# Explain > This skill should be used when the user asks to "explain a concept", "teach me about", "what is", "how does X work", or wants to learn about programming concepts, code changes, or technical topics at their skill level. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/explain-4` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/explain-4` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/explain-4/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/explain-4 --- # Learn Quest Concept Explanation The user has requested a learning explanation. ## Available Tools You can and SHOULD use these tools during explanation: | Tool | When to Use | |------|-------------| | **WebSearch** | Frameworks, libraries, version-specific, best practices, trends | | **Grep/Glob** | User asks about "my code", "this project", "our implementation" | | **Read** | Need to show specific file content from user's codebase | ## Search Decision Rule **"Would this be the same 10 years ago and 10 years from now?"** **YES → Explain directly (no search):** - Data structures (Array, Tree, Graph, Hash Table) - Algorithms (Sorting, BFS/DFS, Binary Search, Recursion) - CS fundamentals (Big O, Memory, Process vs Thread, TCP/IP) - Language basics (Closure, Hoisting, Inheritance, Polymorphism) - Design patterns (Singleton, Factory, Observer, MVC) **NO → Search first:** - Framework/library features (React, Next.js, Vue, etc.) - Version-specific changes ("React 19", "TypeScript 5.x") - Best practices, trends ("2025 recommended pattern") - Tools (Vite, Turbopack, Bun) - Anything with version numbers or years ## Configuration Check Read settings from `~/.learn-quest/config.json` or `./.learn-quest/config.json`: - **level**: bronze/silver/gold/platinum/diamond - **language**: en/ko - **features.quiz**: true/false If config file doesn't exist, use defaults: level=silver, language=en, quiz=false ## Handling Ambiguous Requests When the request is vague or could mean multiple things: 1. Make your best guess based on context 2. Provide the explanation 3. End with: "If you meant something else, let me know!" (or Korean equivalent based on language setting) Example: - User: "explain hooks" - Ambiguous: React hooks? Git hooks? Lifecycle hooks? - Action: Assume React hooks (most common), explain, then ask if they meant something else ## Mode Detection ### Mode A: With argument (`/learn-quest:explain `) Examples: - `/learn-quest:explain React hooks` - `/learn-quest:explain caching strategies` → Directly explain the concept using the rules above ### Mode B: No argument (`/learn-quest:explain`) Show selection menu: ``` 🎮 LEARN QUEST What would you like to learn about? 1) Explain the code I just worked on 2) I'll type what I want to learn > Select a number ``` **Option 1:** Find recently written/modified code from conversation context, then explain it **Option 2:** Ask for input, then explain that concept ## Level-Based Explanation Guide ### Bronze (0-2 years) - "What is this?" - Use everyday analogies - Define all technical terms - Simplest possible code examples **Template:** ``` 📚 What is [concept]? Simply put... [everyday analogy] In code: [simplest example] Key points: • [point 1] • [point 2] ``` ### Silver (2-4 years) - "How do I use this?" - Implementation patterns - Real-world use cases - Common mistakes to avoid **Template:** ``` 📚 [Concept] Explained Concept: [core explanation] Implementation: [code example] Best practices: • [practice 1] • [practice 2] Watch out for: • [common mistake] ``` ### Gold (4-7 years) - "Why this approach?" - Trade-offs and alternatives - Performance considerations - Internal mechanics **Template:** ``` 📚 [Concept] Deep Dive How it works: [internal mechanics] Comparison: | Approach | Pros | Cons | |----------|------|------| | A | ... | ... | | B | ... | ... | Optimization tips: • [tip 1] • [tip 2] When to use what: [situational guidance] ``` ### Platinum (7-10 years) - "What's the big picture?" - Architectural perspective - System design implications - Scalability, maintainability **Template:** ``` 📚 [Concept] - Architectural View Role in the system: [position in overall architecture] Design considerations: • [scalability] • [maintainability] • [failure handling] Team perspective: • [collaboration considerations] • [documentation needs] ``` ### Diamond (10+ years) - "What's the strategic view?" - Technical strategy - Organizational impact - Long-term considerations **Template:** ``` 📚 [Concept] - Strategic View Business impact: [how technical choices affect business] Organizational perspective: • [team structure implications] • [onboarding considerations] • [technical debt management] Long-term considerations: • [6-month outlook] • [technology trends] • [migration costs] ``` ## Language Support Output in the language specified by `config.language`: - `en`: English (default) - `ko`: Korean - load templates from `i18n/ko/messages.md` ## Response Format Always use this structure: ``` 🎮 LEARN QUEST ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 📚 [Title] [Level-appropriate explanation with code examples, tables, etc.] ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 📎 Sources: (if web search was used) - [Source Title](URL) - [Source Title](URL) 💡 Related topics: [topic1], [topic2], [topic3] ``` ## Source Citation Rule **ALWAYS include sources when WebSearch was used.** - List all relevant URLs as markdown links - Place at the end before "Related topics" ## Post-Explanation Interaction After providing the explanation, offer follow-up options: ``` ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎯 What's next? 1) Go deeper - explain in more detail 2) Quiz me - test my understanding 3) Done - continue working > Select a number or ask a follow-up question ``` ### Option Handling **1) Go deeper:** - Ask: "Which part would you like me to explain further?" - Provide more detailed explanation on that specific area **2) Quiz me:** (only if `features.quiz` is enabled in config) - Generate 2-3 questions using Level-Based Question Perspective (see Quiz Generation Guide below) - Use quiz types appropriate for user's level - Show answer + detailed "why" explanation after each response - Track correct/incorrect for dynamic difficulty - End with score summary + level-up suggestion if 80%+ correct on recent 5 **3) Done:** - End the explanation session - Return to normal conversation ### If user asks follow-up question directly: - Answer the question - Show the interaction options again ## Quiz Generation Guide ### Level-Based Question Perspective (나무 → 숲) | Level | Perspective | Question Focus | |-------|-------------|----------------| | Bronze | 나무 (Individual Concept) | "What is this?" - Definitions, T/F | | Silver | 나뭇가지 (Usage) | "How do I use this?" - Code blanks, output prediction | | Gold | 여러 나무 (Patterns) | "Why choose this?" - Comparisons, trade-offs | | Platinum | 숲 (Architecture) | "What's the role in the whole?" - Design decisions | | Diamond | 생태계 (Ecosystem) | "What's the organizational impact?" - Strategic judgment | ### Quiz Types by Level **Bronze:** - True/False: "[concept] is [description]" (T/F) - Concept selection: "Which best describes [concept]?" **Silver:** - Code blanks: `const [state, ???] = useState(0)` - Output prediction: "What does this code output?" - Error finding: "Why doesn't this code work?" **Gold:** - Comparison: "In this situation, which is better: A or B?" - Optimization: "What's the performance issue in this code?" - Trade-offs: "What's the downside of this approach?" **Platinum:** - Design decisions: "How would you satisfy [requirement] in this structure?" - Scalability: "What happens when users increase 10x?" - Dependencies: "How does this change affect other modules?" **Diamond:** - Strategic judgment: "What's the team impact of adopting this technology?" - Long-term perspective: "How would you evaluate this decision in 6 months?" - Organizational impact: "How does this affect new team member onboarding?" ### Scoring Rules - Full correct: ✅ Correct - Partial (missed key point): ❌ Wrong - Completely wrong: ❌ Wrong ### Dynamic Difficulty Track accuracy of recent 5 questions: - 80%+ correct: Suggest "You're doing great! Want to try [next level] level questions?" - Below 80%: Do nothing (respect user's choice to stay at current level) --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/gilverse-icn) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.