Claude Code — Quick Start Guide

Launch in Your Repo

# Navigate to your project
cd /your/project

# Launch Claude Code
claude

# Or open in a specific directory
claude --add-dir ./src

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Feature Development Workflow

1. Describe the feature — Give context: what it does, which files are likely involved, and any constraints (framework, style, etc.)

2. Let Claude plan first — Say “plan this before implementing” — Claude will outline the approach and you can course-correct early.

3. Review diffs in your IDE — Changes appear as visual diffs in VS Code / Cursor / Windsurf. Accept or reject per file.

4. Iterate in the same session — Stay in one session for a feature — Claude remembers all prior context and changes made.

5. Commit with Claude — Say “commit this with a good message” — Claude writes the commit and runs git for you.

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Slash Commands

Command	Description
/clear	Reset conversation context (new feature = new session)
/compact	Summarize history to free up context window
/model	Switch between Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.6
/resume	Resume a previous session by name or title
/review	Ask Claude to review current changes
/permissions	Manage what Claude can auto-approve
/doctor	Diagnose config and permission issues
/bug	Report a bug directly to Anthropic
/config	Edit settings, release channel, model defaults
/memory	View/manage what Claude remembers across sessions

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Keyboard Shortcuts

• Alt+P — Switch model mid-prompt
• Ctrl+S — Stash/restore current prompt
• Ctrl+C — Cancel current task
• Ctrl+C ×2 — Kill all background agents
• Tab — Tab autocomplete (bash mode)
• Ctrl+B — Background current task
• Alt+Del — Delete word (bash mode)
• Alt+→ — Navigate word (bash mode)

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Power Prompts for Feature Dev

• Explore the codebase and explain how [feature area] works before we add anything
• Add [feature] to [file/component]. Follow the existing patterns and coding style
• Plan the implementation of [feature] step by step, don’t write any code yet
• Write tests for the changes you just made
• Find all the places this change could break something and fix them
• Refactor [file] to be cleaner without changing behavior, then explain what you changed
• Create a new branch, implement [feature], and open a PR with a clear description
• Check the open GitHub issues and fix any related to [area]

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CLAUDE.md — Your Persistent Context File

A CLAUDE.md file in your project root is read by Claude at the start of every session. It’s your standing instructions — coding standards, architecture notes, constraints, and preferences that Claude should always know.

# CLAUDE.md example

## Stack
React 18 + TypeScript, Vite, Tailwind CSS
Backend: Node.js + Express, Supabase

## Code Rules
- Use functional components, no class components
- All new components go in src/components/[feature]/
- Always add JSDoc to exported functions
- Run npm run lint before committing

## Architecture
Multi-agent platform using Agno framework.
Agents communicate via WebSocket (see src/agents/).

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Best Practices

• One feature per session — Use /clear between unrelated features. Context pollution causes Claude to make inconsistent decisions.

• Plan before you build — Always say “plan first” for anything non-trivial. Catch architectural issues before they’re in code.

• Reference specific files — Use @filename to pin Claude’s attention. “Look at @src/agents/frontend.ts and add X” beats vague descriptions.

• Ask for tests — Append “and write tests for this” to any feature request. Claude knows what edge cases to cover.

• Use Opus for complex work — Switch to Opus 4.6 via /model for multi-file refactors or architectural decisions. Sonnet for quick edits.

• Set permissions upfront — Run /permissions to pre-approve safe ops (file edits, npm install). Reduces friction during long sessions.

• Use /compact aggressively — For long sessions, run /compact before adding a new subtask. Keeps context fresh and responses accurate.

• Iterate, don’t overspecify — Give Claude a direction and refine. Overspecified prompts often produce worse results than conversational iteration.

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Useful CLI Flags

# Run a one-off task non-interactively (great for scripts)
claude -p "Fix all TypeScript errors in src/"

# Add extra directories to context
claude --add-dir ../shared-lib

# Force reinstall / bypass lock issues
claude install --force

# Update to latest
claude update

# List configured agents
claude agents