The latest articles on DEV Community by Arbab Tahir (@marbabtahir). https://dev.to/marbabtahir https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F744126%2F05761e2f-148e-4e14-b297-63d14dedee74.png https://dev.to/marbabtahir en Arbab Tahir Tue, 03 Feb 2026 20:01:02 +0000 https://dev.to/marbabtahir/i-built-an-open-source-discord-bot-for-developers-code-analysis-docs-github-insights-388k https://dev.to/marbabtahir/i-built-an-open-source-discord-bot-for-developers-code-analysis-docs-github-insights-388k <p>I’ve been working on a Discord bot that developer communities can self-host: it analyzes code, generates docs, explains errors, and even inspects GitHub repos, all via slash commands and powered by OpenAI. I’ve open-sourced it and wanted to share what it does and how it’s built.</p> <h2> What it does </h2> <p>The bot exposes six slash commands. No need for the bot to read every message; everything is interaction-based.</p> <ul> <li> <strong><code>/analyze-code</code></strong> — Paste a code snippet. You get the detected language, potential issues, refactoring ideas, and quality/security notes.</li> <li> <strong><code>/generate-docs</code></strong> — Paste code and get generated documentation: what it does, parameters, return values, and usage examples.</li> <li> <strong><code>/error-explain</code></strong> — Paste an error or stack trace and get a plain-language explanation plus suggested fixes.</li> <li> <strong><code>/explain</code></strong> — Ask for an explanation of a concept (e.g. “async await”) at Beginner, Intermediate, or Senior level.</li> <li> <strong><code>/github-analyze</code></strong> — Pass a public GitHub repo URL. You get a tech stack summary, project structure overview, and improvement suggestions.</li> <li> <strong><code>/project-health</code></strong> — Same repo URL. You get recent commit activity, contributor overview, and a short “health” summary.</li> </ul> <p>User activity (e.g. which commands are used) is tracked in MongoDB for a simple skill/usage view; the data stays with whoever hosts the bot.</p> <h2> Tech stack </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>Node.js + TypeScript</strong> — Typed, maintainable code.</li> <li> <strong>discord.js</strong> — Slash commands and interactions; no privileged intents.</li> <li> <strong>OpenAI API (gpt-3.5-turbo)</strong> — All the “understanding” and text generation.</li> <li> <strong>MongoDB (Mongoose)</strong> — User and usage data for the scoring idea.</li> </ul> <p>The repo includes setup guides: Discord app configuration, env vars, optional GitHub token for the repo commands, and how to run it locally or in production.</p> <h2> Why this structure </h2> <p>I wanted something that’s easy to extend: one place for command definitions, one for handlers, and separate services for GitHub, OpenAI, and user logic. New commands are just a new definition + handler + optional service. There’s an <a href="https://github.com/marbabtahir/discord-developer-assistant/blob/main/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md" rel="noopener noreferrer">Architecture</a> doc in the repo for contributors.</p> <h2> Try it or contribute </h2> <p>Everything is on GitHub: <strong><a href="https://github.com/marbabtahir/discord-developer-assistant" rel="noopener noreferrer">Discord Developer Assistant</a></strong>. It’s MIT licensed. The README and <code>/docs</code> folder cover:</p> <ul> <li>Discord Developer Portal setup (which intents and permissions to enable)</li> <li>Optional GitHub token for <code>/github-analyze</code> and <code>/project-health</code> </li> <li>MongoDB (local or Atlas)</li> <li>Build and run commands</li> </ul> <p>If you run a dev community on Discord or just want to tinker with a bot that uses OpenAI and the GitHub API, feel free to clone it, open issues, or send PRs. I’d love to hear what you’d add next.</p> discord typescript openai opensource