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OpenCode Use Cases

OpenCode is more than just a chatbot; it's a scripting engine driven by language models. Here are common patterns used by the community.

1. The Legacy Refactor

Scenario: You have a 500-line Python file that needs to be broken into modules. Why OpenCode: It understands file structure and can move contents while updating imports.
opencode start "Take main.py. Split the database logic into db.py and the utils into utils.py. Update all imports."
  • Advantage: OpenCode will run pytest after the move (if you ask) to ensure it didn't break anything.

2. Test Driven Development (TDD) Loop

Scenario: You want to implement a new feature rigorously. Workflow:
  1. Writer a failing test file feature.test.ts.
  2. Run the agent.
opencode run "Run npm test. Read the failure. Implement the code in feature.ts to make the test pass."
  • Advantage: The agent gets immediate feedback from the CLI output provided by the test runner.

3. Documentation "Gardener"

Scenario: Your README.md is out of date with the actual API. Why OpenCode: It acts as a reader that can diff code vs docs.
opencode run "Read all exported functions in src/api. Update docs/API.md to match the current signatures."

4. The "Translator" (Language Migration)

Scenario: Porting a React Class component to a Hook.
opencode run "Read Component.jsx. Rewrite it as a Functional Component using Hooks. Keep the same prop types."

5. Security Audit (Local)

Scenario: Checking for hardcoded secrets before commit. Why OpenCode: Using a local model (Ollama) means you aren't sending your potential secrets to OpenAI to be checked.
# Using local Llama 3
opencode run "Scan src/ for any strings that look like API keys. Report line numbers."

6. MCP Power User (Advanced Workflows)

With Model Context Protocol (MCP), OpenCode can connect to external tools like databases, APIs, and complex analysis engines:
  • "Show me the schema for the 'users' table."
  • "Write a migration to add a 'last_login' column."
  • "Generate a seed script with 50 fake users."
The agent queries the DB via MCP to understand the types before writing code.
👉 Explore 6+ Practical MCP Use Cases

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