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FAQ General

Manoj Mallick edited this page May 12, 2026 · 2 revisions

FAQ — General

What is SigMap?

SigMap is a code context engine for AI coding sessions. It:

  • Extracts code signatures (functions, classes, exports) from your project
  • Retrieves relevant files based on your query
  • Validates context coverage
  • Scores how grounded AI answers are in your code

Key stats: 97.9% average token reduction, 78.9% hit@5 retrieval accuracy, 31 languages.


How is SigMap different from other tools?

Feature SigMap Repomix RAG Embeddings
No npm install
Zero dependencies
Local & offline
Query-specific context
Validates coverage Partial
Scores groundedness

Can I use SigMap with [my IDE]?

Officially supported:

  • Claude Code / Cursor (MCP)
  • Copilot / Windsurf (MCP)
  • Codex / Gemini CLI (direct)
  • OpenCode / Aider / Cline (file injection)

Can use manually:

  • Any IDE (copy/paste .context/query-context.md)

See MCP Setup Guide.


How much does SigMap cost?

Free. MIT open source, zero API costs, runs locally.


Does SigMap work offline?

Yes. After sigmap generates the context file, everything runs offline.


What languages does SigMap support?

31 languages: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, Java, Kotlin, Ruby, PHP, Swift, C#, C++, Dart, Scala, Vue, Svelte, GraphQL, SQL, Terraform, Bash, Shell, Dockerfile, Makefile, JSON, YAML, TOML, XML, Markdown, R, and GDScript.

See Language Support.


Can I use SigMap in a monorepo?

Yes. Three modes:

  1. Global — One context for entire monorepo
  2. Per-package — Separate context per workspace
  3. Scoped — Infer package from query tokens

See Monorepo Setup.


How do I exclude files?

Create .contextignore in project root (gitignore syntax):

node_modules/
dist/
build/
*.test.js
*.spec.ts
coverage/

See Configuration Guide.


Can I use SigMap in CI/CD?

Yes. Two strategies:

  1. Fail on budget — Enforce max tokens
  2. Comment on PRs — Post reduction metrics

See CI/CD Integration.


What's the difference between ask and validate?

  • ask — Retrieves top files for a query (fast, specific)
  • validate — Checks if all needed files are in context (comprehensive)

Use together:

sigmap ask "auth login"
sigmap validate --query "auth login"

Can I customize extractors?

Yes. Create custom extractors for:

  • Domain-specific languages (DSLs)
  • Framework-specific patterns
  • Proprietary syntax

See Custom Extractors.


How do I extend with MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) tools let you:

  • Query context dynamically from Claude Code
  • Explain any file with imports/exports
  • Get impact blast radius
  • Search signatures

See MCP Extensions.


What is the learning feature?

sigmap learn tracks which files helped with each task:

sigmap learn --task "fix auth bug" --helpful src/auth.js src/sessions.js

This boosts scores for files that solve similar tasks.

See Learning Guide.


Can I use SigMap with [my LLM]?

Yes. SigMap works with:

  • Cloud: Claude, GPT-4, Gemini
  • Open-source: Llama, Mistral, Code Llama
  • Local: Ollama, llama.cpp, vLLM

See Local LLMs Guide.


Still have questions?