Claude Code Guide

This skill provides comprehensive guidance for Claude Code - the agentic coding tool from Anthropic.

What is Claude Code?

Claude Code is an agentic coding assistant that operates directly in your terminal. Unlike chat-based AI tools, Claude Code:

• Sees your codebase: Reads files, understands project structure, follows imports
• Takes action: Edits files, runs commands, creates commits, manages git workflows
• Verifies results: Runs tests, checks build output, validates changes
• Learns context: Remembers project conventions via CLAUDE.md files

The Agentic Loop

Claude Code operates in a continuous gather → act → verify loop:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   AGENTIC LOOP                       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  1. GATHER CONTEXT                                   │
│     • Read files, search code, explore structure     │
│     • Understand current state and requirements      │
│                                                      │
│  2. TAKE ACTION                                      │
│     • Edit files, run commands, create content       │
│     • May require permission for sensitive ops       │
│                                                      │
│  3. VERIFY RESULTS                                   │
│     • Check command output, run tests                │
│     • Validate changes meet requirements             │
│                                                      │
│  4. REPEAT or COMPLETE                               │
│     • Continue if more work needed                   │
│     • Report results when done                       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Read more: references/core/agentic-loop.md

Key Features Quick Reference

Extension Points Comparison

Choose the right extension mechanism for your needs:

When to Use What

Use CLAUDE.md when:

• Defining coding standards ("use tabs, not spaces")
• Documenting project architecture
• Specifying test commands
• Setting up file organization rules

Use Skills when:

• Creating reusable workflows (/commit, /review)
• Building prompt templates with arguments
• Packaging documentation for reference
• Defining specialized behaviors

Use Hooks when:

• Running commands before/after actions
• Validating or blocking tool usage
• Logging activity
• Auto-formatting code on save

Use MCP Servers when:

• Connecting to external APIs (GitHub, Jira, databases)
• Adding custom tool capabilities
• Integrating with existing services
• Providing resources from external sources

Use Subagents when:

• Delegating specialized investigations
• Running parallel analysis tasks
• Isolating context for focused work
• Creating custom agent personas

Navigation Guide

Understanding How Claude Code Works

• How does the agentic loop work? → references/core/agentic-loop.md
• What tools does Claude have? → references/core/tools.md
• How does context management work? → references/core/context-management.md

Configuration & Setup

• How do I set up CLAUDE.md? → references/configuration/memory.md
• How do I create skills? → references/configuration/skills.md
• How do I configure hooks? → references/configuration/hooks.md
• How do I add MCP servers? → references/configuration/mcp.md
• How do I create subagents? → references/configuration/sub-agents.md

Workflows & Best Practices

• Common tasks (exploration, debugging, PRs) → references/workflows/common-workflows.md
• Advanced patterns (parallel, CI/CD, headless) → references/workflows/advanced-workflows.md
• Best practices & tips → references/best-practices.md

CLI Reference

• Commands, flags, and options → references/cli-reference.md

Quick Tips

Effective Prompting

# Be specific about verification
"Add input validation to the signup form. Run the tests to verify."

# Provide context
"The auth system uses JWT tokens stored in httpOnly cookies.
Add a logout endpoint that clears the cookie."

# Request exploration first
"Explore how error handling works in this codebase, then
suggest improvements to the API error responses."

Keyboard Shortcuts

Essential Commands

Common Questions

Q: How much context does Claude Code have? A: ~200K tokens. Use /compact if running low. See references/core/context-management.md.

Q: Can Claude Code run commands without asking? A: Depends on permission mode. Safe commands auto-approve; destructive ones ask. See references/core/agentic-loop.md.

Q: How do I share context across sessions? A: Use CLAUDE.md files for persistent context. See references/configuration/memory.md.

Q: Can I use Claude Code in CI/CD? A: Yes, with headless mode (claude -p). See references/workflows/advanced-workflows.md.

Q: How do I add custom tools? A: Via MCP servers. See references/configuration/mcp.md.

IDE Integration

Claude Code integrates with VS Code and JetBrains IDEs:

VS Code: Install "Claude Code" extension

• Cmd+Esc (Mac) / Ctrl+Esc (Windows/Linux) to open
• Automatic file sync with editor
• Inline diff viewing

JetBrains: Install "Claude Code" plugin

• Same keyboard shortcut
• Project context awareness
• Integrated terminal

Getting Help

• In Claude Code: Type /help for commands
• Documentation: https://docs.anthropic.com/claude-code
• Issues: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues