What is Claude Code and how do you get started with it?

Q: How do you build your first project with Claude Code?

Now for the fun part—actually building something. Let's walk through creating a simple web app to see how Claude Code works in practice.

Q: What's a good first project to try?

Start with something simple but complete, like a to-do app or a basic weather dashboard. This lets you experience Claude Code's full workflow without getting overwhelmed. Here's how a typical session might go: 1. Start Claude Code in an empty directory:

You've probably heard developers raving about Claude Code, but what exactly is it? Claude Code is an AI-powered coding assistant that helps you build features, fix bugs, and automate development tasks, and lives in your terminal, understands your codebase, and helps you code faster by executing routine tasks, explaining complex code, and handling git workflows -- all through natural language commands.

Unlike traditional coding assistants that just suggest code snippets, Claude Code acts more like a junior developer who can actually get things done. It can read your entire project, make multi-file edits, run tests, commit code, and even create pull requests. The key difference? You just tell it what you want in plain English.

What makes Claude Code different from other AI coding tools?

Claude Code maps and explains entire codebases in a few seconds. It uses agentic search to understand project structure and dependencies without you having to manually select context files. This means you don't need to constantly feed it context about what files to look at or how your project is structured.

Claude Code's understanding of your codebase and dependencies enables it to make powerful, multi-file edits that work. When you ask it to add a new feature, it doesn't just write isolated code snippets—it understands how changes in one file affect others and makes coordinated updates across your entire project.

The tool also integrates with GitHub, GitLab, and your command line tools to handle the entire workflow—reading issues, writing code, running tests, and submitting PRs—all from your terminal.

How do you install Claude Code?

Getting Claude Code running on your machine takes just a few minutes. Claude Code requires a Pro, Max, Teams, Enterprise, or Console account. The free Claude.ai plan does not include Claude Code access.

What are the system requirements?

Before you install, make sure your system meets these requirements:

Claude Code works on macOS, Linux, and Windows
Shell: Bash, Zsh, PowerShell, or CMD. On Windows, Git for Windows is required
Network: internet connection required

What's the easiest installation method?

The Desktop app lets you use Claude Code without the terminal if you prefer a graphical interface, but most developers use the command line version.

For terminal installation, Anthropic now offers native installers as the recommended method. Here's how to install on each platform:

macOS/Linux:

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

Windows (PowerShell):

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Alternative methods:

Homebrew: brew install --cask claude-code
WinGet: winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

Native installations automatically update in the background. You can configure the release channel to control whether you receive updates immediately or on a delayed stable schedule, or disable auto-updates entirely.

How do you verify the installation worked?

After installation, run claude --version to verify. If the claude command isn't found, restart your terminal. PATH issues after installation are the most common problem.

After installing, log in by running claude and following the browser prompts. The authentication is browser-based and you only need to do it once.

What is CLAUDE.md and why does it matter?

Here's where Claude Code gets really powerful. CLAUDE.md files are markdown files that give Claude persistent instructions for a project, your personal workflow, or your entire organization. You write these files in plain text; Claude reads them at the start of every session.

Think of CLAUDE.md as Claude's project briefing document. CLAUDE.md files solve this by giving Claude persistent context about your project. Think of it as a configuration file that Claude automatically incorporates into every conversation, ensuring it always knows your project structure, coding standards, and preferred workflows.

How do you create your first CLAUDE.md file?

The fastest way to start is the /init command. Run it in your project directory and Claude generates a starter CLAUDE.md based on your project structure and detected tech stack.

Here's the basic workflow:

Navigate to your project directory in terminal
Run claude to start Claude Code
Type /init to generate your CLAUDE.md file
Review and customize the generated file

What should you include in CLAUDE.md?

Project context: What is this project? A one-liner that orients Claude. "This is a Next.js e-commerce app with Stripe integration" tells Claude more than you might think.

A well-structured CLAUDE.md typically includes:

Project overview: Brief description of what your app does
Tech stack: Languages, frameworks, and key libraries
File structure: How your code is organized
Development commands: How to run, test, and build your project
Coding standards: Your team's preferred patterns and styles

Here's a simple example:

# Project Context
This is a FastAPI REST API for user authentication and profiles.
Uses SQLAlchemy for database operations and Pydantic for validation.

## Key Directories
- `app/models/` - database models
- `app/api/` - route handlers  
- `app/core/` - configuration and utilities

## Common Commands
```bash
uvicorn app.main:app --reload  # dev server
pytest tests/ -v               # run tests

Standards

Type hints required on all functions
pytest for testing (fixtures in tests/conftest.py)
PEP 8 with 100 character lines


Size: target under 200 lines per CLAUDE.md file. Longer files consume more context and reduce adherence.

## How do you build your first project with Claude Code?

Now for the fun part—actually building something. Let's walk through creating a simple web app to see how Claude Code works in practice.

### What's a good first project to try?

Start with something simple but complete, like a to-do app or a basic weather dashboard. This lets you experience Claude Code's full workflow without getting overwhelmed.

Here's how a typical session might go:

1. **Start Claude Code in an empty directory:**
   ```bash
   mkdir my-first-claude-app
   cd my-first-claude-app
   claude

Give Claude a clear project brief: "I want to build a simple to-do app with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It should let users add tasks, mark them complete, and delete them. Make it look modern and responsive."
Let Claude plan the work: Claude will create a plan showing what files it needs to create and how they'll work together. You can review this plan and ask for changes before it starts coding.
Watch Claude build your app: It will create HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, explaining what each does and how they connect.
Test and iterate: Ask Claude to run the app, fix any issues, or add new features.

What commands should you know?

Build, debug, and ship from your terminal, IDE, Slack, or the web. Here are the essential commands to get started:

claude - Start a new session
/init - Generate CLAUDE.md file
/help - See all available commands
/plan - Create a project plan before coding
/test - Run tests
/commit - Create git commits with good messages
Ctrl+C twice - Exit Claude Code

How do you work with existing projects?

Start a Claude Code session by running claude in your project directory. Claude will automatically read any existing CLAUDE.md files and scan your codebase to understand the structure.

For existing projects, try asking Claude to:

Explain what the codebase does
Add a new feature
Fix a bug you're struggling with
Write tests for existing code
Update documentation

What can Claude Code actually do?

It understands your entire codebase and can work across multiple files and tools to get things done. Here's what makes it genuinely useful:

File operations: Read, create, edit, and delete files across your entire project

Command execution: Run tests, build commands, git operations, and any terminal commands

Code understanding: Claude Code maps and explains entire codebases in a few seconds

Multi-step workflows: Plan complex changes, implement them step by step, then test and commit the results

Integration work: Connect APIs, set up databases, configure build tools

Debugging: Analyze error messages, suggest fixes, and implement solutions

Which interfaces should you use?

It's available across the terminal CLI, VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, a desktop app, and the web. Each has its strengths:

Terminal CLI: If you prefer a command-line workflow, or need MCP server setup, the ! bash shortcut, and advanced slash commands

VS Code extension: If you prefer an IDE-integrated experience. Handles multi-file edits, Plan Mode, Git workflows, code explanations, and everything else

Desktop app: visual diff review, app preview for running your dev server directly in the desktop, and connectors for GitHub, Slack, Linear, and Notion

For beginners, I'd recommend starting with the terminal version to understand how Claude Code thinks, then moving to the VS Code extension for day-to-day development work.

How much does Claude Code cost?

When used with a Claude Console account, Claude Code consumes API tokens at standard API pricing. Max, Pro, Team, and Enterprise users can access Claude Code on the Claude desktop app.

The Anthropic API is pay-per-use and can become expensive with frequent usage. For regular Claude Code users, a Claude Max subscription is likely the more economical option. Claude Max provides higher usage limits at a fixed monthly cost, making it ideal for developers using Claude Code extensively.

What are some common beginner mistakes to avoid?

Being too vague: Instead of "make this better," try "add user authentication with email/password login"

Not using CLAUDE.md: You end up repeating yourself. Or worse, you forget to mention something important and spend time fixing code that didn't follow your conventions

Ignoring the plan: When Claude creates a plan, review it carefully. It's much easier to course-correct at the planning stage than after code is written.

Not testing incrementally: Ask Claude to test each piece as it builds, rather than trying to debug a complete but broken app.

Forgetting about version control: Let Claude handle git commits with good messages using the /commit command.

Claude Code represents a fundamental shift in how we build software. The developers and teams who understand this shift—who learn to orchestrate AI rather than just code alongside it—will thrive in this new landscape. And Claude Code gives us a chance to demonstrate that remaining 10% of skills with a relatively strong junior coding partner.

The key is thinking of Claude Code not as a better autocomplete tool, but as a collaborative partner that can handle the routine parts of development while you focus on architecture, product decisions, and complex problem-solving. Start simple, experiment with different types of projects, and gradually expand how you use it as you get more comfortable with the workflow.

The future of coding isn't about replacing developers—it's about amplifying what good developers can accomplish. Claude Code is one of the first tools that really delivers on that promise.