api-documentation-lookup

name	API Documentation Lookup
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "look up Effect API", "check the Effect docs", "find Effect function signature", "what does Effect.X do", "how to use Effect.X", "Effect API reference", "fetch Effect documentation", or needs to look up specific function signatures, parameters, or usage examples from the official Effect-TS API documentation.
version	1.0.0

Effect-TS API Documentation Lookup

Overview

Use WebFetch to retrieve API documentation directly from the official Effect-TS documentation site at https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/.

URL Patterns

Core Effect Modules

For modules in the main effect package:

https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/{Module}.ts.html

Common modules:

Module	URL
Effect	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Effect.ts.html
Schema	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Schema.ts.html
Stream	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Stream.ts.html
Layer	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Layer.ts.html
Context	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Context.ts.html
Schedule	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Schedule.ts.html
Fiber	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Fiber.ts.html
Queue	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Queue.ts.html
Ref	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Ref.ts.html
Scope	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Scope.ts.html
Option	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Option.ts.html
Either	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Either.ts.html
Chunk	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Chunk.ts.html
HashMap	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/HashMap.ts.html
HashSet	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/HashSet.ts.html
Duration	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Duration.ts.html
Config	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Config.ts.html
ConfigProvider	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/ConfigProvider.ts.html
Match	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Match.ts.html
Data	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Data.ts.html
Cause	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Cause.ts.html
Exit	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Exit.ts.html
Random	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Random.ts.html
Clock	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Clock.ts.html
Tracer	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Tracer.ts.html
Metric	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Metric.ts.html
Logger	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Logger.ts.html
Sink	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Sink.ts.html
PubSub	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/PubSub.ts.html
Deferred	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Deferred.ts.html
Semaphore	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Semaphore.ts.html
Request	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Request.ts.html
RequestResolver	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/RequestResolver.ts.html
Cache	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Cache.ts.html
TestClock	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/TestClock.ts.html
Runtime	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Runtime.ts.html
ManagedRuntime	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/ManagedRuntime.ts.html

Scoped Packages

For @effect/* packages:

https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/{package-name}/{Module}.ts.html

Examples:

Package	Module	URL
@effect/platform	HttpClient	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/platform/HttpClient.ts.html
@effect/platform	FileSystem	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/platform/FileSystem.ts.html
@effect/platform	KeyValueStore	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/platform/KeyValueStore.ts.html
@effect/cli	Command	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/cli/Command.ts.html
@effect/sql	SqlClient	https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/sql/SqlClient.ts.html

How to Look Up Documentation

Step 1: Identify the Module

Determine which module contains the API:

• Effect.map → Effect module
• Schema.Struct → Schema module
• Stream.fromIterable → Stream module
• Layer.provide → Layer module

Step 2: Construct the URL

Use the URL pattern for the identified module:

// For Effect.retry
const url = "https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Effect.ts.html"

// For Schema.transform
const url = "https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Schema.ts.html"

Step 3: Fetch with Targeted Prompt

Use WebFetch with a specific prompt to extract the relevant information:

WebFetch(
  url: "https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Effect.ts.html",
  prompt: "Find the documentation for Effect.retry. Include the function signature, description, parameters, and any usage examples."
)

Example Queries

Looking up a specific function

User asks: "What are the parameters for Effect.retry?"

Action:

WebFetch(
  url: "https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Effect.ts.html",
  prompt: "Find documentation for the retry function. Include its complete type signature, all parameters and options, and usage examples."
)

Looking up a type/interface

User asks: "What fields does Schedule have?"

Action:

WebFetch(
  url: "https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Schedule.ts.html",
  prompt: "Describe the Schedule type and its main combinators. List common schedule functions like exponential, spaced, recurs, etc."
)

Looking up a module overview

User asks: "What functions are available in the Stream module?"

Action:

WebFetch(
  url: "https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Stream.ts.html",
  prompt: "List the main categories of functions in this module with brief descriptions of each category."
)

Looking up related functions

User asks: "What are all the catch* functions in Effect?"

Action:

WebFetch(
  url: "https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/effect/Effect.ts.html",
  prompt: "Find all error handling functions that start with 'catch'. Include catchAll, catchTag, catchTags, catchSome, etc. with their signatures and purposes."
)

Prompt Patterns

Use these prompt patterns for effective documentation extraction:

For function signatures:

"Find the complete type signature for {functionName}. Include all overloads if they exist."

For usage examples:

"Find documentation and code examples for {functionName}. Focus on practical usage patterns."

For understanding parameters:

"Explain the parameters and options for {functionName}. What does each parameter do?"

For finding related functions:

"List all functions related to {topic} in this module. Include brief descriptions."

For module overview:

"Provide an overview of this module. What are the main categories of functions and types?"

Tips

1. Be specific in prompts - Ask for exactly what you need (signature, examples, parameters)
2. Use the right module - Effect functions are in Effect.ts, Schema functions in Schema.ts, etc.
3. Check related functions - The docs include "See also" links to related functions
4. Look for examples - Most functions include practical code examples with expected output
5. Note version info - Functions show "Since v2.0.0" or similar version information

Documentation Site Index

The main documentation index is at:

https://effect-ts.github.io/effect/

Use this to discover available packages and modules if unsure which module contains a specific API.

Best Practices

1. Start with the right module - Identify which module contains the API before fetching
2. Use targeted prompts - Ask for specific information (signature, examples, parameters)
3. Check for overloads - Many Effect functions have multiple signatures
4. Look for "Since" annotations - Verify the API is available in your Effect version

Additional Resources

For comprehensive Effect documentation beyond API signatures, consult ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/llms-full.txt which contains tutorials, guides, and in-depth explanations.