What Claude Code Is and How It Works oe Mole MEET ako bur ia env acuta} and executes multi-step tasks autonomously. Claude =) Code at Taare)Three Architecture Concepts fe F-T8Te [-3 Code Anthropic’s agentic CLI that runs multi-step tasks in a terminal via a loop of planning, tool Peers Rasecar oun Se Sees CCR EtR EC reetrn og Planning Loop aT Reet ea ele tue eno Cee ae ane ee crn nee is complete. [ee See Cape eee ta Regt Sig) Model BORO Cuneo Re Eee es MVR Meco IAC TS Example: allow Bash(git), deny rmClaude Code Is Not a Chat Tool Colette Revere Rear Monee en ae Reta auctor sical} e It doesn't suggest completions - it executes tasks end to end © Itreads files, runs shell commands, edits code, and calls the web e Asingle instruction can trigger dozens of tool calls Let fele Mi nialey Re ove ee Mie soa eeC cans ted flats hClaude Code vs. IDE Plugins Tyee Ae EM More Meal Rou oUt MOL ITs eere NL NS e Plugins respond to keystrokes and offer inline suggestions Claude Code receives a goal, reasons, and takes autonomous action Plugins have no shell access; Claude Code runs arbitrary Bash commands oer ye ee eerie ere Teele state a aero R aR Y Rele oraThe Planning Loop- Four Phases Latta) Sao errand erect) Cees C) Repeat (ia oko Loop until Invoke a cere Pena ny emi the chosen Cee Soars fe) Ta ora eed understanding epeeAgentic Loop vs Single-Shot Call 2) Agentic | Koto) ) Claude plans, acts, observes, and decides the next step. Many tool calls per task. It self-corrects on surprises and keeps going until the goal is reached. ern ee aca accor Rn (2) Single- Shot Call One input, one response, done. No follow-up actions, no observing results. Fine for simple generation, not multi-step Mol at Se eee Cr ence TContext Window - What Fits Ne Re Recon gt oe eres sc Local ie Mecero eRe eee TCO © Conversation history, tool outputs, and [Link] files all count © Verbose [Link] files reduce the space left for code and results © When the window fills, earlier content is compacted or dropped Context is finite — design [Link] files and workflows to use it efficiently.Session Continuity and Memory Soa oan Motel Re NR Um eee enn n ACR EI} 2 Ee 0) ce & [Link] files load automatically and carry project Tela) (lol ee Tole eel) Where enabled, auto-memor: u CLAUD notes and explicit summaries PSCC! i) Without those, a new session has no automatic recall of prior chat Design workflows to write state explicitly rather than relying on implicit recall.The Permission Model Claude Code's permission model gates tools, and hooks run alongside it as a second gate. olay User Project 1 Retez-} Managed GEG Pee Rcd) Presets) cote tS) managed settings Neuro ate a CT emery eTown Nara) Dee ea eens and can deny first ere emer ete nes coe eas ee eect Peele eee tect ectClaude Code Architecture Foundations © Claude Code is an agentic CLI that executes multi-step tasks autonomously @ It acts autonomously — not an IDE suggestion tool G The planning loop: plan, tool call, observe, repeat im) Context is finite - [Link], history, and tool results all consume it New sessions don't auto-recall chat — write state explicitly Permissions govern what Claude Code can do; hooks are a separate layer eluThe Tool System — Reads, Bash, Edits, Web Claude Code’s tool system is a set of built-in capabilities it invokes during each step of a task. Tool System Reads Bash Edits u Websearch agentThree Tool System Concepts Tool System The built-in capabilities foe Rede Ne Tree octe mn Edit, Bash, Glob, Grep, DCs em eon and Agent. Each call is Ere errata 4 Edit vs. Write CeCe cs) feu eee emn icy Cee aS file. Edit is preferred for code changes. PXeT Ul a Celol| Deer oe UI) Eines acre rstiectecua Dee ee oad Peete ke een asad eT SonesThe Core Built-In Tools Claude Code ships with built-in tools that cover reading, writing, executing, and searching. Corey Beit aay Tools Roe meee cu Sense N i Ieee) DT eA CE aeons pao eRe conto Pieces eect ene nT bash grep websearch agent PVN ea uC CI PCs cena go PoC Bl oreo aoeRead — Safe File Inspection Pere eke ACER SRC oe Tenet eT Re uN mes ec Reads file contents — text, plus rendered images, PDFs, and notebooks No modification risk — it's the safest tool in the set For directory listings use Bash /s to find files use Glob or Grep No modification ETM MR COT ett Merme Uta workflow that involves existing code.Write vs. Edit- When to Use Each Zama Li) ea mel) em clo eae Rea Coa Behe on er eg amen © Edit TOR meget Rea lale om Finds the exact text and toler Um le ects} clon ec eg eR CRT ZS Risk Pr ESNet Ceara eam ena CU Rea red ee eR ete Rees tas re T hy esse ge Renee ea Kon moma aod rol noe OU eta statesBash - Power and Danger What Bash Can Do UEC eon OM ence Ce eens ee ea ee aes cue eC LRM cate Why It's Dangerous NTR Ret a ee eo Rel Cl a ORO Com Der I eae ae RRC es Cea eset amt}WebSearch - Current Information Wesco kee Xena RN Cm Cuenca Rn Caulk cos e Useful for current documentation, recent API changes, and error lookups e Results are returned as text that Claude reads and reasons about e Claude picks WebSearch when the task needs info it can’t know from training WebSearch extends Claude Code beyond the local codebase to the broader web.Agent - Delegating to a Subagent The Agent tool spawns a subagent with its own si To Te Rell oaaUiale [Ni e Useful when a subtask is too large to fit in the current context @ The subagent runs independently and returns a result to parent e Enables parallel execution of isolated subtasks across contexts Agent is the tool that makes Claude Code itself a multi-agent orchestrator.Tool Selection Logic Claude selects tools based on the current step. Reading existing state before acting > Read Modifying specific lines in a known file — Edit Creating a new file or full rewrite > Write Running a command or system operation > Bash Looking up current information - WebSearch Delegating an isolated subtask — Agent Boro tte Monn Sanne enone ery TTIThe Tool System — Core Capabiliti Claude Code's core tools cover inspection, modification, execution, and delegation. Read inspects safely; Edit targets changes; Write replaces full files Bash is the most powerful tool; scope it carefully WebSearch retrieves current info beyond training data Agent delegates isolated subtasks with fresh context Tool selection is task-driven at each planning step.Project Setup: Onboarding to a Codebase (erento Rel Ite Meroe Rac Ren Mee Reels [oer gee a sear on nN Claude |____. fa : Project RootThree Setup Concepts SI Claude Code iftalis Command CLAUDE -md Anthropic's official agentic CLI ee ane Cleese en Ce Sen SCRE CEM Tes ated ECC eRe TNE Pree ee Rete acc a starter [Link]. [Sc CHeP Ur Aenean Re es cu project instructions, loaded at session start. Example: ./[Link]Initializing Claude Code in a Project Starting Claude Code looks the same whether the project is new or already established Ca] Cor Tol) L Ini Chill) — Sy LTR a el Clee Meee LAT from the project root directory Nees cera Cena ere RaKCucits) Existing project: it picks up CLAUDE. md at startup, then reads the tree as needed Senay what Claude Code sees by default.How Claude Code Discovers Structure ere er eae Re oe Rca oo ee Rae © Reads file trees to understand directory layout and module organization OMCs ana nod te traci] ) steps, and conventions Mere Ronchi ete et eee eee Roce Ren Rem acct ias Doyo NVA ola omer Mt Mele or tare Mela) Wire Tett NoeThe /init Command Running /init is the fastest way to give Claude Code persistent context on an unfamiliar codebase. © Analyzes the repo: file structure, languages, frameworks, entry points Auto-generates a starter [Link] with key files and detected stack Suggests conventions and rules based on what it finds in the code You don’t build [Link] from scratch - /init does the first draft.What /init Generates Project Name (=) VA ay De RS ne See ocd Pca as Pie Reet] CROs enn nes eee ey or Cana CRe In Languages and Suggested Rules Frameworks Initial coding conventions Pee can Poe tees eee eee) Pere ean eee eee mos Serene See en cas Ce/init Output vs. Final [Link] /init Generated Output Reel RK CEE NEM sie eRe) Penman MAM canis Us scm Perea Me tM eTaTRIleN ie)cteimat (oc (> TU) ae om tlie ROW AUD Mie} YQ Reviewed [Link] one a aC mae ee oer eM Vea tegen es eiCetetrerne Cette eet rect Na Roan one foci ere tt Re AC PLMTe}Reviewing and Refining /init Output The /init output is a starting point - shipping it unreviewed creates risk © Verify that detected frameworks and languages match the actual stack o Add explicit rules the scan couldn't infer: branching policy, test requirements o Remove noise: /init sometimes flags irrelevant files or boilerplate Treat refinement as a required step, not an optional improvement.Onboarding Checklist Before First Use MRO Reet Me Reese ema een een emcee Onboarding Oe CP ee oR Ce leet Ltda fees eRe U MVP es eid [Link] rules in BEN Occ ei connects ascersicn (aa SNe oxy Entry points, test commands, and build steps are documented in ames pet odin) Bao ate aoe een a UL ® most common onboarding failures before they happen.Project Setup — Key Takeaways ORE TEPER Good onboarding gives Claude Code accurate fofola) yaa ole) k Ra RELL Run ‘claude’ from the root; it reads file trees, READMEs, and configs /init generates a starter [Link] — always ei \WE-late Reina /init output is a draft, not a finished team configuration Check [Link] accuracy, [Link] coverage, and documented commands Claude Code performs best when loaded context matches the real projectAdding and Managing Context Effectively Context quality directly determines Claude Code's output quality on every task. CONTEXT MANAGEMENT rr) Weel} © cE [Link] SESSION CONTINUITYCompaction — Reclaiming Window Space Meee ots Mele Cmte ae rat en nner nto ol Ge eaticmccuroccena : EWI tle) NAM Reg oad window approaches its limit T The /compact command runs aera UU lar <1 A LT demand before you hit that limit f=) A [Link] compact instruction tells the summary what details aco} INES preserve J ; — [Link] Coxon erento mtels CCU eT UMTS Cole © for a summary that keeps session alive compactConfiguring [Link] Deny rules in .claude/[Link] give precise control over what Claude Code can read. rets| | binaries ROR mon) Eee R ae el cc like Read(./secrets/) exe eee ie Rett ato Read (./.env), private keys, auth configs feces eae RC aE oe eR Mem ent lome lesa eed Exclude irrelevant paths: Cl cache dirs, oe OM vane PRES ne ot eee Reese acoThree Context Concepts S [Link] ttn) Pa Cor Rae One eon like Reaa(./.env) « that Le) (ole eee mente oy renieen hie Coney Creer mee een S Context Window The finite text space Tere teers Poecioumen eb itu- 8 tool results, and code Pioneers Mean aceaeg content is compacted Oaesscn & Session Continuity The context window rece eee Mae oe ETolcel alm cel ele a} Wer) Auto memory.Ways to Add Context in a Session ore Ne eee een ean Mea ed SS erolaCeaaeds @ File path mentions — Claude Code CRU Ae ere NAR og) © Grass inline pointers to files, Tae Rem eae ait @e RoR eee el Kerra Eee R ML eRe POUL cue Us guidance added directly in the prompt (Oe ieaoitio Free Snead tlie Sc)What to Include in Context Include context that changes what Claude Code would do without it o Architecture decisions — why the codebase is structured the way it is © Coding conventions — naming, formatting, and patterns the team enforces o Test requirements — coverage expectations, frameworks, required patterns © Known constraints — rate limits, compatibility floors, security boundaries Teo Mao oho eae a Aho Ra TR ean AO Tone Te ToWhat to Exclude from Context Auto-generated ia) Sh Build artifacts and generated frre eee Rn rel oe eer Cee Lae TERT, [AN Large Binaries Tees eee Eee nena context window space. CU Ca ene) Secrets and Credentials Nog Ua kas ot Cetera Renae Example: .env, [Link] Irrelevant Dependencies as Neier Ms) Perrone tol xel Cnt Rotel Cone Sc CER Ae LedConfiguring .claudeignore OP eget Mee tee eum ele Rete Ree uNeeRer aur sec OMEN n ee Muallecelesmers=teitoie Meme] (ole sy-1ar- aac MRel it -fer Cea] prefixes, wildcards © Exclude secrets: .env files, private keys, and auth configs © Exclude large binaries: images, compiled outputs, vendor directories © Exclude irrelevant paths: Cl cache dirs, test fixtures, doc builds EW ls ntelg Meet ie Reo Omer rele ae Recon cea tier tary mtololContext Inclusion vs. Efficiency Over-Inclusion Every file mentioned adds tokens. Unfocused context consumes space needed for code and tool output Earlier context gets compacted; more files eemersseencct lcs Pee) Sl: uy cae T-) Targeted Inclusion Include only files relevant to the current task. A smaller, accurate context window outperforms a large, noisy one] Save window space for the actual work. Example: 3 files for this taskContext Efficiency- Token Budget Thinking Vp mE ae Rael MTeoR Coo oe el UR Rice cle|-19 © [Link] loads at session start - verbose files cut working space immediately © Tool call results consume tokens - large file outputs compound the cost © When the window fills, earlier content is compacted or dropped foretnreoeaor-telinte EM C—a tar ater Me eats Ung) ce housekeeping[Link] as Standing Context fot NS eRe ee a tele Bele eo UR elle aR a omen dd Teaco [Link] a, Standing Context y BT ola Bic lad ‘Oy VE) Loaded at every session start — Seekers ont ee Heat ue ciel Tee RA em eee aera ena ile) eee eee Reece a Ur) WW nese ene huni acute r inn! AT eRe Uae ERT ty cacy Pee aan eeu aa) conversation logManaging Context — Key Takeaways ny BOOMS Context quality and efficiency are ongoing responsibilities, not one-time setup Add context via file mentions, @ references, 1] {eel ma) amare ea ce) a9 Include architecture, conventions, constraints; exclude secrets, binaries, noise Compaction reclaims space automatically near the limit or on demand with /compact Every file costs tokens — load only what changes (OFT e(-me@relel-ymelieolla [Link] is standing context across sessions, not a per-session briefing.Claude Code Permission Modes fle Reet teen ER aaa tec a eae eae) modes control how often that pause happens, how you switch them, and RTD eRe MLR Male DeLee AUTOMATIC TOGGLE ASK EVERY TIME C ee WA |Three Core Ideas Permission Mode Tee ee eta S reo) Pee ne Rane Pele alte Working Directory BUR me ear moe Pele ear Reece eon ets eal co Cee ca Protected Path Sensitive files like .git and .claude that are eee eee keaton ceca sThe Three Everyday Modes default Reads run freely. Edits and commands Psa mit Mc acums cust Pm aca Rela acceptEdits Auto-approves edits and common file ree nGtim ice tateReliciclaye femtteh mi cciutkeunectses fe)Eera) Cre Rate Rots eg oR aN AC stele oRe atte Pre aateniten lactis leetred eerie ceeHow You Switch Modes Noes ar Mele Marell el Reo ere Mela een kel eM ears Press Shift Tab mid-session to cycle default, acceptEdits, then plan Pass permission-mode as a flag when you start a session Set defaultMode in settings to pick a persistent starting mode Ba a-wel lac-aimunee (ea oala) tale C-level [mom olU RIN know where you areWhat Accept Edits Covers Neos rete mutte ake Me Rear ort Rte ai area cela rae Rone es © It also auto-approves common commands like mkdir, touch, move, and copy © Approval only applies to paths ea inside your working directory oy Anything outside that scope still prompts you working directory woe N Mal Mela-lnle 1A A Ike @ with git diff instead of approving each one inlinePlan Mode for Exploring EUs RC ReL Us aM ten ilk eo ea te aN ean fore ae eN toni eet me Ros coke ork It writes a plan but does not edit your source Neg S CURTIS Vor PCMag taal) 7X SMR NER cee Unters) and switches into whichever mode you chose to proceed Nn Om Soe 0)Two Hands-Off Modes dontAsk Auto-denies anything you have not pre-approved. ONO e eek chee Renee IICi ey MSY Ae ete Mae) erence it yee bypassPermissions Ee ed ce eek a Ce ee ete Ror t n e c eee are aoc Nag ete ReneS CeCe eect keenMAME <2 inh) Auto Mode in Brief Auto mode lets Claude work without routine prompts while a safety check watches each action. A separate classifier reviews actions before Classifier Da Vmav la) It blocks anything that escalates beyond what you asked for Escalating dele anv oe) force a prompt It reduces interruptions on long tasks, but it does not ic-lo)-leoMe oe ARR eldProtected Paths Stay Guarded Never Auto-Approved Neen ORS oe Me ale and Claude's own .claude folder, are never Eien tek scion Handled Per Mode Dee terete se Re Pe Ta Auto routes to the classifier. dontAsk Ce Oe coo as MAUL Laxey It keeps your repository state and Claude's own configuration safe from accidental edits during a fast session.Matching Mode to the Job Tee nats Reet RRR a ROO ane Maus Pees rode) (elem ol -iele- Meal lal ale La ACs ale) eld ere =< a ay Ponca eNuekas esc aes Fela R ULERY) ela) fewer Reale) Tal cleat)o) (ela ry rey Pe tesle lig © Sy Use dontAsk for locked-down pL Pick more oversight for risky work and fewer interruptions when Memes ure ncetcn)Choosing a Permission Mode a) 2 © & Default prompts, acceptEdits auto-edits, and plan explores without editing PAV oy Ula RTL B-CLL dontAsk denies anything not pre-approved Bypass permissions skips prompts and belongs only in isolated environments Protected paths stay guarded everywhere except bypass Switch with Shift Tab, a flag, or the defaultMode settingThe [Link] Memory Hierarchy foW NU panne RO Nees PS Cua te enero ae CoC Local configurationThe Broadest Three Scopes Managed Policy em Ren Sut eva cun rT mmert Pais the broadest layer, and cannot be excluded. User Scope ee oR Ag een ect ie eee ete eee eee es Pe eS imu ucec nto Project Scope -{[Link] or ./.claude/[Link] at the repo eee aes eRe Cae ioe ee RonenScope 1— Managed Policy Managed policy is the org-wide [Link] at a system path — Persea Cm eco IVETE rola CCCI uC [ sexsi y| (=smer onenosn) KY © & Broadest Pre MCoe Age Ure Bue Rat tg and project Cannot be excluded — it always TET REN Rees Ret ENN Corl Ng RNR are ele Case nen asi ERE COn meu CN Cog Cen CM anal tren personal or project config loads.Scopes 2 and 3 — User and Project UCC ee ol ee UP) ae ey coder AR Ow NO) au Ee recon at User scope sets personal defaults that apply across all your projects User scope i Project scope holds coding conventions, test rules, and Velie Toa URAC ale kel) Project [Link] should be version-controlled so every [Link] contributor gets it Project scope > © & Do Leaving the project-level [Link] ested coteld Colt Co) eel ce Reon col te Reo) anti-pattern. itWhat Belongs at Each Scope Managed Policy Cee aed a een at aoa Olesen cn ge eae roe as User Scope Personal style preferences, default response RecN mT ar Meeker Project Scope Sree Reese Rec Ue aCe ceca eee ene Roo RE msc RCR Coe Local Scope Neen Ree ar eee een Rcd scoped to just one project on your machine.Personal Preferences vs. Shared Standards foSofe} CO User-Level Config Personal scope — one developer, every project. Ere LER Con ele or 1S oa ered Wrong for: anything the team needs consstent. Example: home-dir [Link] Project-Level Config ee ee Rea cng eS egese ema me coneY Wrong for: anything that varies by individual een SeemScope 4 — Local, Plus Org Enforcement [Lor Toto) Mel 01 2) Seer UT CN a ee a Cole a RCo cro ro [=| i) Local [Link] is gitignored — personal notes oe omnes (Oar uuu Frelva ee SCs RISe ta coy CLAUDE. [Link] SST Prego) RO ae One ech Pansat (ea eee tn Manenedinelcn © For rules the whole company must Sl oR Muar Lat Tels oxo CooL) Org enforcement shared project file. iHow Claude Code Loads Every Scope fol Nerds Nee ae Lem ean Beer oe oR ance reae scopes apply CONTEXT WINDOW Rate a ole tS additive, not exclusive Managed Load order. runs managed policy, eaecim tan ie cee atid cise Geen Wane eure Renae eee ee re foo. CR elas oh a Preheat eerI’ Reo Ae og tery Teeter emule ks stot wi)[Link] vs. the Memory System RD are ce et Re me on Mae Ren eRe Be © [Link] oC perm) 4 Auto Memory Sac = reed eRe eeu) Ree eee Cina ty Creamy You edit it by hand — it doesn't eT LER olLg Cole ert EE ee Ud RT Rt eet ey Dees eters ee Rem Ae aaron meteor aun usa Perel eran[Link] Hierarchy —Four Scopes © [Link] has four scopes, all loaded at session start. 1g) Managed policy is broadest, loaded first, can't be excluded i User scope sets personal defaults across your projects Project scope holds shared standards — version-control it ao Local scope is your gitignored [Link] Enforce org-wide rules with managed policy, not a project file.Load Order and Conflict Resolution [Link] files are concatenated into context Role Kelcs (1g [Link] Confli ResolutionConflict Resolution Terms Load Order ee areola Cur ree aol ed Semeur re a eee eRe precedence, so avoid contradictory instructions. ert TUE NASD t Cod ela) Teele a AR Ulan lee Cece) SIT Ul na OME oleh eli Teco See ie te cr Config Anti-Pattern Tee RC ee ae eee eu a Rea oe ae Ty fe eR Rue aHow Overlapping Instructions Resolve Remy ee Rau c Ron one mese eue ea Nc oe eeu foe eu no ecsc antic Cmte ces When two rules genuinely conflict, et eee Sema) © See eee eee ee ROP ae Kc Sete ena e @ Dre een eae ten euCus Cee Ura emu cu ni oyWhy Conflicts Are Unreliable Project-level config represents the team's agreed, shared standards It's version-controlled Teil} and visible to all contributors On a genuine conflict there's a no rule that reliably favors it atl) Standards LUT Rerelalile Re M UE ol} to teammates, the right home ab for personal preference " User-level Config (8) Keeping the two from contradicting Na Tau LORE IC Le Ice M191)Conflict vs. Complementary Conflict Ba Lar ele ole Rol ed at different levels. Avoid writing these. Complementary Different behaviors addressed by eR uneute esa Overlap Example Complement eae NERC Son Example Pepe ese eas leon Oecd Ree UC ae ane OCR 1 so don't write the conflict. J | emanateDesigning to Avoid Conflicts User-Level Config MT ROMA SIE MS aera RUT loane apply to any specific project. Avoid putting Ome eee ate Reon aout ca come ek Ee Rea asec al Project-Level Config Maree ce re erset-tel exer ie Cekeas een ect NA ice acne ens cuatro Nae ee Reenter eteThe Team-Standards Anti-Pattern Acommon mistake is putting team standards in user-level config instead of project-level. e User-level config is invisible to others — it never leaves your machine e Team standards at user-level don't apply to anyone else's sessions e@ The team loses consistency with no error or warning — it silently fails Team standards belon: the project-level [Link] committed to source control.Seeing Which Instructions Are Active StU AM meen kere Ie eee en eo By wu i) 1) CTW Naren ee) memory files, or /context to ne eae eee] Boum CCRC list — an InstructionsLoaded hook can log them Test overlapping instructions explicitly to see which guidance Peon These are useful when onboarding Po adm ctrl) eee Tada le True} v InstructionsLoaded Mallee) [Link] loadedLoad Order in Practice —Worked Example ete ae RCM Meena MN ce tae hele Ae =a SS ulere) (olay conflict i Non- deterministic State precedence in [edee) (told & & AN © Drools a Waa INST Reco uSmnn ee ee Recae) Developer B has no semicolon rule in user-level config at all Developer A's direct conflict is non-deterministic — Claude Tiree a los BI Micelle Raul Meola e-lale state precedence explicitly in Belge) Tol atlLoad Order — How Guidance Resolves [Link] files are concatenated; genuine conflicts resolve unpredictably Project-level is team scope - visible via source control User-level is personal scope — style, not team standards Complementary instructions both apply — no overlap, noms xe]lUiacela) Pale ae ree Ky Keep team standards at project-level; personal style —) at user-level.Directory-Scoped [Link] Files Claude Code lazy-loads directory-scoped [Link] files when it reads a file inside them. [Link] subdirectory)