Backbencher (bb)

AST-Native Code Intelligence for AI

Index your entire codebase into a local SQLite brain. Give AI tools byte-precise access to symbols, call graphs, relationships, and cross-language intelligence across 39 languages.

Website • Documentation • All 15 Tools

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What is Backbencher?

bb is a drop-in replacement for OpenCode that adds a local brain database. It parses your entire codebase using Tree-sitter AST parsing and stores every symbol, relationship, and import in a local SQLite database. 15 brain tools (bb_*) give the AI byte-precise, AST-aware access to your code — replacing grep, read, and edit entirely.

Why Backbencher?

Standard AI Coding	With Backbencher
grep -rn "fnName" scans raw text	bb_search queries the AST index — instant, exact
read file.ts loads entire file	bb_select returns ONLY the function's code — saves tokens
edit does blind string replace	bb_update uses AST byte bounds, LSP validation, auto-cascade
No idea who calls what	bb_relationships shows exact call graph
Guesses about architecture	bb_ask does semantic search across entire codebase
Cross-language? Hopeless	39 language parsers, cross-language intelligence

Quick Start

# 1. Install
curl -fsSL https://backbencher.cc/install.sh | bash

# 2. Go to your project and index
cd your-project
bb brain

# 3. Load the skill (teaches AI to use brain tools)
# In the bb TUI, type: /skills bb-tools
# Or add to your config:
bb skill install https://github.com/ishaq2321/bb/blob/main/skill/SKILL.md

# 4. Chat with AI — it now uses bb_* tools

The Brain

Run bb brain once to index your project. The brain:

• 39 languages: TypeScript, Python, Rust, Go, Java, Dart, C/C++, Ruby, PHP, Swift, Kotlin, Scala, Elixir, Haskell, Lua, Zig, C#, F#, R, SQL, Bash, PowerShell, and more
• Symbols: Every function, class, method, variable — with byte-precise boundaries
• Relationships: Every call, import, export, inheritance — pre-computed
• Cross-language: Tracks Python calling JavaScript, Dart calling Swift, etc.
• Incremental: Only re-indexes changed files on subsequent runs
• Local & Private: 100% on your machine, no data leaves

The Skill

Without the skill, bb is just another OpenCode. The bb-tools skill teaches the AI to use the 15 brain tools for all source code operations.

Load it once per project:

# In bb TUI:
/skills bb-tools

# Or via CLI:
bb skill install https://github.com/ishaq2321/bb/blob/main/skill/SKILL.md

The skill maps every natural operation to the correct brain tool:

You want to...	AI uses
Find a function	bb_search
Read implementation	bb_select
Edit code	bb_update
Create new file	bb_write
Delete symbol	bb_delete
Insert code	bb_insert
Rename everywhere	bb_refactor
Find callers/callees	bb_relationships
Ask architecture	bb_ask
Check patterns	bb_patterns
Security scan	bb_security
Migration plan	bb_migrate
Visualize deps	bb_visualize
Check health	bb_health
Reindex	bb_refresh

Installation

macOS & Linux

curl -fsSL https://backbencher.cc/install.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell)

irm https://backbencher.cc/install.ps1 | iex

Manual Download

Download the latest binary from GitHub Releases for your platform:

• bb-linux-x64 — Linux x86_64
• bb-linux-arm64 — Linux ARM64
• bb-darwin-x64 — macOS Intel
• bb-darwin-arm64 — macOS Apple Silicon
• bb-windows-x64.exe — Windows x64

chmod +x bb-* && sudo mv bb-* /usr/local/bin/bb

Project Structure

• .git — Your git repository (used for project identification)
• ~/.local/share/opencode/brain/ — Brain databases (one per project)
• ~/.config/opencode/ — Global config, plugins, skills
• .opencode/skills/ — Project-level skills

Version

Current: 1.0.16-preview

Support

• Bugs & Features: GitHub Issues
• Support: support@backbencher.cc
• General: info@backbencher.cc