What is covered in What Is Claude Code? A Developer's Guide?

Claude Code is an agentic AI that lives in your terminal to read, edit, test, and commit code. Learn key features, examples, and how to start.

What Is Claude Code? A Developer's Guide

Quick answer

Claude Code is an agentic AI tool that runs in your terminal and helps you work on code. It reads your repository, runs commands, edits files, and can make commits—all from natural language prompts. Learn more from the official docs or the GitHub repo.

What is Claude Code, in plain words?

Claude Code is a command-line assistant built by Anthropic. Think of it like a really helpful teammate who can scan a whole project, explain parts, fix problems, and write tests. It works with your tools: git, shells, and IDEs. See the product page at claude.com and read the announcement on Anthropic's blog at Anthropic news.

Why developers use it

Save time on boring tasks like refactoring, lint fixes, and release notes.
Onboard faster by asking the tool to explain the project structure.
Run multi-file edits that keep imports and tests working.

How it works (simple)

Claude Code uses a Claude model (for example, Claude 3.7 Sonnet) plus a small CLI wrapper. The model gets permission to read files and run safe commands. You give a high-level instruction, and Claude Code plans steps, runs commands, edits files, and shows results. The tool uses the Model Context Protocol and plugins to access docs, tickets, or design files when needed.

Key features

Deep codebase awareness: It scans many files and understands project structure.
Terminal-native: You don't leave your shell. It integrates with git and CLI tools.
Agentic actions: Beyond suggestions, it can edit files, run tests, and commit changes.
Extensible: Use plugins, MCP servers, and hooks to add tools like Jira or Drive.

Top 5 use cases with short examples

Onboarding: Ask "Explain this repo" and get a summary of folders, key files, and where to start.
Refactoring: "Refactor the auth module to remove duplication" and it will find files and propose edits.
Documentation: "Add docstrings for all functions in utils/" and it will update files or create docs.
Debugging: Describe a failing test and it will search, run tests, and suggest fixes.
Git workflows: Create branches, run tests, and open PRs with a single command.

Example commands

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
# Start an interactive session in a repo
claude code
# Ask it to explain the project
> Explain this repo and list main enter points
# Make a refactor request
> Refactor auth to remove duplicated helpers and add tests

Getting started: first 10 minutes

Install: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code.
Sign in with your Anthropic account (the CLI will guide you).
Open a repo and run claude code or use the VS Code extension.
Try a safe read-only prompt: "Summarize the project and list tests."
Allow edits only when you trust the suggested changes.

Detailed installation tips and community notes are available in posts like How Claude Code is built and tutorials such as DataCamp's guide.

Comparison: Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot vs Cursor

Feature	Claude Code	GitHub Copilot / Cursor
Runs in terminal	Yes	Mostly editor plugins
Agentic actions (run commands, commit)	Yes	No
Deep repo scanning	Yes	Limited to open files
Plugins / MCP	Yes	Limited

Limitations and safety

It needs permission to change files. Keep default conservative allowlists.
It can make mistakes. Always review edits and tests.
Not offline: it uses Claude models and may require account access.
Plugins expand power but add surface area; vet MCPs and servers carefully.

Anthropic's docs explain safety and best practices: Claude Code best practices.

When to use (quick decision guide)

Use Claude Code when you need multi-file edits, repo-level understanding, or to automate a git workflow.
Use an editor LLM when you want fast, inline suggestions while typing.

FAQ

Is Claude Code free?

Claude Code is tied to Anthropic accounts and plans. See claude.ai for pricing and plan details.

Can it run tests and commits?

Yes. Claude Code can run tests, edit code, and create commits once you grant permission.

How private is my code?

Anthropic describes data use and privacy in their docs. Check the official pages for enterprise and privacy details and review your organization's policy before use.