CodeClipper

Utility designed to gather source code context from directories.

Features

• 📁 Recursive Traversal: Scans your project directory efficiently.
• 🚫 Gitignore: Automatically respects rules from .gitignore files to skip build artifacts and dependencies.
• 📋 Clipboard Integration: Copies the formatted output directly to your system clipboard (can be disabled with --no-copy).
• 🤖 MCP Server: Implements the Model Context Protocol, allowing AI tools to use CodeClipper as a tool to explore your local code.
• 🛡️ Hidden File Protection: Skips hidden directories (like .git or .vscode) by default unless specified.

Prerequisites

• CMake: 3.20 or higher.
• C++ Compiler: Supporting C++20 (GCC 10+, Clang 11+, or MSVC 19.29+).
• Git: Required for fetching dependencies during build.

Building

To build release version from source follow commands:

cmake . -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_TESTS=OFF
cmake --build build

Then install it:

cmake --install build --prefix <path>

Build with Sanitizers (Debug)

To enable Address and Undefined Behavior sanitizers for development (GCC/Clang):

cmake . -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -DENABLE_SANITIZER=ON -B build_debug
cmake --build build_debug

Running Tests

If BUILD_TESTS is enabled (it is ON by default):

cd build
ctest --output-on-failure

Usage

Basic Usage

Gather all files in the current directory and copy them to the clipboard:

cclip

Specifying a Path

cclip /path/to/your/project

Filtering Examples

Include only header files and ignore a specific legacy folder:

cclip -o "*.hxx" -i "legacy/"

Console Output Only

Print the Markdown to the terminal without affecting the clipboard:

cclip --no-copy

MCP Mode

To use CodeClipper as an MCP server for AI tools, start it with the --mcp flag:

cclip --mcp

CLI Options

Flag	Description
path	Positional argument: Root directory to scan (Default: .)
-m, --mcp	Run as an MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server
-i, --ignore	Extra glob patterns to ignore
-o, --only	Process ONLY these file patterns (whitelist)
--no-copy	Output to console only, do not touch clipboard
-l, --list	List file paths only, do not copy content
-v, --verbose	Enable verbose logging
--no-gitignore	Ignore .gitignore files and process all files

License

Copyright 2026 dand104

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0; See LICENSE