SmartOnboard is an AI-powered codebase onboarding accelerator built for the IBM Bob Hackathon. New developers often spend 2-4 weeks understanding a new repository before they can confidently contribute. SmartOnboard reduces that ramp-up by turning a public GitHub repository URL into a structured, role-specific onboarding guide in minutes. The app scans a real repository, detects languages, package managers, entry points, configuration files, test files, key source files, setup commands, and risk areas. It then generates a practical onboarding dashboard with Overview, Architecture, Setup, Key Files, Workflow, and First Steps sections. The Architecture tab includes a Mermaid diagram generated from the real repository structure, and the Q&A panel lets users ask context-aware questions like “What should I read first?” IBM Bob was used as the development partner for planning, implementation, debugging, UI iteration, and documentation. The repo includes exported Bob session reports, Bob usage screenshots, a reusable Bob custom mode, and a Bob skill definition. IBM watsonx.ai refines the generated guide into clear role-specific onboarding content, while a watsonx Orchestrate agent called New Dev Onboarding Coordinator routes new developers into the SmartOnboard workflow. SmartOnboard helps engineers, managers, and architects move from unfamiliar codebase to useful contribution faster.
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