Explaining with ASCII Tree

Overview

When explaining anything hierarchical or multi-part to the user — designs, architecture, code structure, plans, trade-offs — render it as an ASCII tree, not prose paragraphs or ## 一、## 二、 header sections. The tree exposes structure and relationships at a glance; prose buries them.

Core rule: structure first, prose second. If the explanation has parts and sub-parts, it is a tree.

When to Use

• Explaining a design or architecture (data model, data flow, components)
• Walking through code structure (modules, files, symbols, call paths)
• Presenting a plan, breakdown, or option comparison
• Any answer where you'd otherwise reach for ## headers or deeply nested bullet lists

When NOT to use: