I Built MapFolder: A Visual Map for Exploring Confusing Codebases

Sigismundsblade — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 08:55:48 +0000

Every developer has experienced this:

You clone a repository, open it, and immediately get lost.

The folder structure tells you where files live, but it doesn't tell you how they're connected. Which files import each other? What modules are central? What parts of the project are isolated? Where should you start reading?

I ran into this problem repeatedly when exploring unfamiliar projects, so I built MapFolder.

MapFolder scans a codebase and generates an interactive relationship map showing how files, dependencies, and symbols connect.

The Problem

Traditional file explorers show hierarchy:

src/
├── game/
├── utils/
├── models/
└── api/

But hierarchy doesn't explain relationships.

A file buried deep in a project might actually be the most important file in the system.

I wanted a way to answer questions like:

Which files are imported the most?
What depends on what?
Where are the key entry points?
What symbols are defined in each file?
How are modules connected across the project?

What MapFolder Does

MapFolder analyzes a project and extracts:

Files
Imports
Dependencies
Symbols
References
Relationship graphs

The result is an interactive visualization of the codebase.

Relationship Map

This view shows how files connect to each other through imports and dependencies.

Large projects often become much easier to understand when viewed as a graph rather than a folder tree.

Exploring Files

Each file includes useful metadata such as:

Import count
Symbol count
Line count

This makes it easier to identify high-impact files before opening them.

Inspecting a File

Selecting a file reveals:

Language
Line count
Imports
Declared classes
Functions
Other symbols

Instead of hunting through source files manually, you can quickly understand what a module contains.

Understanding Relationships

MapFolder also shows:

Incoming imports
Outgoing imports
Dependencies
Reference tokens

This helps answer the question:

"Why is this file important?"

by showing exactly how it fits into the rest of the codebase.

Built For

I originally built this for:

Learning unfamiliar repositories
Understanding legacy projects
Visualizing architecture
Finding highly connected modules
Exploring personal projects after not touching them for months

Looking for Feedback

I'm curious how other developers approach understanding unfamiliar codebases.

Would a visualization tool like this fit into your workflow?

If you have ideas, feature requests, or criticism, I'd love to hear them.

GitHub:
https://github.com/Sigismundsblade/MapFolder

DEV Community: Sigismundsblade