DiffSitter MCP

What it does

DiffSitter provides an MCP server that exposes tree-sitter AST (Abstract Syntax Tree) navigation. Instead of treating code as raw text, it allows AI assistants to understand the structural hierarchy of source code, enabling precise jumps to definitions, symbol listing, and scope inspection.

Tools

• parse_file: Returns the top-level AST structure of a file.
• list_symbols: Lists all functions, classes, structs, traits, enums, and constants.
• get_definition: Retrieves the full source text of a specific symbol by name.
• get_children_of: Lists methods or fields inside a class, impl block, or module.
• get_node_at_position: Identifies the deepest AST node at a specific line/column.
• get_scope: Returns the enclosing scope at a position with the full parent chain.
• navigate: Traverses the AST (parent, first child, next/prev sibling).
• query: Executes raw tree-sitter S-expression queries with captures for complex structural searches.

Installation

Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tree-sitter-mcp": {
      "command": "/path/to/tree-sitter-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Supported hosts

• Claude Desktop
• Claude Code