gh-dnlopes-claude-code-plugins-mcp-serena/commands/activate-serena.md

name, description

name	description
activate-serena	Activate Serena MCP semantic code analysis for the current or specified project

Activate Serena for Project

You will help the user activate Serena's semantic code analysis for a project.

What is Serena?

Serena is an MCP server that provides IDE-like semantic code analysis capabilities:

• Symbol-based code navigation (find classes, methods, functions)
• Code structure understanding (get file overviews, symbol hierarchies)
• Reference tracking (find all usages of a symbol)
• Pattern searching with code context
• Supports 20+ programming languages

Activation Workflow

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Determine Project to Activate

Ask the user which project they want to activate using the AskUserQuestion tool:

Question: "Which project would you like to activate Serena for?"

Options:

1. Current directory - Activate the project in your current working directory
2. Specific path - Provide an absolute or relative path to a project directory

Step 2: Resolve the Path

Based on the user's choice:

• Current directory: Use the working directory from the environment context
• Specific path:
  • If relative path provided, resolve to absolute using realpath or similar
  • If absolute path provided, use as-is
  • Verify the path exists

Step 3: Activate the Project

Call the Serena activation tool:

mcp__plugin_core-mcps_serena__activate_project(project: "<absolute_path>")

Step 4: Confirm Success

Display a success message to the user:

✓ Serena activated for project: <project_path>

You can now use semantic code analysis tools:
- "Find all implementations of UserService"
- "Show me the structure of src/api/routes.ts"
- "Where is the processPayment function used?"
- "Find all classes that implement IRepository"

Step 5: Check Onboarding

After activation, call the onboarding check tool to see if the project has been onboarded:

mcp__plugin_core-mcps_serena__check_onboarding_performed()

If onboarding hasn't been performed, inform the user that Serena may need a moment to index the codebase, and they can proceed with semantic queries.

Error Handling

If activation fails:

• Check if the path exists and is a valid directory
• Verify the path contains code files
• Display the error message from Serena
• Ask if the user wants to try a different path

Important Notes

• Serena indexes the project's code structure during activation
• This may take a few moments for large codebases
• Once activated, all semantic tools are available for that project
• The activation persists for the current Claude Code session