Level 1 — Foundations

Getting everyone on the same page — install, invoke, and understand the basics

Node.js / Express / Lambda Vue 3 React Native QA

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Installation — Three Paths

Three team members are on older macOS that may not support the native installer. Here are all options.

Native Installer (recommended): Fastest, no dependencies, auto-updates. Works on macOS 13+ (Ventura and later).

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | sh

Homebrew: Good alternative if you prefer package managers. Also requires relatively modern macOS.

brew install --cask claude-code

npm (for older macOS): Works on macOS 10.15+ (Catalina). Requires Node.js 18+. Use nvm to manage Node versions without system conflicts.

nvm install 20 && npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

VS Code Integration: Install the "Claude Code" extension from the VS Code marketplace. It embeds the agent directly in your editor with a dedicated panel. Works regardless of macOS version.

Verify: Run claude --version to confirm. Then claude to start your first session. You'll be prompted to authenticate via your Anthropic account.

Level 1 — Foundations

Ways to Invoke Claude Code

Different invocation methods for different situations.

Interactive REPL: Just type claude in your terminal. Opens a chat session where you converse back and forth. Best for exploratory work.

One-shot prompt: claude -p "explain the auth middleware in src/middleware/auth.js" — sends a single prompt, prints the answer, and exits. Great for quick questions.

Pipe input: cat error.log | claude -p "what caused this crash?" — pipe any text into Claude for analysis. Perfect for logs, diffs, and outputs.

Resume a session: claude --resume picks up your last conversation. claude --resume SESSION_ID resumes a specific one. Use claude -n "feature-x" to name sessions for easy recall.

Non-interactive (CI/scripts): claude -p "run all tests and report failures" --allowedTools Bash,Read — use in scripts and CI pipelines with explicit tool permissions.

VS Code: Open the Claude panel (Cmd+Shift+P → Claude Code). Same power, inline in your editor. Selections can be sent directly to Claude.

With context flags: claude --add-dir ../shared-lib adds sibling directories as context. claude --system-prompt "You are a Vue expert" sets a custom system prompt.

Level 1 — Foundations

Essential Slash Commands

Commands you'll use every day inside a Claude Code session.

/help — Lists all available slash commands including your custom ones. Your first friend.

/clear — Wipes the conversation context. Use when switching tasks to save tokens.

/compact — Summarises the conversation so far to free up context window. Can pass custom instructions like /compact focus on the API changes.

/cost — Shows token usage and cost for the current session. Keep an eye on this!

/effort — Set model effort level: /effort low for fast, /effort high for thorough analysis.

/model — Switch between Sonnet (fast, cheap) and Opus (deep, thorough) mid-session.

/init — Generates a starter CLAUDE.md file by analysing your project. Run this once per project.

/permissions — View and manage what tools Claude can use. Control file writes, bash commands, etc.

Level 1 — Foundations

Understanding the Permission System

Claude asks before it acts. Here's how to control that flow.

Ask/Allow/Deny: Every tool action (file write, bash command, etc.) goes through a permission gate. You approve, deny, or set rules.

Trust levels: Run /permissions to see the current trust matrix. You can allow tools globally, per-project, or per-session.

Allowlist patterns: claude --allowedTools "Bash(npm run *)" "Edit" "Read" — allow specific bash patterns. Keeps Claude productive without blanket trust.

Dangerously Skip Permissions: claude --dangerously-skip-permissions exists for CI only. Never use in interactive development — it bypasses all safety prompts.

Settings files: Permissions persist in .claude/settings.json (project) and ~/.claude/settings.json (global). Check these into git (project-level) for team consistency.

Level 1 — Foundations

Plan Mode — Think Before Coding

Have Claude design the approach before writing a single line.

Activate: Press Shift+Tab to toggle Plan Mode. Claude will read, analyse, and propose a plan without making changes.

When to use: Multi-file refactors, new features, architecture decisions, debugging complex issues. Anything where "measure twice, cut once" applies.

Iterate on the plan: Review Claude's plan, ask questions, adjust scope. Once satisfied, switch back to normal mode and say "execute the plan."

Cost benefit: Planning in Sonnet, executing in Sonnet = cheap. Planning in Sonnet, complex execution in Opus = optimal. Avoids expensive false starts.

Team tip: For PRs with significant scope, paste the plan into the PR description. It documents intent and helps reviewers.

QUICK REFERENCE

Cheatsheet — Keep This Handy

The most useful commands and shortcuts at a glance.

Install: Native: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | sh · Brew: brew install --cask claude-code · npm: npm i -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Invoke: Interactive: claude · One-shot: claude -p "..." · Pipe: cat file | claude -p "..." · Resume: claude --resume

Session control: /clear (reset) · /compact (summarise) · /cost (tokens) · /model (switch) · /effort (depth) · Shift+Tab (plan mode)

Git shortcuts: "commit with a good message" · "create a PR" · "review PR #N" · "fix the review comments on PR #N" · "why is CI failing?"

Config files: ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md (global) · ./CLAUDE.md (project) · .claude/settings.json (permissions/hooks) · .claude/commands/ · .claude/skills/

Custom commands: Create: .claude/commands/name.md · Use: /name arguments · Share: commit to repo

Hooks: SessionStart · PreToolUse · PostToolUse · Stop · Notification · PostCompact

Sub-agents: Create at .claude/agents/name.md · Automatic delegation by description match · Scoped tools and model per agent

RESOURCES

References & Learning Resources

Official docs, free courses, video tutorials, and community guides to deepen your Claude Code skills.

Official Docs — Start Here: code.claude.com/docs — The complete official documentation: overview, quickstart, how it works, configuration, hooks, skills, agents, CLI reference, and more.

Quickstart Guide: code.claude.com/docs/en/quickstart — Up and running in minutes. The official first-steps walkthrough.

Best Practices (Official): code.claude.com/docs/en/best-practices — Anthropic's own guide on effective prompting, context management, and scaling workflows.

Common Workflows (Tutorials): code.claude.com/docs/en/tutorials — Step-by-step walkthroughs: exploring codebases, fixing bugs, refactoring, writing tests, creating PRs, and managing sessions.

Hooks Reference: code.claude.com/docs/en/hooks — Full reference for SessionStart, PreToolUse, PostToolUse, Stop, Notification, PostCompact events and handler types.

CLI Reference: code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference — Every flag, environment variable, and invocation mode documented.

Free Course — Claude Code 101: anthropic.skilljar.com/claude-code-101 — Official free Anthropic Academy course. From installation to advanced customisation, with certificate on completion.

Free Course — Claude Code in Action: anthropic.skilljar.com/claude-code-in-action — Deeper official course: building, configuring, and sharing Skills. Also free with certificate.

Video — Anthropic's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@anthropic-ai — Official Anthropic channel with product demos, workflow walkthroughs, and feature deep-dives.

Video — Anthropic Workflows: Even Anthropic Engineers Use This Claude Code Workflow — Real-world workflow patterns from the team that built Claude Code.

GitHub — Source & Community: github.com/anthropics/claude-code — Source, issue tracker, plugins, and community discussions. Also see awesome-claude-code for curated skills, hooks, and plugins.

Community — Best Practices Repo: shanraisshan/claude-code-best-practice — 20k+ stars. 84 compiled best practices covering prompting, CLAUDE.md, skills, and debugging. A great second opinion alongside official docs.

Next: Level 2 — Daily Workflow

Master the flow: naming sessions, customizing projects, and becoming truly productive with Claude Code

You've learned to install, invoke, and use the basics. Ready to level up your daily workflow.