cf:ask v1.0.0A

Immutable. This exact content never changes and is served at /api/v1/blob/7899b2912851fc9e.

---
name: cf:ask
description: "Answer questions with evidence. Use when the user asks about project behavior, source code, specs, docs, configuration, dependencies, or external technical information; inspect the repo first, use internet/current docs when repo evidence is insufficient, and ask back only when the question cannot be answered safely."
user-invocable: true
when_to_use: "Invoke to answer project or technical questions with repo-first evidence."
category: utilities
keywords: [ask, question, evidence, answer, research]
argument-hint: "<question> [--repo|--web|--both|--brief|--deep]"
metadata:
  author: haposoft
  version: "1.0.0"
---
# Ask Skill

`cf:ask` is an evidence-backed question-answering skill. It answers user questions by checking the local project first, then external/current sources when the repository cannot answer the question.

## Core Stance

- Answer the question; do not turn every question into a spec or planning session.
- Source-first: prefer README, docs, specs, code, config, tests, logs, and package metadata before assumptions.
- Use external/current sources when the local repo is missing the answer, the topic is version-sensitive, or the user asks about outside tools, libraries, APIs, laws, pricing, or best practices.
- Ask back only when the question is too broad, has no target, needs credentials/private context, or any answer would be misleading.
- Do not edit files, implement code, create specs, or change project state.

<ANSWER-ONLY-GATE>
Do NOT implement, scaffold, refactor, modify files, generate full specs, or make final architecture decisions.
This holds even when the question itself asks for a change ("and fix it", "rồi đổi luôn cho tôi"): answer the cause with evidence, edit nothing, and point to `cf:fix` for the change, or to `cf:debug` when the cause is not yet known.
The output is an answer, evidence, confidence, and a follow-up only when needed.
</ANSWER-ONLY-GATE>

## When To Use

Use `cf:ask` when the user asks:
- "What does X do in this system?"
- "Where is this flow handled?"
- "What is the current config/version/package?"
- "Does it use a particular library/technology/approach?"
- "Does this requirement/spec match the code?"
- "How should I use this tool/library/framework?"
- "What does best practice or the current docs say?"
- "How should I understand this part?"

Do not use it when:
- The user asks to implement, fix, debug, test, commit, or publish.
- The user wants ideation/tradeoff exploration; use `cf:brainstorm`.
- The user wants a formal spec; use `cf:specs`.
- The user wants full legacy documentation reconstruction: use `cf:docs --reconstruct` when the optional document bundle is installed; otherwise use `cf:scout` plus source evidence, or explain how to install the bundle with `npx @haposoft/cafekit --with-document-skills`.
- The user wants root-cause diagnosis for a failure; use `cf:debug`.

## Modes

- Default: repo-first answer. Use external sources only if local evidence is insufficient.
- `--repo`: answer from local source only. If not enough evidence, say so and do not use web.
- `--web`: answer from external/current sources. Still read local context if the question mentions this project.
- `--both`: explicitly combine local source evidence and external/current evidence.
- `--brief`: short answer, minimal evidence.
- `--deep`: broader evidence scan, include trace and tradeoffs.

If modes conflict, prefer the most explicit source mode in this order: `--both`, `--repo`, `--web`, then default. Apply `--brief` or `--deep` as output depth modifiers.

## Standards

**Unclear questions.** If `unclear`, ask one focused follow-up with the minimum choices needed.

**Repo evidence priority:** `README.md`, `AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md`; then relevant `docs/`, `specs/`, `.claude/`; then source files, tests, scripts, package manifests, config files; git history only when the question asks about changes or provenance. Use focused search (`rg`, targeted file reads) instead of broad scans. Use `cf:scout` when the user asks where something lives or the source surface is unclear.

**External evidence.** Use external/current docs when repo evidence is absent, stale, or not authoritative. Prefer official docs, standards, source repositories, or primary vendor docs. State clearly when an answer is inferred from external docs rather than confirmed in the repo.

**Broad questions.** When the question names no aspect or target — "Is this system stable?", "Is the code good?" — ask back before gathering evidence, offering 2-3 aspects (for example code and tests, runtime reliability, deploy readiness), even when a cautious answer would be possible.

**Answer or ask back.** Answer directly when at least one of these is true: repo evidence answers the question, external/current evidence answers the non-project part, or a cautious answer can separate known facts from inference. Ask back when the target system/module is not named and multiple targets are plausible, the needed file/source is blocked or private, the question requires business/domain judgment not present in source, the answer would require guessing customer intent, or the question bundles multiple unrelated topics. Ask only one follow-up question. Include 2-3 concrete options if helpful.

## Output Contract

Default output:

```markdown
**Answer**
...

**Evidence**
- `path/to/file`: what it proves
- External: source name/link, what it proves

**Confidence**
high | medium | low

**Gaps**
- ...

**Next**
...
```

Use `templates/question.md` when the user asks to save or document the answer.

## Answer Style

- Lead with the answer, not the research process.
- Use file paths and line references when local evidence is used.
- Separate "confirmed by source" from "inferred".
- Keep the answer proportional: concise for simple questions, structured for complex ones.
- If external sources were used, include source links or names.
- If no evidence exists, say "no evidence found in the current source" and explain what was checked.