Hindsight

Provides access to commits, tests, and Copilot sessions through MCP for AI-assisted coding.

rust

1

GitHub Stars

rust

Language

2 months ago

First Indexed

3 weeks ago

Catalog Refreshed

Documentation & install

Readme and setup notes from the catalogue, plus a client-ready config you can copy for your MCP host.

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

View docs

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rbfinch-hindsight-mcp": {
      "command": "hindsight-mcp",
      "args": [
        "--workspace",
        "${workspaceFolder}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "HINDSIGHT_DATABASE": "/path/to/database.db",
        "HINDSIGHT_WORKSPACE": "/path/to/workspace"
      }
    }
  }
}

Hindsight MCP Server collects your development data—from Git logs and test results to Copilot sessions—into a searchable database and exposes it to AI assistants via MCP tool calls in your editor. This lets you ask questions like what you’ve been working on recently, what commits relate to a feature, or which tests are failing, all backed by your actual development history.

How to use

You run the Hindsight MCP Server locally and connect it to an MCP-enabled client in your editor. The server ingests data from your project space and serves search and summary capabilities through MCP tools. In your editor, enable the hindsight server, then start asking the AI assistant questions about commits, tests, and Copilot conversations. The AI gains access to your development history and can generate answers, timelines, and summaries based on real data.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installing the server:

Install Rust and Cargo from https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install

Install the MCP server binary using Cargo.

cargo install hindsight-mcp

Configure your editor to use the MCP server

In your project, create a configuration that connects your MCP client to the hindsight server. The following example shows how to register a local stdio MCP server named hindsight.

{
  "servers": {
    "hindsight": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "hindsight-mcp",
      "args": ["--workspace", "${workspaceFolder}"]
    }
  }
}

Additional setup steps

Verify the server is available from your MCP client and that it can ingest data from your workspace. The client should list hindsight as a connected MCP server, and you can switch to Agent mode in Copilot Chat to begin querying your development history.

Data sources and ingestion

The server ingests three primary data sources automatically: Git commits, Copilot sessions, and test results. You can trigger data ingestion explicitly for tests and related data using the provided tools and commands.

Troubleshooting

If the server fails to start, verify the binary path and run with verbose logging to capture startup details. If no data appears, trigger data ingestion for the workspace and source type you expect (Git, Copilot, and Tests). If you encounter noisy logs in a production environment, switch to quiet mode to reduce log output.

Notes on usage

This MCP server is designed to work with editor environments that support MCP tool calls. Use the provided tools to search commits, view timelines, summarize activity, fetch commit details with tests, and ingest new data. Ensure your workspace path is correctly set to reflect the project you want to analyze.

Tool access and capabilities

You can access the following capabilities through MCP tool calls when connected to the hindsight server: a timeline of activity, full-text search across commits and Copilot conversations, queries about failing tests, aggregated activity summaries, detailed commit information with tests, and data ingestion for history refreshes.

Security considerations

The server stores your development data locally in a private database per workspace. Access is controlled by your editor configuration and local user permissions. Review your workspace permissions and ensure only trusted editors and assistants have access to the MCP endpoints.

Data location

The server maintains its SQLite database within the configured database path, defaulting to the user’s home directory unless overridden by configuration.

CLI reference at a glance

Use the following command to install and run the server locally, and then configure your editor to connect to it. The exact startup sequence should be performed as shown.

Environment and tools overview

The server exposes a set of tools for querying and managing your data. Each tool is designed to be invoked through MCP in your editor, returning results that summarize or expand on your development history.

License

MIT License applies to this MCP server.

Available tools

hindsight_timeline

Provide a chronological activity view showing recent commits and test runs.

hindsight_search

Perform full-text searches over commits and Copilot conversations.

hindsight_failing_tests

Query for failing tests with optional filters like workspace and commit.

hindsight_activity_summary

Aggregate statistics over a specified time window to summarize activity.

hindsight_commit_details

Retrieve detailed information for a specific commit, including tests.

hindsight_ingest

Trigger ingestion of data from configured sources to refresh the database.