tutor-path

name

tutor-path

description

Show the learning path for an active or completed tutoring topic — the ordered list of prerequisite concepts with progress markers and dependency annotations. Internal-by-default; the path is generated by /tutor-start but kept hidden unless the user explicitly asks to see it. Invoke with no arg to show the current in-progress topic, or pass a slug (/tutor-path python-decorators) for a specific one. Triggers: '/tutor-path', 'show me the path', 'what are we covering', 'show me the curriculum', 'how many concepts left'.

Tutor Path

This skill renders the learning path for a tutoring topic — the ordered list of prerequisite concepts with progress markers and dependency annotations. Per design decision D2, the path is generated internally by /tutor-start and kept hidden unless the user explicitly asks to see it; this skill is how they ask.

The format is the "with dependencies" format chosen in D2:

Path for python-decorators (6 concepts):

  [✓] 1. closures
  [✓] 2. first-class functions
  [→] 3. wrapper functions          (needs: 1, 2)
  [ ] 4. @ syntax                   (needs: 3)
  [ ] 5. decorators with arguments  (needs: 3, 4)
  [ ] 6. real-world patterns        (needs: 4, 5)

State markers:

• [✓] — acquired (passed the two-application rule)
• [→] — currently being taught
• [ ] — pending (not yet started)

---

Step 0 — Resolve the target topic

STATE="$CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/scripts/state.sh"

0a. Subject resolution

If the user provided an argument (e.g., /tutor-path python-decorators), use it as the slug.

If no argument, prefer the in-progress topic. If multiple, ask:

ACTIVE=$(bash "$STATE" get '[.topics | to_entries[] | select(.value.status == "in_progress") | .key]')
ACTIVE_COUNT=$(echo "$ACTIVE" | jq 'length')

• 0 in-progress, 0 completed: "No topics yet. Run /tutor-start <subject> to begin one." Exit.
• 0 in-progress, ≥1 completed: ask which completed topic, or suggest /tutor-status for the overview. Exit.
• 1 in-progress: use that slug.
• multiple in-progress: ask "Which topic's path? [list slugs]"

0b. Validate

EXISTS=$(bash "$STATE" get ".topics[\"$SLUG\"] // null")

If EXISTS is null, tell user: "No topic named $SLUG. Run /tutor-status to see what you've started." Exit.

---

Step 1 — Render the path

Read the concepts array and render each one with its status marker and dependency annotation. The rendering is a bash loop — clearer than one giant jq expression and easier to debug if any field is missing.

SLUG="python-decorators"  # from Step 0
CONCEPTS=$(bash "$STATE" get ".topics[\"$SLUG\"].concepts")
N=$(echo "$CONCEPTS" | jq 'length')

# Header
echo "Path for $SLUG ($N concepts):"
echo

# Per-concept rendering
for i in $(seq 0 $((N - 1))); do
  NAME=$(echo "$CONCEPTS" | jq -r ".[$i].name")
  STATUS=$(echo "$CONCEPTS" | jq -r ".[$i].status")
  POS=$((i + 1))

  # Status marker
  case "$STATUS" in
    "acquired")    MARKER="✓" ;;
    "in_progress") MARKER="→" ;;
    *)             MARKER=" " ;;
  esac

  # Dependency rendering: empty list → no annotation;
  # full prefix (1..POS-1) → "all above" cosmetic;
  # otherwise → specific indices
  IS_ALL_ABOVE=$(echo "$CONCEPTS" | jq -r --argjson i $i \
    '.[$i].depends_on // [] | . == [range(1; $i + 1)]')
  DEPS_LEN=$(echo "$CONCEPTS" | jq -r ".[$i].depends_on // [] | length")

  if [ "$DEPS_LEN" -eq 0 ]; then
    printf "  [%s] %d. %s\n" "$MARKER" "$POS" "$NAME"
  elif [ "$IS_ALL_ABOVE" = "true" ] && [ "$DEPS_LEN" -gt 1 ]; then
    printf "  [%s] %d. %s  (needs: all above)\n" "$MARKER" "$POS" "$NAME"
  else
    DEPS=$(echo "$CONCEPTS" | jq -r ".[$i].depends_on | map(tostring) | join(\", \")")
    printf "  [%s] %d. %s  (needs: %s)\n" "$MARKER" "$POS" "$NAME" "$DEPS"
  fi
done

The "all above" cosmetic kicks in only when:

• The dependency list is exactly [1, 2, ..., POS-1] (every prior concept), AND
• There are at least 2 dependencies (otherwise "needs: 1" is clearer than "needs: all above")

---

Step 2 — Print

The output of the loop in Step 1 goes straight to the user, unmodified. Don't add a header about "here's your learning path" — the table is self-explanatory.

After the table, a single closing line if the topic has progress:

ACQUIRED=$(echo "$CONCEPTS" | jq '[.[] | select(.status == "acquired")] | length')
echo
echo "Progress: $ACQUIRED/$N concepts acquired."

For a completed topic, the line is Progress: $N/$N concepts acquired (topic complete).

---

Hard rules

1. Don't print this proactively. This skill only renders when the user explicitly asks. The path being internal-by-default is a deliberate design call from D2 — surfacing it without being asked frames the session as a checklist and undermines the discovery framing of the personas.
2. Don't editorialize the path. Render the table; don't add "this looks good, you're making progress" or other persona-voice commentary. That belongs in the dialogue, not in this state reader.
3. Show the table even if 0 concepts are acquired. The user might be asking right at the start of a topic. That's fine — they'll see all [ ] markers, which is honest.
4. Don't infer dependencies that aren't in the state. Render exactly what's in depends_on. If a concept has an empty depends_on, show no annotation — don't make one up.
5. Don't sort or rearrange. The array's order IS the teaching order. Render in array order, period.

---

Edge cases

• Concept names with special characters. The rendering uses printf "%s" so any name renders as-is. No escaping needed.
• A concept with depends_on: [N] where N is itself. Shouldn't happen if /tutor-start is well-behaved, but if it does, render literally — don't try to recover.
• A topic with 0 concepts. Could happen if /tutor-start aborted partway. Tell user: "$SLUG has no concepts yet — the path generation may have failed. Try /tutor-start $SLUG again."
• The depends_on field is missing entirely (old state from before this field existed). Treat as [] — render with no annotation. The // [] fallback in jq handles this.