Technical Tutorials

This skill helps you create step-by-step tutorials that actually work. Covers prerequisite handling, progressive complexity, troubleshooting sections, and creating those satisfying "it works!" moments.

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Before You Start

Establish audience context first. Before writing, you need to know:

• Developer skill level (beginner, intermediate, senior)
• Tech stack familiarity (what can you assume they know?)
• Environment (macOS, Linux, Windows, cloud)
• Why they're learning (job, side project, curiosity)

See references/audience-context.md (consolidated into this skill on 2026-04-28; was a standalone developer-audience-context skill upstream) for the audience profile shape and the 10 sections to capture. Either load an existing project-level audience-context.md, or elicit the four points above inline. Do not block the tutorial draft on missing audience information — document the assumptions you made at the top of the tutorial so the user can correct them.

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Tutorial Types

Type	Length	Purpose	Example
Quickstart	5-10 min	First success ASAP	"Make your first API call"
Tutorial	20-45 min	Learn a concept deeply	"Build a REST API with Node.js"
Workshop	1-3 hours	Comprehensive project	"Build a full-stack app"
Code walkthrough	Varies	Explain existing code	"Understanding our SDK architecture"

---

The Tutorial Structure

Anatomy of a Great Tutorial

1. Title & Meta
   - What you'll build
   - Time estimate
   - Prerequisites

2. Overview
   - What you'll learn
   - Final result preview

3. Prerequisites Check
   - Environment setup
   - Verification commands

4. The Build (Progressive Steps)
   - Step 1: Simplest foundation
   - Step 2: Add one concept
   - Step 3: Add complexity
   - [Checkpoint: "It works!" moment]
   - Step 4: Continue building
   - ...
   - [Final checkpoint]

5. What You Built
   - Recap
   - Complete code

6. Troubleshooting
   - Common errors
   - Debugging tips

7. Next Steps
   - Where to go from here
   - Related tutorials

---

Prerequisites Handling

The Prerequisites Section

Be explicit. Don't make developers guess what they need.

## Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

| Requirement | Version | Check Command |
|-------------|---------|---------------|
| Node.js | 18+ | `node --version` |
| npm | 9+ | `npm --version` |
| Git | Any | `git --version` |

You should also be comfortable with:
- Basic JavaScript (variables, functions, async/await)
- Command line basics (cd, mkdir, running commands)
- REST API concepts (HTTP methods, JSON)

**New to any of these?** Check out [link to prerequisite tutorial].

Environment Setup Section

Make setup foolproof:

## Setting Up Your Environment

### 1. Create Project Directory

\`\`\`bash
mkdir my-awesome-project
cd my-awesome-project
\`\`\`

### 2. Initialize the Project

\`\`\`bash
npm init -y
\`\`\`

You should see output like:
\`\`\`json
{
  "name": "my-awesome-project",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  ...
}
\`\`\`

### 3. Install Dependencies

\`\`\`bash
npm install express dotenv
\`\`\`

### 4. Verify Installation

\`\`\`bash
node -e "require('express'); console.log('Express installed!')"
\`\`\`

Expected output: `Express installed!`

---

Progressive Complexity

The Layer Cake Approach

Build up in understandable layers:

Layer	What It Does	Example
1. Skeleton	Minimum viable code that runs	"Hello World" server
2. Core feature	Primary functionality	Add one API endpoint
3. Real data	Replace hardcoded values	Connect to database
4. Error handling	Production-ready patterns	Add try/catch, validation
5. Polish	Nice-to-haves	Logging, config, tests

Show Progress, Not Perfection

Wrong approach (overwhelming):

// Here's the complete file with everything
const express = require('express');
const { Pool } = require('pg');
const helmet = require('helmet');
const rateLimit = require('express-rate-limit');
const winston = require('winston');
// ... 200 more lines

Right approach (progressive):

Step 1: Basic server

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Hello World!');
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server running on http://localhost:3000');
});

Step 2: Add your first route

// Add this below your existing route
app.get('/api/users', (req, res) => {
  res.json([{ id: 1, name: 'Jane' }]);
});

---

Copy-Paste Friendly Code

The Copy-Paste Checklist

Every code block must pass these tests:

Test	How to Verify
Runs standalone	Copy into new file, execute, it works
Imports included	All require/import statements present
No undefined variables	No references to code from other steps without showing it
Environment agnostic	Works on Mac/Linux/Windows
Comments explain why	Not what (code shows what), but why

Code Block Patterns

File context is critical:

// server.js - Add this to your existing file
const rateLimit = require('express-rate-limit');

// Add this BEFORE your routes
const limiter = rateLimit({
  windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, // 15 minutes
  max: 100 // limit each IP to 100 requests per window
});

app.use(limiter);

Show file structure:

my-project/
├── src/
│   ├── index.js      ← You're editing this
│   ├── routes/
│   │   └── users.js
│   └── db/
│       └── connection.js
├── package.json
└── .env

Highlight changes in context:

// src/index.js
const express = require('express');
const app = express();

// ✅ ADD THIS: Import your new route
const userRoutes = require('./routes/users');

// ✅ ADD THIS: Use the route
app.use('/api/users', userRoutes);

app.listen(3000);

---

"It Works!" Moments

Checkpoints Create Motivation

Every 3-5 steps, give developers a win:

## Checkpoint: Test Your API

Let's make sure everything works before continuing.

**Start your server:**
\`\`\`bash
node server.js
\`\`\`

**In a new terminal, test the endpoint:**
\`\`\`bash
curl http://localhost:3000/api/users
\`\`\`

**You should see:**
\`\`\`json
[{"id": 1, "name": "Jane"}]
\`\`\`

🎉 **It works!** Your API is returning data.

If you don't see this output, check the [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting) section.

Visual Confirmation

When possible, show what success looks like:

Output Type	How to Show
Terminal output	Code block with expected text
Browser result	Screenshot or description
API response	Formatted JSON
Logs	Code block with log output

---

Troubleshooting Sections

Common Error Template

## Troubleshooting

### "Error: Cannot find module 'express'"

**Cause:** Dependencies weren't installed.

**Fix:**
\`\`\`bash
npm install
\`\`\`

---

### "EADDRINUSE: address already in use :::3000"

**Cause:** Another process is using port 3000.

**Fix (macOS/Linux):**
\`\`\`bash
# Find the process
lsof -i :3000

# Kill it (replace PID with actual number)
kill -9 PID
\`\`\`

**Or use a different port:**
\`\`\`javascript
app.listen(process.env.PORT || 3001);
\`\`\`

---

### "SyntaxError: Unexpected token"

**Cause:** Likely a typo or missing bracket.

**Debug steps:**
1. Check the line number in the error
2. Look for missing `,`, `}`, or `)`
3. Verify all strings are closed with matching quotes

Proactive Error Prevention

Add warnings before common pitfalls:

⚠️ **Windows users:** Use `set` instead of `export`:
\`\`\`bash
# macOS/Linux
export API_KEY=your_key

# Windows Command Prompt
set API_KEY=your_key

# Windows PowerShell
$env:API_KEY="your_key"
\`\`\`

---

Tutorial Templates

Quickstart Template (5-10 minutes)

# [Product] Quickstart: [What You'll Do] in 5 Minutes

Get [specific outcome] in under 5 minutes.

## Prerequisites

- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]

## Step 1: Install

\`\`\`bash
npm install your-package
\`\`\`

## Step 2: Configure

Create a `.env` file:
\`\`\`
API_KEY=your_key_here
\`\`\`

## Step 3: Write Code

Create `index.js`:
\`\`\`javascript
// Complete, working code
\`\`\`

## Step 4: Run It

\`\`\`bash
node index.js
\`\`\`

Expected output:
\`\`\`
[Output here]
\`\`\`

## 🎉 You Did It!

You just [accomplished thing].

**Next steps:**
- [Link to full tutorial]
- [Link to API docs]
- [Link to examples repo]

Full Tutorial Template (20-45 minutes)

# Build a [Thing] with [Technology]

Learn how to [outcome] by building [specific project].

| | |
|---|---|
| **Time** | 30 minutes |
| **Level** | Intermediate |
| **Prerequisites** | Node.js 18+, basic JavaScript |

## What You'll Build

[Screenshot or diagram of final result]

By the end, you'll have:
- ✅ [Capability 1]
- ✅ [Capability 2]
- ✅ [Capability 3]

## Prerequisites

### Required Software

| Tool | Version | Verify |
|------|---------|--------|
| Node.js | 18+ | `node -v` |

### Required Knowledge

- [Concept 1] — [link to learn]
- [Concept 2] — [link to learn]

## Step 1: Project Setup

[Setup instructions with verification]

**Checkpoint:** You should see `[expected output]`.

## Step 2: [First Feature]

[Instructions]

**Checkpoint:** Test with `[command]`.

## Step 3: [Second Feature]

[Instructions]

## Step 4: [Third Feature]

[Instructions]

**Checkpoint:** Your app should now [do thing].

## Complete Code

Here's everything together:

\`\`\`javascript
// Full final code
\`\`\`

## Troubleshooting

### [Common Error 1]
[Solution]

### [Common Error 2]
[Solution]

## What You Learned

- [Key concept 1]
- [Key concept 2]
- [Key concept 3]

## Next Steps

- **Go deeper:** [Link to advanced tutorial]
- **Explore:** [Link to related feature]
- **Get help:** [Link to Discord/community]

---

Quality Checklist

Before publishing, verify:

Code Quality

• Every code block runs without modification
• All imports/requires are included
• Expected output is shown
• Error handling is included
• Environment variables use .env pattern

Structure Quality

• Prerequisites are explicit
• Time estimate is accurate (test it!)
• Checkpoints every 3-5 steps
• Final complete code is provided
• Troubleshooting covers likely errors

Accessibility

• Works on Mac, Linux, AND Windows
• Commands work in bash/zsh/PowerShell
• File paths use correct separators
• No assumptions about installed tools

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Tools

Tool	Use Case
Octolens	Find common questions and errors developers encounter. Monitor Stack Overflow and GitHub issues for troubleshooting content.
Replit/CodeSandbox	Embed runnable examples
Carbon/Ray.so	Beautiful code screenshots
Excalidraw	Architecture diagrams
Terminalizer	Record terminal sessions
Loom	Quick video supplements

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Related Skills

These four are upstream companion skills from the same source repo as technical-tutorials (jonathimer/devmarketing-skills) and do not ship with this baseline. Listed here for reference only; if you need their capabilities, ask the user inline or vendor them separately following the same MIT terms.

• developer-audience-context — Understand skill level and environment
• devrel-content — General technical writing principles
• developer-onboarding — Optimize time to first success
• developer-seo — Get tutorials found via search