File referencing in Exponent allows you to easily bring the contents of your codebase into your conversations.

To reference a file while you’re chatting with Exponent, type @ in the message editor, then begin typing the file path. Select your file from the autocomplete menu that appears.

When you reference a file, Exponent inserts the file content into your message, making the file available for Exponent to focus on and analyze or modify.

Additional notes on file referencing:

  • You can combine file references with your own explanations to provide additional context:

I’m trying to understand how the authentication flow works. Here’s our auth middleware:

@middleware/auth.js

And here’s how it’s being used in our routes:

@routes/user.js

Can you explain how these interact?

  • If you’ve referenced a file in a previous message, Exponent will remember it throughout your conversation. You can refer back to it without having to reference it again:

In the auth.js file I shared earlier, how would I add support for OAuth?

  • .gitignore files are automatically excluded from file references