quay/ai-helpers/eli5

ELI5 — Explain Like I'm 5

Distill $ARGUMENTS into a short, clear explanation with a concrete code snippet or example. The audience is a senior engineer who wants the mental model, not a tutorial.

Format

Every response follows this structure:

1. One-liner (required)

One sentence: what it is, in plain terms.

2. Analogy (optional)

A one-sentence analogy only if it genuinely clarifies. Skip if forced.

3. Code snippet or concrete example (required)

A short, runnable snippet or real-world example that demonstrates the concept. Prefer examples in the current project's primary language and domain. Annotate with 1-2 inline comments only where non-obvious.

4. The gotcha (optional)

One sentence on the most common misconception or sharp edge, if one exists.

Rules

• Keep the entire response under 15 lines of prose (code doesn't count toward this).
• Never pad with disclaimers, caveats, or "it depends" hedging.
• Never explain what the user already knows — skip straight to the part they're asking about.
• If the question is about something in the current codebase, reference the actual code, not a hypothetical.
• Match the user's depth: if they ask "how does SSA work in controller-runtime", assume they know what controllers are.

Depth escalation

If the user asks for more detail, add ONE level of depth — internal mechanics, edge cases, or a second code snippet. Don't repeat the original explanation.