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Explore & Understand Unknown Code

Claude Code can recursively read files by following imports, making it perfect for codebase exploration. The flow map provides a visual reference you can keep. Asking for the '3 most important things before modifying' surfaces the non-obvious gotchas that cause bugs.

claude-code-tutorialfeatureOrSystementryPoint
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Prompt
I need to understand how {{featureOrSystem}} works in this codebase. I am not familiar with this part of the code.

**Starting point:** {{entryPoint}}

Trace the code flow and explain:
1. **Entry point:** What triggers this feature? (route, event, user action)
2. **Data flow:** Follow the data from input to output — which files and functions does it pass through?
3. **Dependencies:** What services, APIs, or database tables does it interact with?
4. **State management:** Where is state stored and how does it change?
5. **Edge cases:** What error handling exists? What happens when things fail?

Create a concise map:
\`\`\`
{{entryPoint}} -> [file1:function] -> [file2:function] -> [output]
\`\`\`

Then explain the 3 most important things I need to know before modifying this code.

Read as many files as needed to give a complete picture. Do not guess — trace the actual imports and function calls.

Variables to customize

{{featureOrSystem}}{{entryPoint}}

Why this prompt works

Claude Code can recursively read files by following imports, making it perfect for codebase exploration. The flow map provides a visual reference you can keep. Asking for the '3 most important things before modifying' surfaces the non-obvious gotchas that cause bugs.

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