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Moat or Bloat

branch-flow

Python CLI tool to visualize directory structures as a tree with customizable features

Library Rated 7 Oct 2026Dormant

Link
github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow
Built by
Mira

Bloat

71/500

Where it landed on the scale

Bloat
0
Float
300
Moat
400

Summary

branch-flow is a small personal developer utility that solves a real but minor annoyance, since the built-in tree command does not ignore noise. It is public and was clearly working at launch, but the repo has had one push, no releases, no license, no pricing or distribution path, and no activity for over a year. It is a useful side project, not a business.

Bloat · Not much here works or looks likely to last, yet.

Breakdown

Five measures, 100 points each. Open the receipts under any of them to see the posts and pages behind the points.

Viability

Is there a real problem, someone who would pay, and a market this builder can actually reach?

A genuine small itch for developers, but a free CLI utility with no payment path, no distribution, and many existing alternatives (tree, ignore-aware tools) gives it no route to paying users.

14/100

Rubric 0–20No clear problem or user. A toy, a practice clone, or a solution looking for a problem.

Receipts (2)

  1. States the problem (built-in tree doesn't ignore dirs/files) and a self-serve CLI solution, with no mention of users or charging.

    “I often like to generate a tree view of a codebase to get the picture of what's really going on and how the project is structured. the built-in tree command doesn't ignore some dirs and files for some reason. so i built a CLI tool with some nice additional features. github repo: - https://github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow branch-flow is a python CLI tool to visualize directory structures as a tr”

    Post · @Mi_Ra_Ch · 13 Jun 2025 · open on Telegram (opens in a new tab)

  2. Repo has no releases, no homepage, and no license, so there is no packaged way for others to adopt it.

    Checked 7 Oct 2026 · github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow (opens in a new tab)

Moat

What stops someone copying it?

A directory-tree printer with ignore rules and export is a weekend project that anyone could rebuild, and there is no data, integration, or network behind it.

4/100

Rubric 0–20A thin wrapper or a clone that anyone here could rebuild in a weekend.

Receipts (2)

  1. The repo description is a simple tree visualization CLI with no proprietary component.

    Checked 7 Oct 2026 · github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow (opens in a new tab)

  2. Features listed are customizable tree output and .txt/.json export, all easily replicable.

    “I often like to generate a tree view of a codebase to get the picture of what's really going on and how the project is structured. the built-in tree command doesn't ignore some dirs and files for some reason. so i built a CLI tool with some nice additional features. github repo: - https://github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow branch-flow is a python CLI tool to visualize directory structures as a tr”

    Post · @Mi_Ra_Ch · 13 Jun 2025 · open on Telegram (opens in a new tab)

Momentum

Did the updates keep coming?

Worked on across about 13 days in June 2025 with one repo push, then nothing for over 15 months, so it shows no sustained shipping.

0/100

  • Sustained shipping0/60

    Worked on across 13 days.

  • Consistency0/40

    Updates in 1 of 1 month.

  • Quiet

    No update for 468 days — scaled to 20%.

Receipts (2)

  1. Earliest post about it.

    “I often like to generate a tree view of a codebase to get the picture of what's really going on and how the project is structured. the built-in tree command doesn't ignore some dirs and files for some reason. so i built a CLI tool with some nice additional features. github repo: - https://github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow branch-flow is a python CLI tool to visualize directory structures as a tr”

    Post · @Mi_Ra_Ch · 13 Jun 2025 · open on Telegram (opens in a new tab)

  2. Most recent post about it.

    “if you're contributing or on-boarding to a complex repo, getting familiar with the codebase first is a bit demanding. most codebase explainers are nice but don't support private repos. was making simplified version of it with a private repo support but turns out scraping the data is quite a hassle since it's private and stuff. my way around learning complex repo is to generate a tree structure of ”

    Post · @Mi_Ra_Ch · 26 Jun 2025 · open on Telegram (opens in a new tab)

Infrastructure

Does a real, working product exist?

A real, working CLI exists with ignore options and txt/json export, but it is thin, with no releases, packaging, or docs beyond a README.

51/100

  • It's live20/20

    https://github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow responded when checked.

  • HTTPS5/5

    Hosted on a platform (store, GitHub or Telegram) — HTTPS is the platform's.

  • Real product25/35

    The post and README describe a working CLI with ignore options and export to two formats, so it is usable, but it is thin in scope and has no releases or packaging.

  • Own home0/10

    No home found.

  • Maintained0/15

    Last sign of shipping 2025-06-26.

  • Operations1/15

    Only a GitHub repo with a README; there is no backend, API, status page, docs site, or additional platform.

Receipts (5)

  1. https://github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow responded when checked.

    Checked 7 Oct 2026 · github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow (opens in a new tab)

  2. Describes a built CLI with customizable features and txt/json export.

    “I often like to generate a tree view of a codebase to get the picture of what's really going on and how the project is structured. the built-in tree command doesn't ignore some dirs and files for some reason. so i built a CLI tool with some nice additional features. github repo: - https://github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow branch-flow is a python CLI tool to visualize directory structures as a tr”

    Post · @Mi_Ra_Ch · 13 Jun 2025 · open on Telegram (opens in a new tab)

  3. Repo is live with 0 releases and only one push, consistent with a small, early tool.

    Checked 7 Oct 2026 · github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow (opens in a new tab)

  4. No homepage, releases, or other platform footprint beyond the repository.

    Checked 7 Oct 2026 · github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow (opens in a new tab)

  5. Points to the README as the only documentation.

    “I often like to generate a tree view of a codebase to get the picture of what's really going on and how the project is structured. the built-in tree command doesn't ignore some dirs and files for some reason. so i built a CLI tool with some nice additional features. github repo: - https://github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow branch-flow is a python CLI tool to visualize directory structures as a tr”

    Post · @Mi_Ra_Ch · 13 Jun 2025 · open on Telegram (opens in a new tab)

Sustainability

Is it being set up to last?

There is no distribution channel, revenue, pricing, or support, and no sign of commitment after launch, so nothing sustains it beyond the author's personal use.

2/100

  • Distribution0/30

    No working way to get it was found.

  • Payments0/15

    No payment provider found.

  • Pricing0/10

    No pricing found on the site.

  • Revenue0/5

    No posts mention customers, payments, or revenue; it is a free open-source utility.

  • Privacy policy0/7

    No privacy policy found.

  • Terms0/5

    No terms of service found.

  • Support0/8

    No support contact found.

  • Commitment2/20

    A follow-up post shows the tool still being used and discussed, but there is no dedicated channel, team, roadmap, or funding, and activity stopped within two weeks.

Receipts (3)

  1. Launch post offers the repo with no commercial framing.

    “I often like to generate a tree view of a codebase to get the picture of what's really going on and how the project is structured. the built-in tree command doesn't ignore some dirs and files for some reason. so i built a CLI tool with some nice additional features. github repo: - https://github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow branch-flow is a python CLI tool to visualize directory structures as a tr”

    Post · @Mi_Ra_Ch · 13 Jun 2025 · open on Telegram (opens in a new tab)

  2. Mentions branch-flow as part of the author's own codebase-learning workflow, not a roadmap for the tool.

    “if you're contributing or on-boarding to a complex repo, getting familiar with the codebase first is a bit demanding. most codebase explainers are nice but don't support private repos. was making simplified version of it with a private repo support but turns out scraping the data is quite a hassle since it's private and stuff. my way around learning complex repo is to generate a tree structure of ”

    Post · @Mi_Ra_Ch · 26 Jun 2025 · open on Telegram (opens in a new tab)

  3. Last push was on the day of creation, with no later commits.

    Checked 7 Oct 2026 · github.com/AmanuelCh/branch-flow (opens in a new tab)