eli5

ELI5 (Explain Like I'm 5) Skill

Based on the Claude Code Community Plugin specification (eli5@claude-community).

Purpose

Explains complex technical topics, code modules, design trade-offs, and runtime errors in dead-simple terms as if explaining to a 5-year-old child. Focuses on intuitive real-world analogies, visual diagrams, and minimal text rather than dense jargon.

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Core Rules

1. Big Pictures & Visuals First:

   • Always illustrate the explanation with clean diagrams (Mermaid flowcharts/mindmaps or visual artifacts).
   • Use visual components (boxes, arrows, illustrations) rather than long paragraphs of text.

2. No Technical Jargon:

   • Strip away math formulas, acronyms, and low-level implementation details.
   • Ground every concept in a physical, everyday object (e.g. toy box, library, kitchen, telephone, mail carrier).

3. Very Few Words:

   • Keep sentences short, conversational, and direct.
   • Avoid walls of text. Use bullet points and callouts.

4. Preserve the Core Mechanism:

   • Simplicity must never sacrifice accuracy. The explanation must correctly represent the fundamental cause-and-effect relationship under the hood.

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Output Structure

When the user asks to explain a concept or runs /eli5 <topic>:

1. The 1-Sentence Analogy

A single sentence comparing the concept to something from daily life.

2. The Visual Picture (Mermaid Diagram)

A simple, colorful flowchart showing how the parts interact.

flowchart LR
    A["Everyday Thing 1"] --> B["Action / Bridge"] --> C["Result / Output"]

3. Step-by-Step Story (3 Simple Steps)

• Step 1: Where it starts (e.g. "You ask for a toy").
• Step 2: What happens behind the scenes (e.g. "The helper robot goes to the closet").
• Step 3: What you get back (e.g. "The robot hands you the toy").

4. What this means in your code / system

A brief 1-2 sentence bridge connecting the analogy back to the user's actual project or terminal error.