Quick Start Guide¶

Get Code Scalpel running in under 5 minutes. This guide assumes you're comfortable with command-line tools and have an MCP-compatible AI assistant ready.

Prerequisites¶

• Python 3.10 or higher
• pip or uv package manager
• One of: Claude Desktop, VS Code with Copilot, or Cursor

Step 1: Install Code Scalpel¶

Choose your preferred installation method:

# No installation needed - uvx runs directly
uvx codescalpel --version

pip install codescalpel
codescalpel --version

pipx install codescalpel
codescalpel --version

You should see output like:

Code Scalpel v1.4.0

Step 2: Configure Your AI Assistant¶

# Open config file
open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

# Open config file
notepad %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

# Open config file
nano ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "code-scalpel": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["codescalpel", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "code-scalpel": {
      "command": "/path/to/your/python",
      "args": ["-m", "code_scalpel"]
    }
  }
}

{
  "servers": {
    "code-scalpel": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["codescalpel", "mcp"],
      "env": {
        "CODE_SCALPEL_LICENSE_PATH": "${workspaceFolder}/.code-scalpel/license/"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Verify It Works¶

Open a conversation with your AI assistant and try:

def calculate_total(items, tax_rate=0.1):
    """Calculate total price with tax."""
    subtotal = sum(item.price for item in items)
    return subtotal * (1 + tax_rate)

class ShoppingCart:
    def __init__(self):
        self.items = []

    def add_item(self, item):
        self.items.append(item)

You should see the AI invoke analyze_code and return:

{
  "functions": [
    {
      "name": "calculate_total",
      "line": 1,
      "parameters": ["items", "tax_rate"],
      "returns": "float"
    }
  ],
  "classes": [
    {
      "name": "ShoppingCart",
      "line": 6,
      "methods": ["__init__", "add_item"]
    }
  ],
  "imports": []
}

Step 4: Try More Tools¶

Now that you're set up, try these common operations:

Extract a Specific Function¶

"Use extract_code to get just the calculate_total function"

Run a Security Scan¶

"Use security_scan to check this code for vulnerabilities"

Get Project Overview¶

"Use get_project_map to show me the structure of this project"

Common Issues¶

Next Steps¶