An Overview 

Are you looking for a Google Assistant for your development code? Having a large code and finding it difficult to search the code? Then OpenGrok can be the perfect tool for you. 

Is this the first time you are hearing about Open Grok? Are you interested to know more about Open Grok? Don’t worry you are in the right place. 

Here in this article, you will get to know what OpenGrok is and its features. There is also an installation guide and a short review about it. So without wasting your further time let’s get into the article. 

What is OpenGrok? 

OpenGrok is a Java-based application created by Oracle which helps programmers to search source code and cross-reference. It can understand different types of programming languages and have access to various Source Code Management systems. 

If you are working in large software companies or big projects, then it will be hard for you to find the features of the existing project for which business logic history is not well documented. This will be more frustrating when you are moving from Old platform to the new one.

All these worrisome works can be settled with the help of Open Grok. The Word Open Grok is derived from the jargon term ‘grok’ which means “profoundly understand”. As it is released under the terms of Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL) it is called OpenGrok. 

It is mainly made of Java and some tooling is done in Python. And the analysis is done by Ctags. 

What are the requirements of the OpenGrok? 

To install OpenGrok in your system, you should meet the following prerequisites – 

• Java 11 or later
• A servlet container like GlassFish or Tomcat 
• Universal ctags
• Along with the above things, you should have a source control client to make the latest code changes available. 

How to install the OpenGrok?

Here is the step-by-step guide for Opengrok installation – 

1. Download the latest JRE 8 in your system. 

2. Download and install the Tomcat 8, Universal Tags. 

3. Now go to the official Github page and download OpenGrok. 

4. Extract the OpenGrok and deploy it. 

5. Create your SRC_Root with the following source code – tar xzvf opengrok-1.1-rc30.tar.gz cd opengrok-1.1-rc30/cd bin./OpenGrok deploy

6. Start Tomcat – $CATALINA_Home/bin/startup.sh

7. That’s it, now all your projects are available for browsing at – http://localhost:8080/source/

Few things to remember following the above installation guide – 

• Based on your machine setup, you might need to undergo various configurations for smooth installation. It is recommended to read the opengrok.conf file and follow the instructions accordingly. 
• It might take 1 -2 hours for the whole installation process. 
• You might need multiple repositories for each branch if your team is not using Git or not following trunk-based development.
• In case you’re concerned about security or Open access, then you can add a 1dap-based group or local user in Tomcat, which only shares with your team members. 

Features: 

Here are the futures supported by the Open Grok – 

• Full-text Search 
• identifier Search
• History Search 
• Syntax highlighting cross-references (Xref)
• Interface for SCM 
• Individual file download
• Multi-language support
• Suggester
• RESTful API
• Definition Search 
• Path Search 
• query syntax like AND, OR, field 
• Quick navigation inside the file 
• Changes at the directory level
• Incremental update
• Shows matching line
• Hierarchical Search
• Usable URLs etc…

Some Alternatives for OpenGrok:

Sourcegraph 

It is also a universal code search tool that lets you find and fix things across all your code. The smart filters help you find your answers in the flow.

Fisheye

This tool gives you a read-only window that gives the repositories in one place. It visualizes and reports on activity and integrates sources with JIRA issues. 

Hound by Etsy

It is an extremely fast code search engine. It deals with both frontend and backend. The backend maintains an up-to-date index for each repository and answer. 

Final Words: 

Though there are alternatives for the OpenGrok in the market, still it is the best choice for you. Its open-source license allows you to change its source code according to your needs. And there is a wide range of users and GitHub forums to help you with your issues. 

If you have any further doubts please share them in the comment section below. 

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