Explore

Codebase Exploration

Delegates to the Explore agent for fast, read-only investigation of the codebase.

Current State

• Directory: !pwd 2>/dev/null
• Project: !basename "$(pwd)" 2>/dev/null
• Stack: !ls package.json Cargo.toml go.mod pyproject.toml 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown"
• Git root: !git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || echo "not a git repo"

Two modes — pick by what the user asked

Broad investigation mode (default)

Use when the user is asking "how does X work" / "where is X" / "what handles Y" — finding code without a known starting point.

1. Start broad - Use tldr semantic or Glob to find relevant files
2. Narrow down - Read specific files to understand implementation
3. Trace connections - Use tldr impact to find callers/dependencies
4. Summarize findings - Return clear, actionable summary

Upward-zoom mode

Use when the user is staring at a known function or module and needs to know how it fits — triggers like "zoom out", "bigger picture", "where does this fit", onboarding unfamiliar code.

1. Follow [../context-doc/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md](../context-doc/DOMAIN-AWARENESS.md) — read CONTEXT.md and any relevant ADRs first if they exist.
2. Identify the symbol or file the user is asking about.
3. Use TLDR for the structural answer:

``bash tldr context --depth 3 --project . tldr impact --project . ``

1. Synthesize a map: list immediate callers, the modules they live in, and where this area sits in the system. Use CONTEXT.md vocabulary when naming concepts.
2. Stop at one layer up. The user can ask for another zoom-out if they need it.

Upward-zoom output shape:

{Symbol/file in question}
  ↑ called by: {module A}, {module B}
  ↓ depends on: {module C}, {module D}

Where this fits:
{1–2 sentence narrative using CONTEXT.md terms}

Related ADRs:
- ADR-NNNN ({title}) — relevant because…

Keep it short. The point is orientation, not exhaustive coverage.

Output Format (broad mode)

Return a concise summary:

• Location: Key files and their paths
• How it works: Brief explanation of the flow
• Key functions/components: Entry points
• Dependencies: What it relies on
• Suggestions: If the user needs to modify something

Remember

• You are READ-ONLY - do not modify files
• Return summaries, not raw file contents
• Be specific with file paths and line numbers

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: darkroomengineering
• Source: darkroomengineering/cc-settings
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.