eli5

claude-code-explain

Claude Code /explain plugin — turns deep code or dense plans into 3-sentence, no-jargon answers with one concrete example.

Designed for moments where a teammate (PM, designer, new hire, exec) needs to understand what a chunk of code or a plan section actually does, without wading through implementation details.

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Example

> /explain src/auth/middleware.ts

JWT authentication is how the server remembers who you are after you log in.
When you sign in, the server hands you a signed sticker (the token) that you
show on every later request, so it doesn't have to ask "who are you?" again.
**It's like a wristband at a concert — bouncers scan it instead of re-checking
your ID at every door.**

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What /explain accepts

• File path — /explain src/auth/middleware.ts
• Function or symbol — /explain validateToken
• Plan section or design doc — /explain step 3 of the migration plan
• Free-text concept — /explain why we need a message queue here
• PR or diff — /explain this PR

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Installation

You have three install options. Pick whichever fits your workflow.

Option 1 — One-line install (fastest)

Installs only the /explain command into ~/.claude/commands/. No plugin, no clone.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nasrat-v/claude-code-explain/main/setup.sh | bash

Project-local install (only available inside one repo):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nasrat-v/claude-code-explain/main/setup.sh | bash -s -- --project

Option 2 — Plugin via marketplace (recommended for plugin users)

Inside Claude Code:

/plugin marketplace add nasrat-v/claude-code-explain
/plugin install eli5@claude-code-explain

Invoke as /eli5:explain (plugin commands are namespaced pluginName:command). The standalone install in Option 1 keeps the bare /explain name.

This is the cleanest path if you already use /plugin to manage other extensions — updates, uninstalls, and listing all flow through the same command.

Option 3 — Manual clone

git clone https://github.com/nasrat-v/claude-code-explain.git
cd claude-code-explain
./setup.sh             # installs to ~/.claude/commands/
# or
./setup.sh --project   # installs to ./.claude/commands/ in current repo

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Verifying the install

Open Claude Code and type / — you should see /explain in the command list. Then try:

/explain prompt caching

You should get a 3–5 sentence answer with one analogy and zero jargon. If you get something longer or more technical, the command file didn't load — check ~/.claude/commands/explain.md exists.

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Uninstall

Plugin install:

/plugin uninstall eli5

Standalone install:

./setup.sh --uninstall
# or just:
rm ~/.claude/commands/explain.md

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How it works (the rules the command follows)

The command file is a prompt with hard constraints. Every answer must:

• Be 3–5 sentences. Never more.
• Use zero jargon (or define unavoidable terms inline in ≤5 words).
• Include exactly one analogy or one concrete scenario — not both, not zero.
• Skip code dumps and meta-commentary ("this code does X", "in summary").
• Target a smart non-engineer reader (PM, designer, exec).

The value is the constraint. Loosen it and you get the same verbose explanations Claude gives by default.

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Contributing

PRs welcome. The command lives in commands/explain.md — tweak the rules, add example pairs, or refine the output format. If you change behavior, update the example in this README so users see the new shape.

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License

MIT — see LICENSE.