// Explains code in plain language for someone unfamiliar with the programming language. Use when asked to explain code, walk through logic, describe what a function does, or when the user says "explain this" or "walk me through this".
| title | explain-code |
| name | explain-code |
| description | Explains code in plain language for someone unfamiliar with the programming language. Use when asked to explain code, walk through logic, describe what a function does, or when the user says "explain this" or "walk me through this". |
Identify the code to explain. In order of priority:
Identify the programming language. Do not assume from the file extension alone — check the syntax if the extension is missing or ambiguous.
Explain the code in plain language covering these three areas:
Overall purpose — What does this code do? What problem does it solve or what action does it perform? State this in one or two sentences without using the function or variable names as a substitute for explanation.
Main data flow — How does data move through the code? What comes in, what happens to it, and what comes out? For a function: inputs, transformations, output. For a class: how instances are created and how their state changes. For a script: what it reads, what it produces.
Non-obvious logic — Is there any behavior that would surprise a competent programmer reading this for the first time? Flag things like: side effects, error suppression, hardcoded assumptions, subtle timing dependencies, or clever bitwise operations.
Use an analogy if it genuinely makes the concept clearer. Do not force one if the code is self-explanatory once described directly.
Limit the explanation to what was asked. If the user pointed to one function, explain that function. Do not expand to the surrounding architecture unless asked.
Do not restate the obvious. If a function is named calculateTax and it calculates tax, skip the sentence saying "this function calculates tax" and go directly to how it does it.
Summarizes uncommitted git changes in a concise machine-readable format. Use in CI pipelines, scripts, or headless invocations where the output will be piped or captured.
Explains what a skill is and demonstrates that skills are working. Use when testing skills, when asked about skills, or when asked to demonstrate how skills work.
Demonstrates the personal scope for Claude Code skills. Use when testing personal-scoped skills or when the user wants to understand the difference between personal and project skill scopes.
Lists the conventions for this project and demonstrates the project scope for Claude Code skills. Use when asked about project conventions, code style, or as a demonstration of project-scoped skills.
Draft a CHANGELOG.md entry for the current changes in Keep a Changelog format. Use when releasing, tagging a version, or updating CHANGELOG.md.
Review code against a standard checklist covering security, correctness, performance, and readability. Use when asked to review code, check a PR, or audit changes.