understand

Explains how code works and why it was built that way in plain language.

Updated Sep 13, 2026

Search Tags:#code review #debugging #documentation #onboarding #code explanation #diagrams #teaching

One-click install

npx skills add https://github.com/petemcw/farseer --skill understand-petemcw

Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: understand
Source: https://github.com/petemcw/farseer/tree/main/skills/understand
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/petemcw/farseer --skill understand-petemcw

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Reading unfamiliar code or a large change leaves developers guessing about how it works and why it was designed that way. This Skill produces a single plain-language explanation of a body of work so the reader actually understands it. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Combined how-and-why analysis: Runs the but-how and but-why skills in parallel and weaves their findings into one coherent explanation. - Audience-aware depth: Adjusts scope and detail based on why the person is asking, such as reviewing a change, debugging, or onboarding to a subsystem. - Progressive diagrams: Builds understanding with step-by-step mermaid diagrams or whiteboard-style images that add one part at a time. - Use Case: A developer about to modify a chat virtualization subsystem asks for an explanation and receives a plain account of what it is, how rendering and disk loading work, and why the design evicts off-screen data. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to help you really understand a specific change or subsystem, such as explaining how the authentication module works and why it was built that way.

Frequently Asked Questions about understand

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

Does the explanation preserve uncertainty about design rationale?▼

Yes. Confidence language from the why-analysis is kept intact because its hedges are findings about how certain the historical reasoning is, not stylistic choices.