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-adr for 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:

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:

1. Check if .dialogue/ exists — if not, suggest /init-dialogue
2. Briefly explain the core principle (tacit knowledge preservation)
3. Offer to help with their immediate task using framework capabilities

Relationship to Command

Both use the same content. The skill enables Claude to provide help without the user knowing the exact command.