# Claude Code

> Agentic coding tool from Anthropic that lives in your terminal, understands your codebase, and helps you code faster through natural language commands.

Claude Code is an agentic coding tool from Anthropic that lives in your terminal, understands your codebase, and helps you code faster through natural language commands. It can read files, execute shell commands, edit code, manage git workflows, and even spawn sub-agents for parallel tasks—all while keeping you in control.

Unlike traditional code completion tools, Claude Code operates as an autonomous agent that explores your project context, takes multi-step actions, and verifies its own work. It follows a Unix philosophy: composable, scriptable, and designed to integrate with your existing CLI tools rather than replace them.

- **Agentic Search** automatically indexes and understands your entire codebase without manual context selection, enabling Claude to find relevant files, trace dependencies, and answer architectural questions.

- **Direct File Operations** allow Claude to read, write, and edit files in your project, displaying proposed changes as diffs for review before applying them.

- **Shell Command Execution** gives Claude access to your terminal to run build commands, tests, linters, git operations, and any CLI tools you already use.

- **Git Workflow Automation** handles commits, branch management, rebases, and can create pull requests directly through the GitHub CLI integration.

- **Sub-agents and Parallel Tasks** let you spawn multiple Claude instances to work on different parts of a problem simultaneously, with each sub-agent maintaining its own context.

- **Model Context Protocol (MCP)** connects Claude to external tools like databases, APIs, Jira, Slack, and custom services through a standardized integration layer.

- **IDE Integration** provides native extensions for VS Code (including Cursor and Windsurf) and JetBrains IDEs, displaying Claude's edits inline in your editor with visual diffs.

- **GitHub Actions Integration** enables automated code reviews, issue triage, and PR creation by tagging `@claude` in GitHub issues and pull requests.

- **Headless/Print Mode** allows scripting and CI/CD integration with JSON output, making Claude programmable for automation pipelines.

- **Custom Slash Commands** let you define reusable prompts as markdown files that become available through the `/` menu, sharable across your team via git.

- **CLAUDE.md Context Files** provide persistent project context, coding standards, and instructions that Claude reads at the start of each session.

- **Checkpointing and Rewind** save conversation state so you can roll back to any previous point if Claude goes in an unexpected direction.

To get started, install Claude Code via `curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash` (macOS/Linux) or `irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex` (Windows), navigate to your project directory, and run `claude`. Claude Code requires a Claude subscription (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise) or API access through the Claude Console.

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## Slash Commands Reference

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `/help` | Show all available commands including custom project commands |
| `/model` | Switch between Claude models (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku) |
| `/config` | Open settings interface for model, permissions, and preferences |
| `/permissions` | View and update tool permissions |
| `/allowed-tools` | Manage which tools Claude can use |
| `/clear` | Clear conversation history and start fresh |
| `/compact` | Compress conversation to save context tokens |
| `/context` | Monitor current token usage |
| `/rewind` | Roll back to a previous message in the session |
| `/export` | Export conversation to file or clipboard |
| `/bug` | Report issues directly to Anthropic |
| `/ide` | Connect Claude Code to your IDE |
| `/terminal-setup` | Configure terminal for optimal Claude Code experience |
| `/install-github-app` | Set up GitHub integration for PR reviews and @claude tagging |
| `/hooks` | Configure pre/post tool execution hooks |
| `/agents` | View and manage sub-agents |
| `/mcp` | Manage MCP server connections |
| `/commit` | Stage changes and create a commit with AI-generated message |
| `/review` | Request a code review of current changes |
| `/project:*` | Run custom project commands from `.claude/commands/` |

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## CLI Flags Reference

| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `-p`, `--print` | Non-interactive mode; run query and exit (headless) |
| `-c`, `--continue` | Continue the most recent conversation |
| `--resume <id>` | Resume a specific session by ID |
| `--model <model>` | Specify which Claude model to use |
| `--output-format json` | Output results as JSON with metadata |
| `--output-format stream-json` | Stream JSON messages in real-time |
| `--allowedTools <list>` | Restrict which tools Claude can use |
| `--disallowedTools <list>` | Explicitly deny specific tools |
| `--append-system-prompt` | Add instructions while keeping defaults |
| `--system-prompt` | Fully replace the default system prompt |
| `--permission-mode` | Set permission handling (default, acceptEdits, etc.) |
| `--mcp-config <file>` | Load MCP server configuration |
| `--mcp-debug` | Enable MCP debugging output |
| `--debug` | Enable verbose debug logging |
| `--verbose` | Show detailed execution information |

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## Core Tools

| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `Read` | Read file contents |
| `Write` | Create or overwrite files |
| `Edit` | Make targeted edits to existing files |
| `Grep` | Search file contents with patterns |
| `Glob` | Find files matching patterns |
| `Bash` | Execute shell commands |
| `mcp__*` | Access MCP server tools (e.g., `mcp__github__create_pull_request`) |

---

## Configuration Files

| File | Scope | Purpose |
|------|-------|---------|
| `~/.claude/settings.json` | Global | User-wide settings for all projects |
| `.claude/settings.json` | Project | Team settings, checked into git |
| `.claude/settings.local.json` | Project | Personal settings, git-ignored |
| `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` | Global | Instructions for all projects |
| `CLAUDE.md` | Project | Project-specific context and standards |
| `~/.claude/commands/*.md` | Global | Personal custom commands |
| `.claude/commands/*.md` | Project | Team custom commands |
| `.claude/agents/*.md` | Project | Custom sub-agent definitions |

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## Platform Availability

| Platform | Method |
|----------|--------|
| **Terminal (macOS/Linux/Windows)** | Native CLI via `claude` command |
| **VS Code** | Official extension from Anthropic |
| **Cursor / Windsurf** | Same VS Code extension |
| **JetBrains IDEs** | Beta plugin (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.) |
| **Neovim** | Community plugin (claudecode.nvim) |
| **GitHub** | GitHub App + Actions for @claude mentions |
| **Web** | Browser interface at claude.ai/code |

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## Pricing & Access

Claude Code requires one of:
- **Claude Pro** ($17-20/mo) — Includes Claude Code access
- **Claude Max** ($100+/mo) — Higher limits, includes Claude Code
- **Claude Team** ($25-150/seat/mo) — Premium seat includes Claude Code
- **Claude Enterprise** (Contact Sales) — Premium seats include Claude Code
- **API Access** — Pay-as-you-go via Anthropic Console

Note: Claude Code usage can consume tokens quickly—average spend is ~$6/day for active users, compared to $20/month for some IDE alternatives.

---

## Key Integrations

- **GitHub** — PR reviews, issue triage, @claude mentions, Actions workflows
- **Git** — Commits, branches, rebases, diffs, worktrees
- **MCP Servers** — Jira, Slack, Google Drive, Puppeteer, databases, custom tools
- **CI/CD** — Headless mode for pipelines, JSON output for automation
- **VS Code / JetBrains** — Inline diffs, diagnostics sharing, file references

## Features
- Natural language code editing and generation
- Multi-file codebase understanding
- Agentic search and indexing
- Git workflow automation
- Test execution and debugging
- Architecture and code explanation
- Dependency analysis and management
- Shell command execution
- Extended thinking for complex reasoning
- Sub-agents for parallel task execution
- Checkpointing and rewind
- Custom slash commands
- CLAUDE.md context files
- Pre and post tool hooks
- Headless mode for scripting and CI/CD
- Background task execution
- GitHub PR and issue automation
- IDE inline diff viewing
- Context management and compaction
- File search and pattern matching
- Memory and session persistence
- Plugin and marketplace support
- Custom agent creation
- Web browser automation
- Image and screenshot analysis

## Integrations
VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim, GitHub, GitHub Actions, Git, Jira, Confluence, Asana, Linear, Notion, Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Zapier, Stripe, PayPal, Square, Plaid, Sentry, Cloudflare, Intercom, Figma, Canva, Airtable, HubSpot, GitLab, Box, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Docker, Puppeteer, Brave Search, Testing frameworks, Build systems, Linters and formatters, CI/CD pipelines, Terminal environments, MCP servers, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI

## Platforms
LINUX, MACOS, WINDOWS, DEVELOPER_SDK, API

## Pricing
Subscription-based

## Version
2.0.0

## Links
- Website: https://claude.com/product/claude-code
- Documentation: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/overview
- EveryDev.ai: https://www.everydev.ai/tools/claude-code