mp-zoom-out

---
name: mp-zoom-out
description: Use when unfamiliar with a section of code and you need the agent to go up a layer of abstraction — produce a map of relevant modules and callers using CONTEXT.md vocabulary, not implementation detail.
source: https://github.com/mattpocock/skills/blob/main/skills/engineering/zoom-out/SKILL.md
generated: 2026-05-12T18:05:30.125Z
category: concept
audience: engineers
---

## Tutorials

- https://skillmake.xyz/v/mp-zoom-out.mp4

## When to use

- You've landed in unfamiliar code and need the bigger picture before editing
- Trying to understand how a module fits into the wider system before refactoring or fixing a bug
- Onboarding to a feature area where the call graph isn't obvious from the file you're in
- Maintainer asks 'zoom out' — they want a map, not a deep-dive into the current function

## Key concepts

### go up a layer of abstraction

When invoked, the agent stops staring at the current function and produces a higher-level view: which modules participate in this area, which callers depend on them, where the seams are. Detail-first responses defeat the purpose.

### map of modules and callers

The deliverable is a MAP — a structured list of relevant modules and the places that call them, not a tour of one file. Trace inbound and outbound dependencies so the reader can see the surrounding shape, not just the centre.

### use the domain glossary

Use CONTEXT.md vocabulary throughout. 'The Order intake module' beats 'OrderController' because the former survives renames; the glossary is the stable layer above the code.

### disable-model-invocation

This skill has `disable-model-invocation: true` in its frontmatter — it does not self-trigger from descriptions of code. The user invokes it explicitly when they want to zoom out. Don't auto-fire it on every unfamiliar file.

## API reference

```
The skill body (verbatim)
```

The entire skill is a short instruction to the agent. There are no templates or step lists beyond this — the discipline IS the brevity.

```
I don't know this area of code well. Go up a layer of abstraction. Give me a map of all the relevant modules and callers, using the project's domain glossary vocabulary.
```

## Gotchas

- Produce a MAP, not a deep-dive. If you find yourself reading line-by-line, you're zoomed in, not out.
- Use CONTEXT.md vocabulary — module names from the glossary, not class names from the file you happened to open.
- This skill is `disable-model-invocation: true` — it's user-triggered, not auto-loaded. Don't fire it on every unfamiliar file.
- Include callers, not just the module of interest. The map is incomplete without the inbound edges.
- If CONTEXT.md doesn't exist or is sparse, that's worth flagging — a zoom-out request is often the moment to start one.

---
Generated by SkillMake from https://github.com/mattpocock/skills/blob/main/skills/engineering/zoom-out/SKILL.md on 2026-05-12T18:05:30.125Z.
Verify against source before relying on details.

File: ~/.claude/skills/mp-zoom-out/SKILL.md