How Codegen Works

How Codegen Works

Codegen is an expert software engineering agent designed to help development teams build better software. This document explains the architecture and workflow of Codegen.

Architecture Overview

Codegen operates through a sophisticated system with several key components:

Codegen Architecture

Core Components

1. Trigger System

   • Monitors various channels (Slack, GitHub, Linear, API)
   • Detects when users mention or interact with Codegen
   • Captures context from the triggering environment

2. Context Gathering

   • Analyzes the codebase structure
   • Retrieves relevant information from integrations
   • Builds a comprehensive understanding of the task

3. Task Planning

   • Breaks down complex requests into actionable steps
   • Determines the optimal approach to solve the problem
   • Identifies required tools and resources

4. Execution Engine

   • Runs commands in a sandboxed environment
   • Makes code changes through precise edits
   • Interacts with external services via API

5. Response Generation

   • Creates clear, concise responses
   • Formats information appropriately for the channel
   • Provides links to relevant resources

Workflow

When you interact with Codegen, the following process occurs:

1. Trigger: You mention Codegen in Slack, tag it in a GitHub PR, or interact with it in Linear
2. Context Analysis: Codegen gathers relevant information about your request
3. Planning: It determines the best approach to solve your problem
4. Execution: Codegen performs necessary actions (code analysis, edits, searches)
5. Response: It provides a helpful response in the same channel where you triggered it

Available Tools

Codegen has access to a powerful set of tools:

Code Analysis & Navigation

• Search codebases using text or regex patterns
• View file contents and metadata
• Analyze code structure and dependencies
• Reveal symbol definitions and usages

File Operations

• View, create, edit, and delete files
• Rename files while updating all imports
• Move symbols between files
• Commit changes to disk

Semantic Editing

• Make precise, context-aware code edits
• Analyze affected code structures
• Preview changes before applying
• Ensure code quality with linting

Web Search

• Search the web for information
• View specific web pages for reference

Integration Tools

• Create and manage GitHub issues and PRs
• Interact with Linear tickets
• Send messages in Slack
• And more…

Best Practices for Working with Codegen

To get the most out of Codegen:

1. Be Specific: Clearly describe what you want Codegen to do
2. Provide Context: Mention relevant files, issues, or PRs
3. Break Down Complex Tasks: Ask for one thing at a time for best results
4. Review Changes: Always review PRs created by Codegen before merging
5. Provide Feedback: Let Codegen know if its response was helpful

Security and Privacy

Codegen operates with security as a priority:

• All code operations happen in isolated sandboxed environments
• Codegen only accesses repositories you’ve explicitly granted it access to
• Your code is never used to train AI models
• All operations follow the principle of least privilege

Limitations

While powerful, Codegen has some limitations:

• It cannot access private networks or systems outside its integrations
• Very large codebases may take longer to analyze
• Complex architectural decisions still benefit from human oversight
• It works best with well-structured, documented code

For more information about Codegen’s capabilities, see the Capabilities page.