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LLM Context Builder

A powerful desktop app for preparing, previewing, and packaging any local codebase for large-language-model conversations. Built with Electron for native file system access and zero configuration.

Screenshot showing the LLM Context Builder interface

TL;DR – Pick a project folder, select files using an intuitive tree interface, and copy a perfectly formatted XML snippet—ready for ChatGPT, Claude, or any LLM.

🖥️ NATIVE DESKTOP APP – Gitignore-aware, keyboard-friendly, beautifully responsive, with deep macOS integration.

Table of Contents

  1. Features
  2. Quick Start
  3. macOS Launch Instructions
  4. Desktop Features
  5. Folder Structure
  6. UI/UX Details
  7. Tech Stack
  8. Building & Distribution
  9. Contributing
  10. License

Features

Area Highlights
Native File Access Browse directories using the OS file picker. No security restrictions. Remembers recent directories.
Smart Tree Navigation Expandable tree view. Select folders to include all contents. Checkboxes propagate intelligently.
Gitignore Integration Respects .gitignore. Filters noise while preserving selections.
File Type Filtering Filter by extension with visual indicators and keyboard control.
Live Preview Syntax-highlighted XML preview with live updates, line counts, token estimates, and structure.
Menu Bar Integration Native macOS menus: ⌘O to open, plus Edit/View/Window.
Clipboard Export One-click copy of formatted XML, ready for LLM prompts.
Keyboard Shortcuts Familiar shortcuts: ⌘O (open), ⌘F (search), ⌘C (copy).

Quick Start

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/your-org/llm-context-builder.git
cd llm-context-builder

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start the app in development mode
npm run electron-dev

To build a distributable version:

npm run build-electron

macOS Launch Instructions

The app is not code-signed, so macOS may block it at first launch. To allow it:

First Launch

  1. Locate the .app (e.g., dist/mac/LLM Context Builder.app).
  2. Right-click the app in Finder and choose Open.
  3. Confirm the dialog by clicking Open.

After That

You can open it normally from Finder or Launchpad.

If you still have trouble:

xattr -d com.apple.quarantine "LLM Context Builder.app"

⚠️ The app requests no sensitive permissions. It only accesses files you select.

Desktop Features

File System Access

  • OS-native folder picker
  • No browser sandbox limitations
  • Recents tracked and editable

macOS Native Integration

  • File/Edit/View/Window menus
  • Keyboard shortcuts (⌘O, ⌘F, etc.)
  • Dock icon with live state

File Tree

  • Expand/collapse folders
  • Folder-level select-all
  • Keyboard accessible

Preview

  • Instant XML output
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Token and line estimates

Folder Structure

electron/               → Electron main process
  main.js              → App entry
  preload.js           → Secure IPC bridge

app/                   → Next.js frontend
  page.tsx             → Main UI
  globals.css          → Tailwind styles

components/            → React components
  file-tree.tsx        → Tree navigation
  filter-popup.tsx     → File filtering
  recent-paths.tsx     → Recent projects

hooks/                 → Custom hooks
  use-file-operations.tsx → File system logic

lib/                   → Utilities
  utils.ts             → Filtering logic
  file-types.ts        → File type detection
  recent-paths.ts      → Recents storage

public/                → Static assets
  logo.png             → App icon

Tech Stack

Layer Stack
Desktop Shell Electron 37
Frontend Next.js 15 + React 19 + TypeScript
Styling Tailwind CSS
UI Components shadcn/ui + Radix UI
Icons Lucide React
File Access Node.js fs via Electron

Building & Distribution

# Dev mode
npm run electron-dev

# Build Next.js app
npm run build

# Run Electron manually
npm run electron

Production Builds

npm run build-electron    # Current platform
npm run dist              # All platforms (requires setup)

Tested on:

  • ✅ macOS (primary)
  • ⚠️ Windows/Linux (config present, untested)

Code signing & auto-update are not included.

Contributing

# Fork and clone
git clone https://github.com/your-username/llm-context-builder.git

# Install deps
npm install

# New feature branch
git checkout -b feature/your-feature

Guidelines

  • Use TypeScript strict mode
  • Tailwind for styling
  • Prettier + ESLint for formatting
  • Follow structure and design system
  • Test and document your changes

License

MIT © 2025