Repo2Text - Standalone Windows App

A native Windows desktop application built with C# and Windows Forms to convert GitHub repositories, local directories, or local ZIP files into a single, formatted plain text file. This is useful for feeding code into Large Language Models (LLMs), documentation, or analysis.

This project is a port of the original web-based Repo2Text tool.

Features

• Fetch from GitHub:
  • Input a GitHub repository URL (including specific branches or sub-paths).
  • Supports public repositories.
  • Supports private repositories using a Personal Access Token (PAT).
  • Token is stored locally in user settings for convenience (use with caution).
• Process Local Sources:
  • Select a local directory to process its contents.
  • Upload and process local ZIP archives.
  • Handles .gitignore files found in local directories or ZIP archives to exclude specified files/folders.
• Interactive File Selection:
  • Displays the directory structure in a TreeView.
  • Allows selective checking/unchecking of files and folders.
• Output Generation:
  • Generates a single plain text file containing:
    • A representation of the selected directory structure.
    • The content of all selected files, clearly marked with their paths.
• Convenience Features:
  • Copy to Clipboard: Easily copy the generated text.
  • Download Text: Save the generated text as a .txt file.
  • Download Selected as ZIP (GitHub Only): Download the selected files directly from GitHub as a new ZIP archive.

How to Use

1. (Optional) Download: Grab the latest release from the Releases page. Unzip and run Repo2Text.exe.
2. Choose Source:
   • GitHub: Enter the full GitHub repository URL (e.g., https://github.com/owner/repo or https://github.com/owner/repo/tree/branch/path). Optionally, enter a Personal Access Token for private repos or higher rate limits. Click Fetch from GitHub.
   • Local Directory: Click Select Local Directory and choose the root folder of the project you want to process.
   • Local ZIP: Click Select Local ZIP and choose the ZIP archive you want to process.
3. Select Files: The directory structure will appear. Use the checkboxes to select the files and folders you want to include in the output. Uncheck items you wish to exclude.
4. Generate Output:
   • Click Generate Text to create the combined text file in the output text box.
   • (GitHub Source Only) Click Download Selected as ZIP to download only the selected files from the GitHub repository into a new ZIP file.
5. Use Output:
   • Click Copy to Clipboard to copy the generated text.
   • Click Download Text to save the generated text to a .txt file.

Technology Stack

• Language: C#
• Framework: .NET [Specify Version, e.g., 6.0]
• UI: Windows Forms (WinForms)
• GitHub API: Octokit.net library
• ZIP Handling: System.IO.Compression (.NET built-in)

Getting Started (Development)

Prerequisites

• .NET SDK [Specify Version, e.g., 6.0 or later]
• Visual Studio 2022 (Recommended)

Building and Running

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone [Your Repository URL Here]
   cd Repo2Text-Windows 

2. Open the solution: Open the .sln file in Visual Studio.
3. Restore NuGet Packages: Visual Studio should do this automatically upon opening the solution. If not, right-click the Solution in Solution Explorer and choose "Restore NuGet Packages". (Requires Octokit.net).
4. Build the solution: Press F6 or go to Build > Build Solution.
5. Run the application: Press F5 or click the Start button (usually a green triangle) in the toolbar.

Configuration

• GitHub Access Token: The application allows storing an optional GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) to access private repositories or avoid rate limits. This token is stored in the user's local application settings (Properties.Settings). While convenient, be aware of the security implications of storing tokens locally. For highly sensitive scenarios, consider more secure methods not implemented here (like Windows Credential Manager).

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you find a bug or have a feature request, please open an issue on GitHub. If you'd like to contribute code, please fork the repository and submit a pull request.

1. Fork the Project
2. Create your Feature Branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your Changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the Branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE file for more information.

Acknowledgements

• Based on the original web-based Repo2Text project by abinthomasonline.
• Uses the excellent Octokit.net library.