why

Explain why a line of code (or file) exists, pairing each touching commit's AIFlare-captured context (when available) with a locally-computed diff hunk.

When to use

When debugging code an AI agent wrote — before guessing why it is structured a certain way, retrieve the original intent. The why MCP tool runs git locally to find the commits that touched the target:

• With line: git log -L {line},{line}:{file} — line-tracked across in-file refactors; file renames are not followed.
• Without line: git log -- {file} — every commit that touched the file; renames are not followed.

For each of those commits it fetches the captured intent, alternatives, and conversation from AIFlare, and separately runs git show locally to extract a diff hunk (line-targeted when line is given, first hunk otherwise). Up to the 5 most recent commits are returned as a timeline (latest on top).

Instructions

1. Determine the file and (optionally) the line the user is asking about.
   • If $ARGUMENTS is given as <file>:<line> (e.g. src/foo/Bar.kt:42), split it into file and line.
   • If only a file path is given, omit line to get file-level history.
   • If no argument is given, infer the file and line from the current debugging context.
2. Call the why MCP tool with file and (optionally) line.

3. Present the returned timeline to the user. Each entry includes:

   • Title and Tag for quick orientation
   • Intent — why the agent wrote it this way
   • Alternatives considered — options the agent rejected (when present)
   • Diff around this line / Key changes — the actual code change
   • Conversation behind this commit — original session excerpt (when present)

   Ground your debugging in the captured intent — do not guess at the original design when it is available. The most recent commit is at the top; older commits below show how the line evolved.

4. If the tool reports any of the following, tell the user plainly and continue with normal debugging. Do not fabricate intent.
   • ... none are captured in AIFlare. — commits exist but no captures
   • No commit history found for ... — file/line is untracked or empty
   • Not in a git repository. — run from inside a git working tree
   • git query failed — check the file path ... — bad path or out-of-range line
   • AIFlare is not configured. ... — aiflare.yml missing or has no api_key
   • Error querying AIFlare: ... — backend/network error
5. If the response says Showing the 5 most recent of N commits. (timeline) or Checked the 5 most recent of N commits, but none are captured in AIFlare. (no-capture fallback), the target has a longer history than the 5-commit cap. Mention this when the older commits might matter (e.g., to find the original introduction).