Explain code

Skill helderberto/agent-skills/skills/explain-code

Explains code with visual diagrams and analogies. Use when explaining how code works, walking through a codebase area, or when the user asks "how does this work?" Don't use for modifying code, fixing bugs, generating new implementations, or multi-session concept learning (use /teach).From its SKILL.md

Install

npx -y skills add helderberto/agent-skills --skill explain-code

Assembled from the repository path, not quoted from the project. Check it against their README if it does not work.

One thing to look at

12 stars12 stars. Stars are a popularity signal and not a quality one, but at this level it is likely that nobody has read this closely except its author, and you would be relying on your own review.

SKILL.md

2.0 KB, 405 tokens by cl100k_base, as published. Nobody here has run it

When explaining code, always include:

Start with an analogy: Compare the code to something from everyday life
Draw a diagram: Use ASCII art to show the flow, structure, or relationships
Walk through the code: Explain step-by-step what happens
Highlight a gotcha: What's a common mistake or misconception?

Keep explanations conversational. For complex concepts, use multiple analogies.

Diagram Types

Flow / Control flow:

Input -> [Validate] -> [Process] -> [Save] -> Output
                          |
                       [Error] -> Return 400

Call stack / Sequence:

Client          API           DB
  |--request-->  |             |
  |              |--query----> |
  |              |<--result--- |
  |<-response--  |             |

Tree / Hierarchy:

App
+-- Header
|   +-- Nav
+-- Main
|   +-- Sidebar
|   +-- Content
+-- Footer

State machine:

[Idle] --submit--> [Loading] --success--> [Done]
                       |
                    error|
                   [Failed] --retry--> [Loading]

Data structure:

User {
  id: string
  profile: Profile --> { name, avatar, bio }
  posts: Post[]    --> [{ id, title, body }]
}

Before / After:

Before:               After:
fn()                  fn()
  doA()                 doA()
  doB()                 doB()
  doC()     ->          helpers()
  doD()                   doC()
  doE()                   doD()
                          doE()

Error Handling

Code references external files/modules -- read them before explaining
Diagram too complex -- split into multiple focused diagrams, each covering one concept

What ships with it

Read from the repository

Just SKILL.md. No reference files, no scripts.

Gives 4 of the 12 instructions most explainers skills give in 405 tokens

Counted across 274 of the 289 authors here whose files we hold, read 2026-09-06

Start with an everyday-life analogyhere, and in 7 of 274, across 6 files
Use multiple analogies for complex conceptshere, and in 6 of 274, across 5 files
Introduce one simple analogy per explanationin 6 of 274, across 4 files
Reason conversationallyin 5 of 274, across 3 files
Ask reflective questions occasionallyin 5 of 274, across 3 files
Guide the user's thinkingin 5 of 274, across 3 files
End with a reflective promptin 5 of 274, across 3 files
Keep explanations conversationalhere, and in 5 of 274, across 4 files
Build the idea step by stepin 5 of 274, across 3 files
Keep the analogy consistent throughoutin 5 of 274, across 3 files
Frame direct answers through reasoningin 5 of 274, across 3 files
Highlight a common mistake or misconceptionhere, and in 5 of 274, across 4 files

Said here and by no other author read

Read referenced external files before explaining
Split complex diagrams into focused single-concept diagrams

Grouped from the skills themselves: near-identical wordings counted once, and counted by distinct author, so one author publishing three of these counts once. Length counted with cl100k_base; the agent that loads this file may tokenize it differently.