# btca-local

This skill guides an agent through searching Git repositories on your machine and citing the code it finds. Use it to investigate a project’s source.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1000 installs · ★ 1155
- Author: davis7dotsh
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/davis7dotsh/better-context/tree/HEAD/skills/btca-local/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-04-12
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/btca-local

## What it does

\`btca-local` gives the agent a workflow for searching local Git repositories. It uses `~/.btca/agent/sandbox`: repositories already there are updated, while missing ones are cloned from their main branch. If you provide a specific repository, the skill directs the search to it.

The agent is instructed to support its answer with citations or links and complete code examples, including imports. The search depends on repositories being available on your machine. The main branch is used unless you request another one.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add davis7dotsh/better-context --skill btca-local -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/btca-local/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/btca-local/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add davis7dotsh/better-context --skill btca-local -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/btca-local/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add davis7dotsh/better-context --skill btca-local -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/btca-local/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install davis7dotsh/better-context btca-local
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/btca-local/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add davis7dotsh/better-context --skill btca-local -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/davis7dotsh/better-context --path skills/btca-local
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/btca-local/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add davis7dotsh/better-context --skill btca-local -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/davis7dotsh/better-context/tree/HEAD/skills/btca-local/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- locate the implementation of a function in a repository
- trace where a method or API is called
- search a specific Git repository for an answer
- get a source-based explanation with citations and complete code

## Example prompts
- Use btca to find where this repository handles authentication.
- Use btca to explain how this method works and show the complete code example.
- Use btca to search this Git repository and cite the relevant source.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 2cbf1daa11acb74b.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 2cbf1daa11acb74b
````text
---
name: btca-local
description: Invoke this skill when the user says "use btca"
---

# BTCA Local

BTCA Local, aka "The Better Context App Local" is a simple app defined as a skill file. The purpose of this app is to search git repos cloned onto this machine.

## the BTCA Search Workflow

<guidelines>
    <guideline>
        if the user includes a direct like to a github repo, always load and reference that
    </guideline>
    <guideline>
        if the user doesn't include any specific links/repos they want you to use, do your best to guess based on the context provided
    </guideline>
    <guideline>
        always include links/citations in your answers explaining what you found
    </guideline>
    <guideline>
        include very clear and complete code snippets. don't leave out stuff like imports, that's important context
    </guideline>
    <guideline>
        when answering use lots of bulleted/numbered lists to keep things readable and clear
    </guideline>
</guidelines>

<workflow>
    <step name="work dir setup">
        use ~/.btca/agent/sandbox as the place where you clone/search repos
    </step>
    <step name="load">
        if the repo(s) are already in the work dir ~/.btca/agent/sandbox update them, otherwise clone them. clone the main branch by default, unless the user asks for something else
    </step>
    <step name="search">
        search the repo for the information you need. make sure to follow the guidelines
    </step>
<workflow>

<end_goal>
a clear, concise answer to the question with code examples
</end_goal>

## Startup Cases:

This skill can be invoked in a couple different ways, and your behavior should reflect that:

### user invoked without extra context/question

this is the "app startup" state, almost as if a terminal app was booted up.

Your job is to search the working directory ~/.btca/agent/sandbox at the top level, just to get a list of all the repos that have been previously cloned

Then you should simply output the following markdown (filling in the existing repos):

```md
# BTCA Local

_use your coding agent to search any git repo locally_

Previously searched:

- repo 1
- ...

Give me a question and the link to a git repo to get started!
(we can also clean out or pre-load some resources to this list...)
```

### you invoked because of user's prompt

in this case, your job is to answer/execute the users prompt faithfully, just while also using the btca search workflow when needed to better execute your task

### user invoked while also giving a prompt/questions

this one's simple, simply answer the users prompt with the btca search workflow
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 2cbf1daa11acb74b

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 2cbf1daa11acb74b tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

© davis7dotsh · MIT · https://github.com/davis7dotsh/better-context/tree/HEAD/skills/btca-local/SKILL.md

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From the same set: [davis7dotsh/better-context](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/davis7dotsh/better-context.md) — 2 cards

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