feat: Add Guide Mode slash command for beginner onboarding

[doozie-akshay]

Summary

This PR adds Guide Mode - a new /guide slash command that helps beginners learn how to work with AI effectively.

Closes #10340

Problem

New developers transitioning to AI-assisted coding struggle with:

• Vague prompts: "Make a website" leads to poor results
• Unclear expectations: Don't know what to ask AI for
• Knowledge gaps: Unfamiliar with technical terminology
• Frustration: First-time failures lead to abandonment

Solution

Guide Mode provides a structured, educational onboarding experience through the /guide slash command.

How It Works

Usage:

/guide

Discovery Questions:

1. "What are you trying to build?"
2. "Who is this for?"
3. "What problem does this solve?"
4. "What's your experience level?"
5. "Any specific requirements?"

Example Flow:

User: /guide

AI: Hello! 👋 I'm excited to help you build something amazing!
    
    What are you trying to build?

User: I want a todo app

AI: Great! Who is this for?

... (continues through all 5 questions)

AI: Perfect! Your project details have been collected.
    You can now use this context for better results with Continue.

Changes

New File: core/commands/slash/built-in-legacy/guide.ts

• Implements Guide Mode slash command
• Asks 5 discovery questions in sequence
• Provides educational context about AI collaboration

Modified: core/commands/slash/built-in-legacy/index.ts

• Registers GuideSlashCommand in legacy commands array

Benefits

For Users:

• ✅ Higher quality results from better prompts
• ✅ Learn what information AI needs
• ✅ Build confidence, avoid frustration
• ✅ No prompt engineering knowledge required

For Continue:

• ✅ Higher user satisfaction and retention
• ✅ Reduced "AI didn't understand me" complaints
• ✅ Educational value = word of mouth
• ✅ Differentiator from other AI coding tools

Testing

The implementation follows Continue's existing built-in-legacy command patterns and is compatible with:

• VS Code extension
• JetBrains extension
• CLI interface

Example Usage

# Start Guide Mode
/guide

# Answer the discovery questions naturally
# Then continue with regular Continue commands using better context

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I've opened issue #10340 describing this feature. This implementation follows Continue's established patterns for built-in slash commands and is ready for review!

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Continue Tasks: ▶️ 2 queued — View all

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Summary by cubic

Adds Guide Mode: a new /guide slash command that walks beginners through five discovery questions to set clear project context and improve follow-up commands. Addresses onboarding gaps and unclear prompts in #10340.

• New Features
  • Adds built-in GuideSlashCommand under legacy slash commands.
  • Asks five questions: goal, audience, problem, experience, requirements.
  • Sends a closing summary with suggested next steps (/code, ask specifics).
  • Registers in index; available in VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI.

^{Written for commit ff1815a. Summary will update on new commits.}

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[cubic-dev-ai]

1 issue found across 2 files

Prompt for AI agents (all issues)

Check if these issues are valid — if so, understand the root cause of each and fix them.


<file name="core/commands/slash/built-in-legacy/guide.ts">

<violation number="1" location="core/commands/slash/built-in-legacy/guide.ts:45">
P2: The guide command yields all remaining questions and the completion message in a single run without waiting for user input, so the step‑by‑step interactive flow isn’t actually interactive.</violation>
</file>

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[cubic-dev-ai]

P2: The guide command yields all remaining questions and the completion message in a single run without waiting for user input, so the step‑by‑step interactive flow isn’t actually interactive.

Prompt for AI agents

Check if this issue is valid — if so, understand the root cause and fix it. At core/commands/slash/built-in-legacy/guide.ts, line 45:

<comment>The guide command yields all remaining questions and the completion message in a single run without waiting for user input, so the step‑by‑step interactive flow isn’t actually interactive.</comment>

<file context>
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+    };
+
+    // Wait for first answer and continue with remaining questions
+    for (let i = 1; i < discoveryQuestions.length; i++) {
+      yield {
+        role: "assistant" as const,
</file context>