opensrc

Fetch source code for npm packages to give coding agents deeper context than types alone.

Why?

When working with AI coding agents, types and documentation often aren't enough. Sometimes the agent needs to understand the implementation - how something works internally, not just its interface.

opensrc automates the process of fetching package source code so your agent can reference it when needed.

Installation

npm install -g opensrc

Or use with npx:

npx opensrc <package>

Usage

npm Packages

# Fetch source for a package (auto-detects version from lockfile)
opensrc zod

# Fetch specific version
opensrc [email protected]

# Fetch multiple packages
opensrc react react-dom next

Re-running opensrc <package> automatically updates to match your installed version—no flags needed.

GitHub Repositories

You can also fetch source code directly from any public GitHub repository:

# Using github: prefix
opensrc github:owner/repo

# Using owner/repo shorthand
opensrc facebook/react

# Using full GitHub URL
opensrc https://github.com/colinhacks/zod

# Fetch a specific branch or tag
opensrc owner/[email protected]
opensrc owner/repo#main

# Mix packages and repos
opensrc zod facebook/react

GitHub repos are stored as opensrc/owner--repo/.

Managing Sources

# List fetched sources
opensrc list

# Remove a source (package or repo)
opensrc remove zod
opensrc remove owner--repo

File Modifications

On first run, opensrc will ask for permission to modify these files:

• .gitignore — adds opensrc/ to ignore list
• tsconfig.json — excludes opensrc/ from compilation
• AGENTS.md — adds a section pointing agents to the source code

Your choice is saved to opensrc/settings.json so you won't be prompted again.

To skip the prompt, use the --modify flag:

# Allow file modifications
opensrc zod --modify

# Deny file modifications
opensrc zod --modify=false

How it works

1. Queries the npm registry to find the package's repository URL
2. Detects the installed version from your lockfile (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock)
3. Clones the repository at the matching git tag
4. Stores the source in opensrc/<package-name>/
5. If permitted: adds opensrc/ to .gitignore, excludes from tsconfig.json, updates AGENTS.md

Output

After running opensrc zod:

opensrc/
├── settings.json       # Your modification preferences
├── sources.json        # Index of fetched packages
└── zod/
    ├── src/
    ├── package.json
    └── ...

The sources.json file lists all fetched packages with their versions, so agents know what's available:

{
  "packages": [
    { "name": "zod", "version": "3.22.0", "path": "opensrc/zod" }
  ]
}

The settings.json file stores your preferences:

{
  "allowFileModifications": true
}

License

Apache-2.0