ExplainThisRepo is a CLI (Command Line Interface) tool that automatically generates plain-English explanations of GitHub repositories. It's designed to help developers quickly understand what any public GitHub repository does by analyzing its contents and creating an EXPLAIN.md file.
This tool solves the problem of understanding unfamiliar codebases. Instead of manually reading through code and documentation, developers can use this CLI to generate a clear, readable explanation of any GitHub repository.
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Fetches public GitHub repositories automatically
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Analyzes README and repository metadata to understand the project
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Generates clear explanations in plain English
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Outputs a EXPLAIN.md file in your current directory
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Simple command-line interface for ease of use
No Python setup required. Runs anywhere Node runs.
npx explainthisrepo owner/repoIf you want it installed globally:
npm install -g explainthisrepo
explainthisrepo owner/repoRequirements: Python 3.9+
pip install explainthisrepopipx install explainthisrepoexplainthisrepo owner/repoexplainthisrepo facebook/reactThis generates:
EXPLAIN.md
Open the file in your editor to read the explanation
pip install explainthisrepo
explainthisrepo owner/repoExplainThisRepo uses Gemini.
Set your API key as an environment variable.
macOS / Linux
export GEMINI_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"
Windows (PowerShell)
setx GEMINI_API_KEY "your_api_key_here"Restart your terminal after setting the key.
Termux has some environment limitations that can make pip install explainthisrepo fail to create the explainthisrepo command in $PREFIX/bin.
pip install --user -U explainthisrepoMake sure your user bin directory is on your PATH:
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"Tip: Add the PATH export to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc so it persists.
Alternative (No PATH changes)
If you do not want to modify PATH, you can run ExplainThisRepo as a module:
python -m explain_this_repo owner/repoGemini support on Termux (Optional)
Installing Gemini support may require building Rust-based dependencies on Android, which can take time on first install:
pip install --user -U "explainthisrepo[gemini]"Contributions are welcome.
If you find a bug, have an idea, or want to improve the tool:
- Open an issue
- Or submit a pull request
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.
Caleb Wodi