mcpField
H
how

how

github.com/cursorDevelopment14.6k6.2k installsUpdated today
Repository

About how

how is a Claude Code skill for exploring a codebase and explaining how a feature or subsystem works. It guides subagents through simple or multi-angle investigations and produces an onboarding-oriented architectural explanation.

Key features

  1. 01Exploration based on question scope
  2. 02Parallel explorers for complex systems
  3. 03Subagent model selection guidance
  4. 04Structured architectural explanations

Use cases

  1. 01Understanding an unfamiliar module
  2. 02Tracing a feature across services
  3. 03Preparing subsystem onboarding notes

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/cursor/plugins --skill how

After installing, type/howin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.

Bundled filesreferences/explainer-prompt.mdreferences/explorer-prompt.md

Details

From the project README

How

In Claude Code, read the Claude Code adapter once per session before you follow this skill. It maps the Cursor names in pstack skills to Claude Code.

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 a Task subagent with subagent_type: generalPurpose and readonly: true. Explorers use the how explorer line in the pstack-models.mdc rule (default grok-4.7-xhigh-fast), and every explainer uses the how explainer line (default claude-opus-5-5-xhigh). Set model to that line's value, or to the default if the rule or the line is missing. Leave model unset when the value is auto or inherit-parent. If the Task tool rejects a slug, use the default and say so. If it rejects the default, use the closest valid slug of the same family from its error message. Pick each subagent's reasoning level and fast or standard speed for the job, per the Subagents section of the poteto-mode skill.

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.

Comments

Markdown supported