Understanding Code Context

Overview

Core principle: Use official documentation (Context7) to understand external libraries and frameworks instead of web search or reading source code.

This skill provides structured workflows for finding authoritative, version-specific documentation for external dependencies.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Understanding how an external library/framework works
• Learning library concepts, patterns, and APIs
• Finding official documentation for dependencies
• Understanding library configuration and usage patterns

Don't use for:

• Exploring project code (use other tools)
• Finding implementations in your codebase
• Simple file content reading

Context7 Tool Usage

Primary tool: Context7 provides authoritative, version-specific documentation for external libraries.

Commands

# Step 1: Find library ID
resolve-library-id "library-name"

# Step 2: Get documentation
get-library-docs context7CompatibleLibraryID="/org/project"

Search Strategy

When searching for library documentation, try multiple variations:

1. Exact package name: "importmap-rails"
2. Framework + concept: "rails import maps"
3. Organization/repo: "rails/importmap"
4. Base name: "importmap"

Important: Try 2+ variations before using WebSearch. Context7 has official, version-specific documentation. WebSearch gives you blog posts and outdated StackOverflow.

Core Workflow

Understanding External Library:

1. resolve-library-id "library-name"
   - If not found: try variations (framework + concept, org/repo, base name)
   - Try 2+ variations before giving up
2. get-library-docs context7CompatibleLibraryID="/org/project"
3. Read and understand official patterns, APIs, and concepts
4. Apply understanding to project usage

Example:

User: "Help me understand how importmap works and how to add a new library"

You:
1. resolve-library-id "importmap-rails"
   - If not found: try "rails/importmap", "rails import maps", "importmap"
2. get-library-docs context7CompatibleLibraryID="/rails/importmap"
3. Understand: import maps spec, pin vs pin_all_from, CDN vs vendor
4. Explain concepts and how to add a new library based on official docs

Red Flags - STOP Immediately

If you catch yourself doing ANY of these, STOP and start over:

• ❌ "Context7 didn't work" after 1 try (try 2+ search term variations!)
• ❌ "WebSearch is faster" (it's less accurate and often outdated!)
• ❌ "I know how this lib works" (check official docs anyway!)
• ❌ Reading source code before checking Context7 docs
• ❌ Using WebSearch before trying Context7 variations

All of these mean: STOP. Try Context7 with multiple search variations first.

Anti-Patterns

Common mistakes:

Mistake	Fix
WebSearch first	Use Context7 with multiple search term variations
One search term only	Try 2+ variations (exact name, framework+concept, org/repo, base name)
Reading source code	Check Context7 official docs first
Assuming library behavior	Official docs explain intent, best practices, and gotchas

Why Context7 over WebSearch:

• Official, version-specific documentation
• Authoritative patterns and APIs
• Up-to-date information
• Explains intent and best practices

Quick Reference

Find library documentation:

resolve-library-id "library-name"
get-library-docs context7CompatibleLibraryID="/org/project"

Search term variations to try:

1. Exact package name: "package-name"
2. Framework + concept: "framework concept"
3. Organization/repo: "org/repo"
4. Base name: "basename"