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CodeWalkthrough Decorator

Provides detailed explanations of code functionality.

Category: Developer Education

Parameters

Parameter Type Description Default
focus enum Walkthrough emphasis how
detail enum Explanation granularity key-parts
audience enum Target reader peer

Focus Options

  • how: Explain how the code works, focusing on its mechanics and implementation details.
  • why: Explain why the code is designed this way, focusing on design decisions and rationale.
  • optimization: Explain how the code is optimized, focusing on performance considerations and efficiency.
  • security: Explain the security aspects of the code, focusing on potential vulnerabilities and safeguards.

Detail Options

  • overview: Provide a high-level overview of the code structure and functionality.
  • key-parts: Focus on explaining the key components and important sections of the code.
  • line-by-line: Provide a detailed line-by-line explanation of how the code works.

Audience Options

  • junior: Explain the code for a junior developer with basic programming knowledge.
  • peer: Explain the code as you would to a peer developer with similar experience.
  • senior: Explain the code with advanced concepts and patterns for a senior developer.
  • non-technical: Explain the code in simple terms for someone without technical background.

Examples

Basic code walkthrough for junior developers

+++CodeWalkthrough(focus=how, detail=key-parts, audience=junior)
Walk through this authentication middleware explaining how it works.

A detailed explanation of how the authentication middleware works, focusing on key components and written for junior developers to understand.

Security-focused code review for senior developers

+++CodeWalkthrough(focus=security, detail=line-by-line, audience=senior)
Explain this encryption implementation.

A comprehensive line-by-line security analysis of the encryption implementation, using advanced terminology appropriate for senior developers.

High-level explanation for non-technical stakeholders

+++CodeWalkthrough(focus=why, detail=overview, audience=non-technical)
Explain what this payment processing code does.

A non-technical overview explaining why the payment processing code is designed the way it is, avoiding jargon and technical details.

Model-Specific Implementations

gpt-4-turbo

Instruction: Explain this code in detail. Make sure to cover how it works, focusing on {focus}. Provide a {detail} explanation suitable for a {audience} developer.

Notes: Simplified instruction format works better with gpt-4-turbo.

Implementation Guidance

JavaScript authentication middleware

Original Prompt: 

Walk through this authentication middleware explaining how it works.

Transformed Prompt: 

Provide a walkthrough explanation of the code. Focus on making the explanation clear and educational. Explain how the code works, focusing on its mechanics and implementation details. Focus on explaining the key components and important sections of the code. Explain the code as you would to a peer developer with similar experience.

Walk through this authentication middleware explaining how it works.

Notes: The decorator adds specific instructions for explaining code functionality with appropriate focus, detail level, and audience adaptation.

Transformation Details

Base Instruction: Provide a walkthrough explanation of the code. Focus on making the explanation clear and educational.

Placement: prepend

Composition Behavior: accumulate

Parameter Effects:

  • focus:
  • When set to how: Explain how the code works, focusing on its mechanics and implementation details.
  • When set to why: Explain why the code is designed this way, focusing on design decisions and rationale.
  • When set to optimization: Explain how the code is optimized, focusing on performance considerations and efficiency.

  • When set to security: Explain the security aspects of the code, focusing on potential vulnerabilities and safeguards.

  • detail:

  • When set to overview: Provide a high-level overview of the code structure and functionality.
  • When set to key-parts: Focus on explaining the key components and important sections of the code.

  • When set to line-by-line: Provide a detailed line-by-line explanation of how the code works.

  • audience:

  • When set to junior: Explain the code for a junior developer with basic programming knowledge.
  • When set to peer: Explain the code as you would to a peer developer with similar experience.
  • When set to senior: Explain the code with advanced concepts and patterns for a senior developer.
  • When set to non-technical: Explain the code in simple terms for someone without technical background.

Compatibility

  • Requires: None
  • Conflicts: None
  • Compatible Models: gpt-4-turbo, gpt-4o, claude-3-7-sonnet-latest, llama-3.2
  • Standard Version: 1.0.0 - 1.5.0
  • CodeReview: Enhances CodeWalkthrough CodeWalkthrough can enhance CodeReview by providing educational context to review comments.
  • ELI5: Conflicts with CodeWalkthrough When audience is set to anything other than 'non-technical', this may conflict with ELI5's simplification approach.