This repository contains the original open-source prototype of AppExplorer.
It is no longer the active development repository.
AppExplorer started as a VSCode + Miro prototype for building architecture diagrams that stay connected to real code.
The core idea is still the same:
- developers explore a codebase in VSCode
- meaningful code elements are attached to a diagram
- the diagram becomes a navigable, high-level view of the system
- the result can serve as living documentation tied to the implementation
This prototype proved out that workflow.
This repository is now effectively frozen.
I am no longer publishing ongoing AppExplorer development here, and future work is happening in a private repository.
You are welcome to read this code as a historical prototype, but you should not expect this repository to track the current product.
AppExplorer <= 0.2 was built around a localhost server.
That means the prototype depends on a local development setup and a Miro app configured to talk to that local server. In practice, this makes the prototype useful for development and experimentation, but not for a hosted team workflow.
It also means non-developer stakeholders, such as PMs, cannot fully interact with cards unless the local development environment is running correctly. They can view diagrams on the board, but the interactive behavior depends on the localhost-based prototype architecture.
As AppExplorer moves to a hosted model, that old setup is no longer the path forward.
AppExplorer is being rebuilt as a hosted product with a permanent domain and server-backed Miro integration.
That change is necessary to support real team usage instead of requiring every
workflow to depend on localhost.
The current direction is a paid Miro app where:
- subscriptions are required to create cards
- someone on a team needs an active subscription for card details to be opened
- the product works through hosted infrastructure instead of the original localhost-only prototype
That also means the open-source prototype in this repository will diverge from the active product.
Even though the active source code is no longer being published here, I am still publishing a public Miro board that explains AppExplorer’s codebase at a high level.
That board is the best way to understand the product direction without reading the private source repository.
Public board:
AppExplorer Public Board
Use this repository if you want to:
- inspect the original prototype
- understand the early technical direction
- see how the VSCode + Miro localhost approach worked
- compare the prototype against the public board
Do not use this repository if you are looking for:
- the current production code
- the active Miro app
- hosted onboarding or subscription support
- a stable path for adoption
Because the prototype is still useful as a record of how the idea started.
The open-source version demonstrated the core concept: architecture diagrams can be anchored to real code instead of drifting into stale documentation.
That idea is continuing, even though the implementation and delivery model are changing.
This repository remains available under the license already published here for the prototype.
That license applies to this archived prototype repository only. It does not grant rights to future private versions of AppExplorer unless explicitly stated elsewhere.
If you found this repository because you want to understand what AppExplorer is, start with https://appexplorer.dev.
This repo is the prototype. The active product has moved on.