Explore the graph

Everything ovecc index learns — modules, files, symbols, call edges, HTTP routes, table accesses — is one connected graph. Four commands let you interrogate it, and one exports it.

query: structured questions

ovecc query "deps services"      # what does services depend on?
ovecc query "rdeps core"         # who depends on core?
ovecc query "paths core"         # traced paths through core
ovecc query "routes -> core"     # is core reachable from routes? (with the path)
ovecc query "cycles"             # elementary cycles, with witness edges
ovecc query "module billing"     # search elements by name

Real answers:

$ ovecc query "rdeps core"
Dependents: 3
  routes
  services
  src

$ ovecc query "routes -> core"
routes depends on core: yes
  routes -> core

$ ovecc query "cycles"
Cycles: 1
  core -> services -> core
    src/core/db.ts:2 -> src/services/billing.ts (../services/billing)
    src/services/billing.ts:1 -> src/core/db.ts (../core/db)

Targets can be modules, files, symbols, or table:NAME — ovecc query "rdeps table:products" answers "who touches this table?" with the exact handler symbols.

impact: blast radius

"What breaks if I touch this?" — downstream by default, --direction upstream|both to flip, --max-depth to bound the walk:

$ ovecc impact "api:/billing/summary"
Impact: GET /billing/summary/:id
Affected modules: 0
Affected APIs: 0
Affected tables: 1
Affected symbols: 5
Risk: Low (11)

Top paths:
  GET /billing/summary/:id -> <GET /billing/summary/:id handler>
  GET /billing/summary/:id -> <GET /billing/summary/:id handler> -> invoiceSummary
  GET /billing/summary/:id -> <GET /billing/summary/:id handler> -> invoiceSummary -> invoices
  GET /billing/summary/:id -> <GET /billing/summary/:id handler> -> invoiceSummary -> query -> loadConfig

The paths are the answer: this endpoint reaches the invoices table through invoiceSummary. API targets accept the label (api:GET /search) or any substring (api:/search).

explain: the role of an element

A deterministic, offline explanation — every sentence backed by a fact from the context slice:

$ ovecc explain core
# core

`core` is foundational: 3 component(s) depend on it and it has no dependencies of
its own, so changes here ripple outward. It lies on 3 traced call path(s).
2 finding(s) affect it, the most severe being low.

## Dependents (3)
- routes
- services
- src

## Change impact
Modifying `core` directly affects 3 dependent(s); change can propagate along:
- core -> routes
- core -> services
- core -> src

explain characterizes coupling (isolated / entry-point / foundational / intermediary), lists the direct dependency edges both ways, walks change-impact paths in the reverse-dependency direction (who is affected, up to three hops), and appends the findings touching the element. It works on modules, files, symbols, tables, and APIs.

export context: the slice as JSON

The same context slice explain narrates, as clean JSON for an external tool or LLM. Nothing is sent anywhere — it just prints:

$ ovecc export context billing
{
  "data": {
    "target": "POST /billing/charge",
    "dependencies": ["<POST /billing/charge handler>"],
    "reverse_dependencies": ["routes"],
    "call_paths": [["POST /billing/charge", "routes"], ...],
    "findings": []
  }
}

export graph: the whole graph

As data — module-level and file-level nodes and edges, sorted so an unchanged database exports byte-identical output, ready for Graphviz, d3, or any tool:

ovecc export graph --format json > graph.json

Or as a self-contained interactive viewer:

$ ovecc export graph --html
{ "html": "ovecc-graph.html", "bytes": 23560, "modules": 10, "files": 16, "file_edges": 22 }

The HTML file is genuinely offline — zero external URLs, the renderer ships inside the ovecc binary. Open it in any browser:

• force-directed canvas with module and file views;
• search, per-node detail panel;
• toggle external dependencies on/off.

Because it's one file, it attaches to a PR, an ADR, or a wiki page as-is.

Which one do I want?

Question	Command
Who imports X?	query "rdeps X"
Does A (transitively) depend on B?	query "A -> B"
What breaks if I change X?	impact X
What is X, architecturally?	explain X
Give my LLM the facts about X	export context X
Show me everything	export graph --html