Explain Code¶
Unfamiliar code is everywhere — legacy systems, open source libraries, a teammate's PR. Instead of spending time tracing logic manually, get an AI explanation calibrated to your experience level, from "explain like I'm five" to expert-level analysis.
Get AI-powered explanations for selected code at your preferred complexity level.
Usage¶
- Select code you want to understand
- Press
Ctrl+Shift+E(Cmd+Shift+Eon Mac) - Choose complexity level from the submenu (or use the default)
Complexity Levels¶
| Level | Best For |
|---|---|
| ELI5 | Complete beginners, simple analogies |
| Curious Amateur | Learners, defines technical terms |
| Imposter Syndrome | Filling knowledge gaps (default) |
| Senior | Experienced devs, key points only |
| PhD Mode | Expert-level analysis |
Features¶
- Rich webview panel with markdown rendering
- Segmented control for complexity selection — a unified pill-style bar replacing individual buttons, with smooth hover/active transitions
- Keyboard navigation — Arrow (Left/Right), Home, and End keys navigate between complexity levels; the selector uses proper
role="tablist"semantics - Three-dot pulse loader while the explanation generates
- Regenerate with custom instructions for different perspectives
- Configurable default complexity via
sidekick.explanationComplexity
Accessibility¶
prefers-reduced-motion— all animations and transitions are disabled when the OS-level reduced motion setting is enabled- Focus-visible outlines (2px) on all interactive elements for keyboard navigation
- ARIA landmarks:
<main>,role="region",aria-live="polite"on the explanation content area - Toolbar wrapped in
<nav>witharia-label - Responsive layout for narrow sidebar panels (under 260px)
Configuration¶
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
sidekick.explanationModel |
auto |
Model tier — resolves to balanced |
sidekick.explanationComplexity |
imposter-syndrome |
Default complexity level |