how

Files (3)

• SKILL.md
• explainer-prompt.md · references/
• explorer-prompt.md · references/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# How

Explore the codebase to answer "how does X work?" questions. Produce architectural explanations at the level of a senior engineer onboarding onto a subsystem, enough to build a working mental model, not so much that it reads like annotated source code.

Every spawn is an `Agent` subagent with `subagent_type: general-purpose` and a read-only posture. Instruct it to read and report, never write. Claude Code has no readonly flag, so the constraint lives in the prompt. Explorers use the `how explorer` line in `.claude/rules/mstack-models.md` (default `sonnet`), and every explainer uses the `how explainer` line (default `fable`). Set `model` to that line's value, or to the default if the file or the line is missing. Leave `model` unset when the value is `auto` or `inherit-parent`. If the Agent tool rejects a configured value, use the default and say so. Set `effort` per **Effort by tier** in [`poteto-mode`](../poteto-mode/SKILL.md).

## 1. Assess complexity

If the scope is ambiguous, state your interpretation and explore. The user can redirect.

- **Simple** (a single module, a small utility, a narrow question such as "how does function X work"): no explorers. Spawn one explainer that explores and explains in one pass, built from `references/explainer-prompt.md` without the explorer-findings section. Go to step 4.
- **Complex** (a subsystem spanning multiple files or services, a cross-cutting feature, a full architectural overview): go to step 2.

When in doubt, take the simple path.

## 2. Explore (complex only)

Decompose the question into 2 to 4 angles, each a distinct slice of the subsystem. Spawn all explorers in a single message, each with `references/explorer-prompt.md` and its angle filled in.

## 3. Synthesize (complex only)

Once all explorers have returned, spawn one explainer with `references/explainer-prompt.md` and every explorer's findings filled in.

## 4. Present

Present the explainer's output. Light edits for clarity or context from the conversation are fine. Do not substantially rewrite it.

## Output format

The explanation uses the sections defined in `references/explainer-prompt.md`, dropping any that do not apply: Overview, Key Concepts, How It Works, Where Things Live, Gotchas.

From MatrixMagician/mstack, MIT.

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