mcpField
H
how

how

github.com/ericlitmanDevelopment55447 installsUpdated 2w ago
Repository

About how

how is a read-only development skill for explaining how parts of a codebase work. It guides exploration and synthesis into an architectural overview suited to engineers onboarding to a subsystem.

Key features

  1. 01Read-only codebase exploration
  2. 02Complexity-based exploration plan
  3. 03Architectural explanation format
  4. 04Provider-aware role dispatch

Use cases

  1. 01Explaining how a subsystem works
  2. 02Building an onboarding overview
  3. 03Tracing a cross-cutting feature

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/ericlitman/open-pstack --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

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.

Dispatch contract. Resolve every configured role through provider-dispatch.md. Values are provider-qualified descriptors; the parent chooses native versus external execution. Every lane runs in read-only mode. Explorers use the how explorer descriptor, and every explainer uses the how explainer descriptor. When the sheet lacks either line, use that role's role default. A native lane uses the parent subagent primitive; an external lane uses the launcher directly. On Codex, resolve remaining Claude tool names via codex-tools.md. Pick each subagent's effort 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. Dispatch 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. Start all explorers in one fan-out phase, each with references/explorer-prompt.md and its angle filled in.

3. Synthesize (complex only)

Once all explorers have returned, dispatch 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.

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