/understand-explain

Provide a thorough, in-depth explanation of a specific code component.

Graph Structure Reference

The knowledge graph JSON has this structure:

• project

  — {name, description, languages, frameworks, analyzedAt, gitCommitHash}

• nodes[]

  — each has {id, type, name, filePath, summary, tags[], complexity, languageNotes?}
  • Node types: file, function, class, module, concept
  • IDs:

    file:path

    ,

    func:path:name

    ,

    class:path:name

• edges[]

  — each has {source, target, type, direction, weight}
  • Key types: imports, contains, calls, depends_on

• layers[]

  — each has {id, name, description, nodeIds[]}

• tour[]

  — each has {order, title, description, nodeIds[]}

How to Read Efficiently

1. Use Grep to search within the JSON for relevant entries BEFORE reading the full file
2. Only read sections you need — don't dump the entire graph into context
3. Node names and summaries are the most useful fields for understanding
4. Edges tell you how components connect — follow imports and calls for dependency chains

Instructions

1. Check that

   .understand-anything/knowledge-graph.json

   exists. If not, tell the user to run

   /understand

   first.

2. Find the target node — use Grep to search the knowledge graph for the component: "$ARGUMENTS"

   • For file paths (e.g.,

     src/auth/login.ts

     ): search for

     "filePath"

     matches
   • For function notation (e.g.,

     src/auth/login.ts:verifyToken

     ): search for the function name in

     "name"

     fields filtered by the file path
   • Note the exact node

     id

     ,

     type

     ,

     summary

     ,

     tags

     , and

     complexity

3. Find all connected edges — Grep for the target node's ID in the edges section:

   • "source"

     matches → things this node calls/imports/depends on (outgoing)

   • "target"

     matches → things that call/import/depend on this node (incoming)
   • Note the connected node IDs and edge types

4. Read connected nodes — for each connected node ID from step 3, Grep for those IDs in the nodes section to get their

   name

   ,

   summary

   , and

   type

   . This builds the component's neighborhood.

5. Identify the layer — Grep for the target node's ID in the

   "layers"

   section to find which architectural layer it belongs to and that layer's description.

6. Read the actual source file — Read the source file at the node's

   filePath

   for the deep-dive analysis.

7. Explain the component in context:

   • Its role in the architecture (which layer, why it exists)
   • Internal structure (functions, classes it contains — from

     contains

     edges)
   • External connections (what it imports, what calls it, what it depends on — from edges)
   • Data flow (inputs → processing → outputs — from source code)
   • Explain clearly, assuming the reader may not know the programming language
   • Highlight any patterns, idioms, or complexity worth understanding