Feature matrix¶

Which surface offers each ubCode feature, how mature it is, and what it does on a private project without a license.

Where names the surfaces: the VS Code extension, the ubc command line (CLI), the MCP server (ubc serve mcp), and any editor with a Language Server Protocol client (ubc serve lsp, see Use ubCode from any editor).
The levels are defined on Maturity levels.
Without a license summarises What works without a license, which has the details and the limits. An active license, commercial or open source, unlocks every feature. “As the surface” means the feature follows the rules of the command or editor that reads the project.

Stable¶

Feature	Where	Without a license
Diagnostics and linting in the editor	VS Code and any LSP editor (`ubc serve lsp`): each open file’s own findings as you type — parse and markup, the field, link-value, dynamic-function and variant checks of its needs, and the marker warnings of an open source file that codelinks traces; VS Code only: the findings that need the project index (references, dead links, `schemas.json` rules), in its Diagnostics view	Full
Hover, completion and navigation: definitions, references, document symbols, document links	VS Code; any LSP editor, apart from the need card and the image preview on hover (VS Code only)	Full
Quick-fixes (code actions)	VS Code; any LSP editor	As the editor
Formatting in the editor	VS Code; any LSP editor	Full
Semantic highlighting	VS Code; any LSP editor	As the editor
Markdown (MyST) parsing	VS Code; any LSP editor; CLI; MCP	As the surface
Intersphinx	VS Code; any LSP editor; CLI (`ubc intersphinx`, and every command that reads the project)	`ubc intersphinx`: no license needed; otherwise as the surface
Live preview	VS Code	Limited
Needs Index view and Needs Json view	VS Code	Limited
Needs graph view	VS Code	Search limited
Site Map, Diagnostics and Std Referencing views	VS Code	As the editor
Schema validation	VS Code (its Diagnostics view) and `ubc check` (as diagnostics); CLI (`ubc schema validate`); any LSP editor: the field-level `schema` constraints only	CLI: refused
Variants	VS Code; any LSP editor; CLI; MCP	As the surface
Linting from the command line	CLI (`ubc check`, `ubc build index`)	Limited; `ubc check --per-file` refused
Listing the documents a project indexes	CLI (`ubc build list-documents`)	Limited
needs.json export	CLI (`ubc build needs`)	Limited
needs.json validation	CLI (`ubc build validate-json`)	No license needed
Project scaffolding	VS Code (command); CLI (`ubc quickstart`)	CLI: no license needed
Project scripts	CLI (`ubc script`)	No license needed
License management	VS Code (Home view); CLI (`ubc license`)	No license needed
Shell completions, configuration dump, cache cleaning	CLI (`ubc completions`, `ubc config`, `ubc clean`)	No license needed

Beta¶

Beta

Feature	Where	Without a license
MCP server: project tools and documentation tools	MCP (`ubc serve mcp`, also registered by the VS Code extension)	Documentation tools only
Query: filter, Cypher and reference search	VS Code (Needs Index view filter); CLI (`ubc query filter`, `ubc query cypher`, `ubc query search`); MCP (`get_graph_schema`, `query_cypher`, `search_references`, `resolve_reference`)	CLI and MCP: refused; Needs Index view: limited
Reports (Jinja templates)	VS Code (Reports view and preview); CLI (`ubc report`)	Limited
Diff and impact analysis	CLI (`ubc diff`, `ubc diff git`)	Refused
Codelinks (tracing source code)	VS Code; CLI; MCP	As the surface
Test reports	VS Code; any LSP editor; CLI; MCP	As the surface
Formatting from the command line	CLI (`ubc format`)	Refused
CLI skills for AI agents	CLI (`ubc agent-skill`)	No license needed
HTML site	CLI (`ubc build html`)	Limited
PDF	CLI (`ubc build pdf`)	Limited
External link check	CLI (`ubc build linkcheck`)	Refused

Alpha¶

Alpha

Feature	Where	Without a license
Report insights: reports rendered for a need, with Cypher queries	VS Code (insight CodeLens, Reports view); CLI (the report command, with an insight’s name and `--need`)	Limited

Experimental¶

Experimental

Feature	Where	Without a license
Pharaoh, the agentic engineer: ubc agent, Pharaoh’s engine	CLI (`ubc agent`)	Limited; some verbs need no license
Pharaoh’s VS Code panels: Pharaoh Agent, Pharaoh Workflows, Pharaoh Gaps, Pharaoh Intent from Code, Pharaoh Changes	VS Code	As the commands they run
Intent from Code (`ubc agent reverse`)	CLI; VS Code	Limited; some verbs need no license
Change requests (`ubc agent change`)	CLI; VS Code	Limited
Quality reviews (`ubc agent verdict-check`, `verdict-submit`, `review-brief`)	CLI; VS Code	Limited
Reference-targets index	CLI (`ubc build targets`)	Limited
Pharaoh’s chat entry point (`@pharaoh`)	VS Code (Copilot Chat)	As the editor