How does Atlas handle large Kotlin repositories without context window issues?

Atlas addresses large Kotlin repositories by fanning out work to parallel subagents. Each subagent operates in its own isolated session, processing only a defined slice of the codebase. This prevents their file dumps and intermediate states from entering the main session's context window, ensuring efficient audits without overflow.

Can Atlas audit specific Kotlin packages or directories?

Yes, Atlas can audit specific Kotlin packages or directories. You define these 'slices' using the `glob` tool, for example, `glob 'src/main/kotlin/com/example/feature/**/*.kt'`. This allows you to target specific areas of your codebase for focused audits with dedicated subagents.

What Kotlin tools does Atlas integrate with for auditing?

Atlas integrates deeply with the standard Kotlin toolchain. It recognizes `Gradle` builds via `build.gradle.kts`, can run tests using `JUnit 5 via gradle test`, and applies code formatting with `ktlint`. This ensures Atlas operates within your familiar Kotlin development environment.

How does Atlas ensure an audit is read-only for Kotlin code?

For read-only audits of Kotlin code, Atlas utilizes the `subagent_type explore`. This subagent is configured as deny-by-default, meaning it cannot execute any commands that would modify files or the repository state. It can only observe, analyze, and report findings, guaranteeing no changes are made.

Can I run Kotlin tests or format code within an Atlas audit?

While `explore` subagents are read-only, the main Atlas session or a `general` subagent can run Kotlin tests with `gradle test` (for `JUnit 5`) and format code with `ktlint`. During an audit, you'd typically run these commands in the main session after consolidating findings and making fixes.

How do I consolidate findings from multiple parallel Kotlin audits?

Atlas automatically collects the final messages from each parallel subagent. You then use the `todowrite` tool to merge these individual findings into a single, unified list. This provides a comprehensive overview of all identified issues across your Kotlin repository, ready for remediation.

What safety features does Atlas offer when modifying Kotlin code?

Atlas offers multiple safety features for Kotlin code modifications. Every tool call is permission-gated, and a read-only plan agent drafts changes for approval. All file edits generate a unified diff for your review before writing, and Atlas snapshots changes as git patches for easy rollback, ensuring controlled and reversible modifications.

Audit a Kotlin Repository with Parallel Atlas Subagents in 2026

Atlas empowers Kotlin developers in 2026 to sweep entire repositories for specific problems without overwhelming the main session's context window by leveraging parallel subagents. It direct integrates with your existing Kotlin toolchain, recognizing `build.gradle.kts` configurations, running `JUnit 5 via gradle test` for verification, and applying `ktlint` for formatting, ensuring a native development experience.

Setting Up Atlas for Kotlin Repository Audits

To begin auditing your Kotlin repository, Atlas automatically recognizes your project's structure and toolchain when run in a directory containing a `build.gradle.kts` file. This integration, refined by 2026, allows Atlas to understand your modules, coroutines, and Gradle configuration, preparing it for intelligent code analysis.

Atlas is designed to be terminal-native and immediately productive within a Kotlin project. When you launch Atlas in a directory containing your `build.gradle.kts` file, it automatically indexes your codebase. This indexing process uses AST declarations via tree-sitter, providing a deep understanding of your Kotlin code's structure, including coroutines and module definitions. Unlike tools that rely on blind line windows, Atlas's AST-based indexing ensures precise semantic and keyword retrieval, fused by reciprocal rank fusion, making searches highly relevant to Kotlin idioms. This initial setup is crucial for Atlas to accurately identify and interact with your Kotlin code, whether it's converting callbacks to coroutines or adding new tests.

Slicing Your Kotlin Repository for Parallel Audits

Auditing a large Kotlin repository efficiently requires splitting the task into independent slices to prevent blowing the main session's context window. You can divide your codebase by directory, Kotlin package, or even specific problem rules, allowing 5 to 10 subagents to work concurrently on distinct parts.

For comprehensive repository sweeps, especially in large Kotlin projects, the key is to avoid overwhelming the main agent's context window. Atlas addresses this by allowing you to split the audit into independent, manageable slices. For instance, you might define slices based on top-level directories like `src/main/kotlin/com/example/legacy` or `src/main/kotlin/com/example/featureX`. Each slice represents a distinct scope for a subagent. This strategy ensures that each subagent operates within its own context, processing only a subset of the files, and only its conclusions are returned to the main session. The `glob` tool within Atlas can be used to precisely define these file sets, ensuring subagents do not overlap their work and maintain clear boundaries.

Launching Read-Only Kotlin Audits with Explore Subagents

For a safe, read-only sweep of your Kotlin codebase, Atlas provides the `explore` subagent type. This subagent is deny-by-default, meaning it cannot make any changes to your files, making it the ideal choice for an audit where 0 modifications should occur.

When conducting an audit, the primary concern is often to identify problems without inadvertently introducing new ones or making unauthorized changes. Atlas's `subagent_type explore` is specifically designed for this purpose. By launching a task with `subagent_type explore`, you create a read-only environment for the subagent. This subagent operates under a strict deny-by-default policy, preventing it from executing any commands that would modify files or the repository state. This ensures that your Kotlin source files, `build.gradle.kts`, or any other project configuration remain untouched during the audit process. The `explore` subagent can still search code, analyze structure, and report findings, but its actions are strictly confined to observation, providing a secure way to sweep for issues.

Concurrently Sweeping Kotlin Codebases with Atlas Tasks

To maximize efficiency, Atlas allows you to issue multiple `task` calls together, enabling subagents to run concurrently rather than sequentially. This parallel execution can significantly reduce the total audit time for a large Kotlin repository, potentially completing 10 separate slices in the time it would take for one.

Once you have defined your independent Kotlin repository slices, you can launch multiple subagents simultaneously using the `task` tool. Instead of waiting for one subagent to complete before starting the next, you issue all `task` calls in quick succession. Atlas then fans out this work to subagents, which can run in parallel background sessions. Each subagent operates in its own isolated environment, ensuring that its file dumps and intermediate states never enter your main session's context window. Only the final conclusions or error messages from each subagent are surfaced back to you. This parallel processing capability is particularly powerful for large Kotlin codebases, allowing for rapid, comprehensive sweeps across many files and directories without bogging down your primary development flow.

Reviewing and Merging Kotlin Audit Findings

After parallel subagents complete their sweeps of your Kotlin codebase, Atlas collects each subagent's final message, including any error text if a task failed. These findings are then merged into a single `todowrite` list, providing a unified view of all identified problems across 1 or more slices.

Upon completion of each subagent's task, Atlas aggregates their individual findings. If a subagent encounters an issue or fails to complete its task, Atlas surfaces the child's error text verbatim, or 'Task cancelled' if it was interrupted. This transparent reporting ensures you have full visibility into the audit process. The `todowrite` tool is then used to consolidate all these disparate findings into a single, actionable list. This unified `todowrite` list serves as your central hub for all identified problems within the Kotlin repository, regardless of which subagent discovered them. From this list, you can then use the `edit` tool in your main Atlas session to systematically address and fix each issue, maintaining context and control.

Ensuring Safety and Control in Kotlin Code Modifications

Atlas prioritizes safety throughout the audit and remediation process, especially when modifying Kotlin code. Every Atlas tool call is permission-gated against `allow`, `ask`, and `deny` rules, and all file edits generate a unified diff for approval before writing, offering 2 layers of protection.

Even after a read-only audit, when it's time to fix identified issues, Atlas maintains stringent safety protocols. Before any tool call runs, it's checked against your configured permission rules (`allow`, `ask`, `deny`). This means you have explicit control over what actions Atlas can take. Furthermore, Atlas drafts a plan in a read-only plan agent and asks for your approval before switching to a build agent that can make changes. For every proposed file edit, Atlas computes a unified diff and surfaces it for your approval. This allows you to review precisely what changes will be made to your Kotlin files, such as `src/main/kotlin/com/example/MyClass.kt` or `build.gradle.kts`, before they are written to disk. Atlas also snapshots file changes as git patches, enabling easy diffing and rolling back of edits if needed, providing robust version control integration.

Step by step

01Initialize Atlas in your Kotlin project by navigating to the root directory containing `build.gradle.kts` and running `atlas`. Atlas will automatically read your modules, coroutines, and Gradle configuration.
02Identify independent slices of your Kotlin repository for auditing. For example, use `glob 'src/main/kotlin/com/example/legacy/**/*.kt'` to define a specific package or directory.
03Launch parallel read-only audit tasks for each slice using the `task` tool with `subagent_type explore`. For instance: `task 'Audit legacy code for X' subagent_type explore glob 'src/main/kotlin/com/example/legacy/**/*.kt'`.
04Issue multiple `task` calls consecutively to ensure they run concurrently in background sessions, sweeping different parts of your Kotlin codebase in parallel.
05Collect the final messages from each subagent. Atlas will surface their conclusions or any error text if a task failed.
06Merge all identified problems into a single actionable list using the `todowrite` tool. For example: `todowrite 'Fix all identified Kotlin issues'`.
07Address the issues in your main Atlas session using the `edit` tool. After making changes, verify them by running `gradle test` for `JUnit 5` tests and `ktlint` for formatting.
08Review the unified diffs for all proposed changes to your Kotlin files and approve them. Atlas can then stage and create commits on your behalf, integrating with your Git workflow.

Frequently asked questions

How does Atlas handle large Kotlin repositories without context window issues?: Atlas addresses large Kotlin repositories by fanning out work to parallel subagents. Each subagent operates in its own isolated session, processing only a defined slice of the codebase. This prevents their file dumps and intermediate states from entering the main session's context window, ensuring efficient audits without overflow.
Can Atlas audit specific Kotlin packages or directories?: Yes, Atlas can audit specific Kotlin packages or directories. You define these 'slices' using the `glob` tool, for example, `glob 'src/main/kotlin/com/example/feature/**/*.kt'`. This allows you to target specific areas of your codebase for focused audits with dedicated subagents.
What Kotlin tools does Atlas integrate with for auditing?: Atlas integrates deeply with the standard Kotlin toolchain. It recognizes `Gradle` builds via `build.gradle.kts`, can run tests using `JUnit 5 via gradle test`, and applies code formatting with `ktlint`. This ensures Atlas operates within your familiar Kotlin development environment.
How does Atlas ensure an audit is read-only for Kotlin code?: For read-only audits of Kotlin code, Atlas utilizes the `subagent_type explore`. This subagent is configured as deny-by-default, meaning it cannot execute any commands that would modify files or the repository state. It can only observe, analyze, and report findings, guaranteeing no changes are made.
Can I run Kotlin tests or format code within an Atlas audit?: While `explore` subagents are read-only, the main Atlas session or a `general` subagent can run Kotlin tests with `gradle test` (for `JUnit 5`) and format code with `ktlint`. During an audit, you'd typically run these commands in the main session after consolidating findings and making fixes.
How do I consolidate findings from multiple parallel Kotlin audits?: Atlas automatically collects the final messages from each parallel subagent. You then use the `todowrite` tool to merge these individual findings into a single, unified list. This provides a comprehensive overview of all identified issues across your Kotlin repository, ready for remediation.
What safety features does Atlas offer when modifying Kotlin code?: Atlas offers multiple safety features for Kotlin code modifications. Every tool call is permission-gated, and a read-only plan agent drafts changes for approval. All file edits generate a unified diff for your review before writing, and Atlas snapshots changes as git patches for easy rollback, ensuring controlled and reversible modifications.

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