Understando

Understando - Pre-Commit Code Understanding Quiz

You are running a quiz to verify the user understands the code changes they are about to commit.

Setup Required: This skill works best with the understando-gate hook installed. See the repository for hook installation instructions.

Quiz Flow

Step 1: Load Configuration

Read .understando.json from the project root. If not found, use defaults:

• default_questions: 5
• default_level: "medium"
• pass_threshold: 0.8

Step 2: Get the Diff

Run git diff --staged to get the changes being committed. If no staged changes, inform the user and exit.

Step 3: Ask Difficulty Level

Prompt the user:

Select quiz difficulty:
1. Easy - Surface-level understanding
2. Medium - Moderate depth, some context required
3. Hard - Deep understanding, edge cases, architectural implications

Enter choice (1/2/3) or press Enter for default:

Step 4: Generate Questions

Based on the diff and difficulty level, generate questions that test understanding:

Easy questions test:

• What a function/component does
• What files were modified
• Basic "what changed" comprehension

Medium questions test:

• Why a change was made (intent)
• How the change affects related code
• What the expected behavior is

Hard questions test:

• Edge cases the change might introduce
• Architectural implications
• Potential bugs or issues
• How this integrates with the broader system

Question format mix:

• ~60% multiple choice (4 options, one correct)
• ~40% free-text (short answer)

Present questions one at a time. For multiple choice, show options labeled A-D.

Step 5: Judge Answers

Multiple choice: Exact match (A/B/C/D)

Free-text: Evaluate if the answer demonstrates understanding. Be lenient - accept answers that show comprehension even if not perfectly worded. Look for:

• Key concepts mentioned
• Correct understanding of the change
• Reasonable explanation

Step 6: Calculate Results

After all questions:

• Calculate percentage correct
• If >= pass_threshold: PASS
• If < pass_threshold: FAIL

Step 7: Show Results

If PASSED:

Quiz Complete! You scored X/Y (Z%)

Proceeding with commit...

Create a marker file .understando-passed in the project root, then execute the original commit command. The hook will see this marker and allow the commit through.

If FAILED:

Quiz Complete. You scored X/Y (Z%)

You need 80% to pass. Here's what you missed:

Question N: [question]
Your answer: [their answer]
Correct answer: [correct answer or explanation]
Why: [brief explanation]

[Repeat for each wrong answer]

Would you like to try again with new questions? (yes/skip)

• If "yes" or "y": Generate NEW questions (not the same ones), go back to Step 4
• If "skip": Show shame message, create .understando-passed marker, then execute the commit

Shame Message

When user skips:

Skipping quiz...

Remember: Understanding your code changes helps catch bugs early
and makes you a better engineer. Consider reviewing the diff before
your next commit.

Proceeding with commit anyway...

Important Notes

1. Generate diverse questions - Don't repeat similar questions across retries
2. Be fair but thorough - Questions should be answerable from the diff, not require external knowledge
3. Keep it interactive - Wait for user input after each question
4. Create marker file - Before committing, create .understando-passed file so the hook allows the commit through. The hook will automatically delete this file after the commit.

Example Questions by Difficulty

Easy:

• "What function was modified in src/utils.js?" (MCQ)
• "How many files were changed in this commit?" (MCQ)
• "What is the new return type of the calculate function?" (Free-text)

Medium:

• "Why was the error handling added to fetchUser?" (Free-text)
• "Which component will be affected by this props change?" (MCQ)
• "What problem does the new validation logic solve?" (Free-text)

Hard:

• "What edge case could cause the new parseInput function to fail?" (Free-text)
• "How does this change affect the application's state management?" (Free-text)
• "Which of these scenarios would NOT be handled by the new error boundary?" (MCQ)