---
name: how
description: "Use for runtime, ownership, layering, code-walkthrough, and placement questions."
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: jstack-maintainers
  source: michael-denyer/pstack-claude
  source-version: "0.9.30"
  source-commit: 45f768349a6d7d7e71509fee3f5bccfad54b3bad
  owner: software-factory
  risk: low
  capabilities: jstack,engineering-research
---

# How

On Codex, Cursor, or another non-Claude runtime, read the [runtime mapping](../poteto-mode/references/harness-tools.md), including its per-skill notes, before following this skill.

Explore the codebase to answer "how does X work?" questions. Produce architectural explanations at the level of a senior engineer onboarding onto a subsystem, enough to build a working mental model, not so much that it reads like annotated source code.

## Step 1. Assess Complexity

If the scope is ambiguous, state your interpretation and explore. The user can redirect.

- **Simple** (a single module, a small utility, a narrow question such as "how does function X work"): no explorers. One explainer explores and explains in a single pass. Go to Step 2b.
- **Complex** (a subsystem spanning multiple files or services, a cross-cutting feature, a full architectural overview): spawn parallel explorers first, then hand off to the explainer. Go to Step 2a.

When in doubt, take the simple path.

## Step 2a. Explore (complex questions only)

Decompose the question into 2 to 4 exploration angles, each a distinct slice of the subsystem. Spawn all explorers in a single message:

- `subagent_type`: `general-purpose`
- `model`: your configured how-explorer model (default in [Models](#models))
- `readonly`: `true`

Each explorer gets the prompt in `references/explorer-prompt.md` with its angle filled in. Then go to Step 3.

## Step 2b. Direct Explain (simple questions)

Spawn one Task subagent that explores and explains in one pass:

- `subagent_type`: `general-purpose`
- `model`: your configured how-explainer model (default in [Models](#models))
- `readonly`: `true`

Build its prompt from `references/explainer-prompt.md` without the explorer-findings section. Go to Step 4.

## Step 3. Synthesize (complex questions only)

Once all explorers have returned, spawn one Task subagent to synthesize their findings into one explanation:

- `subagent_type`: `general-purpose`
- `model`: your configured how-explainer model (default in [Models](#models))
- `readonly`: `true`

Build its prompt from `references/explainer-prompt.md` with every explorer's findings filled in.

## Step 4. Present

Present the explainer's output to the user. Light edits for clarity or context from the conversation are fine. Do not substantially rewrite it.

## Output Format

The explanation uses the sections defined in `references/explainer-prompt.md`, dropping any that do not apply: Overview, Key Concepts, How It Works, Where Things Live, Gotchas.

## Models

Role defaults originate from the upstream `plugins/pstack/models.json`. Refresh them through `scripts/vendor_jstack.py` after reviewing the upstream change. A matching role line in `~/.claude/jstack-models.md` overrides each at runtime; see `/setup-jstack`.

- how explorer: `claude-opus-5`
- how explainer: `claude-opus-5`