
  • Create custom MCP servers for your specific needs
  • Share successful configurations with team
  • Use MCP inspector for debugging
  • Join MCP community for tips and troubleshooting

Technical Details

Architecture

Model Context Protocol standardizes how AI hosts (Claude, Cursor) communicate with external tools and data sources through server implementations.

Protocols

  • Model Context Protocol (MCP)
  • JSON-RPC 2.0
  • stdio or HTTP transport

Compatibility

  • Claude Desktop
  • Cursor IDE
  • Custom MCP clients

When to Use This

✓ Use When

Use when you need Claude to access external data, execute actions, or integrate with tools. Best for extending AI capabilities beyond conversation.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid when native integrations exist (use official APIs directly), for real-time critical systems, or when security/compliance requires zero external dependencies.

Integration

  • Tool composition: Chain multiple MCP tools in workflows
  • Context augmentation: Provide AI with relevant external data
  • Action delegation: Let AI execute tasks on external systems
  • Bidirectional sync: Keep AI context and external systems in sync

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
  • No comments yet — start the thread.

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Ratings

4.867 reviews
  • Ren Johnson· Dec 28, 2024

    We evaluated NervusDB against two servers with overlapping tools; this profile had the clearer scope statement.

  • Yusuf Patel· Dec 28, 2024

    According to our notes, NervusDB benefits from clear Model Context Protocol framing — fewer ambiguous “AI plugin” claims.

  • Layla Garcia· Dec 28, 2024

    NervusDB reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.

  • Anika Martin· Dec 24, 2024

    NervusDB is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory — install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.

  • Layla Martinez· Dec 20, 2024

    Useful MCP listing: NervusDB is the kind of server we cite when onboarding engineers to host + tool permissions.

  • Sakura Kim· Dec 16, 2024

    NervusDB is among the better-indexed MCP projects we tried; the explainx.ai summary tracks the official description.

  • Dhruvi Jain· Dec 4, 2024

    NervusDB reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.

  • Amina Park· Dec 4, 2024

    I recommend NervusDB for teams standardizing on MCP; the explainx.ai page compares cleanly with sibling servers.

  • Oshnikdeep· Nov 23, 2024

    I recommend NervusDB for teams standardizing on MCP; the explainx.ai page compares cleanly with sibling servers.

  • Anaya Kim· Nov 23, 2024

    NervusDB reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.

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