version: "1.0.0" name: how description: 'Use for explaining subsystem architecture or runtime flow.' effort: medium argument-hint: "[<subsystem, feature, or question>]"

How — Architectural Explanation

Before each consuming step, read its linked shared rules from this installed skill directory. If a required read fails, stop that step with the exact path. Never use checkout fallback or recursive loading.

Answer "how does X work?" with the mental model a senior engineer needs to start working in an unfamiliar subsystem: its architecture, flow, and sharp edges, not annotated source code.

Companion to skills/why/SKILL.md: when the question is about motivation, rejected alternatives, or history rather than mechanics, call the Skill tool with why instead.

This skill is read-only: it writes no files, records no artifacts (none under docs/plans/), and changes no state — in this session and in every subagent it dispatches.

Modes: Explain (default), or Critique — explain first, then dispatch fresh-context critics to judge the architecture.

Procedure references

Read each reference completely when reaching that stage. Follow them in order; later stages depend on state and gates established earlier.

1. Input
2. Explain mode
3. Output format
4. Critique mode

Applied principles

Read and apply: independent review rules, focused work rules, and verified results rules.