When you open a project in Alex Sidebar, it automatically analyzes and indexes your code files to better understand your codebase.

Think of this like creating a smart map of your code - Alex reads through each file and then can utilize this information to provide more accurate and relevant suggestions when going through your queries.

What is Indexing?

Indexing is the process where Alex:

  • Scans through all your code files
  • Creates special embeddings for each file
  • Stores these embeddings to quickly reference later

Why is it Important?

This indexing helps Alex:

  • Give you more accurate code suggestions
  • Better understand the context when you ask questions
  • Find relevant code examples from your own project
  • Make smarter recommendations based on your actual codebase

Managing Indexes

1

Access Index Management

Open the “Indexed Files” section in Settings to access the indexing UI.

Here you can:

  • View all indexed files
  • Check indexing status
  • Manage existing indexes
  • Set custom override paths
2

Index Operations

The following operations are available:

  • Reload Index: Initialize or refresh indexing for files
  • Delete Index: Remove existing index data
  • Set override path: Manually specify a folder path to index

Automatic Synchronization

Your codebase index automatically updates when:

  • Files are modified
  • New files are added
  • Files are deleted
  • Git branches are switched

This ensures Alex Sidebar always has the most up-to-date information about your codebase!