name: dialogue-help description: Provide help with the Dialogue Framework. Triggers on "how does dialogue work", "what commands", "explain phases", "framework help", "what can you do".
Skill: Dialogue Framework Help
Provide contextual help and orientation for the Dialogue Framework.
When to Use
Activate this skill when:
- User asks about framework capabilities or commands
- User is confused about document types or processes
- User wants to understand phases, patterns, or capabilities
- AI agent needs orientation to the framework
- User asks "what can you do" or "how does this work"
Trigger phrases: "how does dialogue work", "what commands are available", "explain phases", "framework help", "what can you do", "list commands", "help with dialogue", "what are document types"
Implementation
Step 0: Check Interaction Mode
Read .dialogue/config.yaml for interaction_mode (default: partnership). Also check user's session memo for interaction_mode_preference. Adapt help verbosity accordingly:
- human-led: Concise, answer directly
- partnership: Balanced with suggestions
- ai-led: Verbose, proactive, explanatory
Step 1: Follow the /help Command
Read and follow the /help command at ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/commands/help.md for:
- Framework overview and core principles
- Command listing with descriptions
- Document type explanations
- Phase and collaboration pattern tables
- Getting started guidance
The command contains the authoritative help content.
Quick Reference
For skill discovery, point users to: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/quick-reference.md
This consolidated reference shows all commands and skills with trigger phrases in a scannable format.
Contextual Help Guidance
Tailor responses based on what the user is asking:
For "What can you do?" / "What can I do right now?" / General orientation
Discovery-first: Start with the user's goal, not feature lists.
Ask: "What do you want to create or accomplish?"
If they want a capabilities overview, group by intent:
- Capture understanding: Create Theory, Reference, Strategy documents
- Track decisions: Say "I decided..." or use
/create-adrfor architecture decisions - Manage work: "create task", "status", "next task"
- Preserve context: "save session" at end of work
In ai-led mode, proactively demonstrate: "Try saying 'I decided to use TypeScript' and watch what happens."
In human-led mode, point to quick reference: "See references/quick-reference.md for full list."
For Command Questions
List commands from the help content. If asking about a specific command, read and summarise that command file.
For Concept Questions
Explain the relevant concept. For detailed reference, consult the operational manual at ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/framework-manual.md, which covers:
- Phases (Quick Reference section)
- Collaboration patterns (Five Collaboration Patterns section)
- Capabilities (Eight Capabilities section)
- Document types (Document Type Classification section)
For "How do I..." Questions
Map to the appropriate command or skill:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| "How do I log a decision?" | Say "I decided to..." or "let's go with..." |
| "How do I capture understanding?" | /create-theory for integrated knowledge |
| "How do I document a meeting?" | /create-note for ephemeral outputs |
| "How do I create a task?" | Say "create task for..." |
| "How do I see what's in progress?" | Say "status" or "what tasks" |
| "How do I record an observation?" | Say "I noticed..." or "log observation" |
| "How do I save context?" | Say "save session" or "end session" |
| "How do I check phase readiness?" | Say "assess phase" or "ready to proceed" |
| "How do I get less/more help?" | /set-mode human-led or /set-mode ai-led |
| "How do I start using this?" | /init-dialogue (if not initialised) |
| "How do I see all capabilities?" | /help skills or see references/quick-reference.md |
In ai-led mode, provide example trigger phrases for each.
For AI Agents
When helping another AI agent understand the framework:
- Emphasise the capability model (Elicit, Analyse, Synthesise, etc.)
- Explain collaboration patterns and when to use each
- Point to process definitions if designing workflows
Proactive Orientation
If the user seems new to the framework (hasn't used commands, asks basic questions), proactively:
- Check if
.dialogue/exists — if not, suggest/init-dialogue - Briefly explain the core principle (tacit knowledge preservation)
- Offer to help with their immediate task using framework capabilities
Relationship to Command
| Invocation | Trigger |
|---|---|
/help | User explicitly requests help |
| This skill | Claude recognises help-seeking context (trigger phrases above) |
Both use the same content. The skill enables Claude to provide help without the user knowing the exact command.