Renamify MCP Server

MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for Renamify - enabling AI agents to perform intelligent, case-aware renaming operations across codebases.

Renamify understands different naming conventions and can rename identifiers and files in a single atomic operation. This MCP server makes it available to AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible tools.

Installation

Prerequisites

1. Renamify CLI must be installed and available in your PATH:

   # Quick install (Linux/macOS)
   curl -fsSL https://docspring.github.io/renamify/install.sh | bash
   
   # Or download from GitHub releases
   # Or see: https://docspring.github.io/renamify/installation

2. Node.js 18+ is required

Using the MCP Server

The MCP server is designed to be used with AI assistants via npx (no installation needed):

npx @renamify/mcp-server

Configuration

Add to your MCP client configuration (e.g., for Claude Desktop or Cursor):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "renamify": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@renamify/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Custom Binary Path

If renamify is not in your PATH or you want to use a specific binary, set the RENAMIFY_PATH environment variable:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "renamify": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@renamify/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "RENAMIFY_PATH": "/path/to/renamify"
      }
    }
  }
}

Supported AI Assistants

• Claude Desktop - Anthropic's AI assistant
• Cursor - AI-powered code editor
• Continue - Open-source AI code assistant
• Any MCP-compatible client - Following the MCP specification

Features

• Case-Aware Transformations: Automatically handles snake_case, camelCase, PascalCase, kebab-case, and more
• File and Directory Renaming: Renames files and directories that match your patterns
• Safe Operations: Plan-first workflow with atomic operations and full undo/redo support
• AI-Optimized Output: Summary format designed for AI agents to easily parse and understand

Available Tools

renamify_plan

Create a renaming plan to replace identifiers across a codebase with case-awareness.

Parameters:

• old (required): The old name/identifier to replace
• new (required): The new name/identifier to replace with
• includes: Array of glob patterns for files to include
• excludes: Array of glob patterns for files to exclude
• styles: Array of case styles to detect (snake, camel, pascal, kebab, etc.)
• preview: Output format - table, diff, json, or summary (default: summary)
• dryRun: If true, only preview without creating plan file
• renameFiles: Whether to rename files (default: true)
• renameDirs: Whether to rename directories (default: true)

Example Usage (by AI agent):

Tool: renamify_plan
Arguments: {
  "old": "user_name",
  "new": "customer_name",
  "includes": ["src/**/*.ts"],
  "excludes": ["node_modules/**"],
  "styles": ["snake", "camel", "pascal"],
  "preview": "summary"
}

renamify_apply

Apply a renaming plan to make the actual changes.

Parameters:

• planId: Plan ID to apply (uses latest if not specified)
• planPath: Path to plan file
• commit: Create a git commit after applying (default: false)

Example Usage (by AI agent):

Tool: renamify_apply
Arguments: {
  "commit": true
}

renamify_undo

Undo a previously applied renaming.

Parameters:

• id (required): History ID to undo

Example Usage (by AI agent):

Tool: renamify_undo
Arguments: {
  "id": "abc123def456"
}

renamify_redo

Redo a previously undone renaming.

Parameters:

• id (required): History ID to redo

renamify_history

Show renaming history.

Parameters:

• limit: Number of history entries to show (default: 10)

renamify_status

Show current renamify status and pending plans.

renamify_preview

Preview a plan without applying it.

Parameters:

• planId: Plan ID to preview
• planPath: Path to plan file to preview
• format: Preview format - table, diff, json, or summary

Documentation

For comprehensive documentation, visit: https://docspring.github.io/renamify/mcp/

AI Agent Usage Guide

Note: The examples below show how AI agents call MCP tools through the MCP protocol. These are not JavaScript function calls - they represent the tool name and arguments that the AI agent sends to the MCP server.

Safe Renaming Workflow

1. Plan First, Apply Later

   Always create a plan first to review changes:
   1. Use renamify_plan to see what will change
   2. Review the summary carefully
   3. Use renamify_preview with different formats if needed
   4. Only then use renamify_apply

2. Use Appropriate Preview Formats

   • summary: Best for AI agents - simple, structured output
   • diff: See exact line-by-line changes
   • table: Human-readable tabular format
   • json: Full structured data for processing

3. Safety Features

   • Plans are atomic by default - all changes succeed or none
   • Full undo/redo support with history tracking
   • Dry run mode for testing without side effects
   • Git integration for automatic commits

Best Practices for AI Agents

1. Start with Dry Runs Always test first by using the dry run option:

   Tool: renamify_plan
   Arguments: {
     "old": "oldName",
     "new": "newName",
     "dryRun": true,
     "preview": "summary"
   }

2. Use Specific Includes Target specific directories/files to avoid unintended changes:

   Tool: renamify_plan
   Arguments: {
     "old": "oldName",
     "new": "newName",
     "includes": ["src/**/*.ts", "lib/**/*.js"],
     "excludes": ["**/*.test.ts", "node_modules/**"]
   }

3. Check Status Before Applying Always check what's pending before applying changes:

   Tool: renamify_status
   Arguments: {}

   Then if everything looks good:

   Tool: renamify_apply
   Arguments: {}

4. Handle Errors Gracefully

   • Check if renamify CLI is available
   • Verify files haven't changed since planning
   • Verify the plan before applying changes

Common Scenarios

Rename a React Component

Tool: renamify_plan
Arguments: {
  "old": "UserProfile",
  "new": "CustomerProfile",
  "includes": ["src/**/*.tsx", "src/**/*.ts"],
  "styles": ["pascal", "camel"],
  "renameFiles": true
}

Update Database Schema Names

Tool: renamify_plan
Arguments: {
  "old": "user_accounts",
  "new": "customer_accounts",
  "includes": ["migrations/**/*.sql", "models/**/*.js"],
  "styles": ["snake"],
  "renameFiles": false
}
Note: renameFiles is false to preserve migration file names

Renaming API Endpoints

Tool: renamify_plan
Arguments: {
  "old": "get-user",
  "new": "get-customer",
  "includes": ["api/**/*.js", "tests/**/*.js"],
  "styles": ["kebab", "camel", "snake"]
}

Development

Building

npm run build

Testing

npm test

Running locally

npm run dev

Troubleshooting

"Renamify CLI is not available"

• Ensure renamify binary is in your PATH
• Test with: renamify --version

"No matches found"

• Check your include/exclude patterns
• Verify the case styles match your codebase
• Try with fewer restrictions first

"Conflicts detected"

• Files may have changed since plan creation
• Create a fresh plan with current file state
• Consider force applying if conflicts are expected

License

MIT - See LICENSE file for details

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see the main Renamify repository for contribution guidelines.