Claude Code Documentation#

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Summary#

Comprehensive documentation for claude-code, anthropic’s agentic coding tool. Terminal-native CLI that understands your codebase, edits files, runs commands, and handles git workflows through natural language. Deeply extensible via mcp-protocol, plugins, skills, hooks, and custom subagents.

Key Takeaways#

  • Agentic loop architecture: Three phases — gather context, take action, verify results — chained together with course-correction. Claude Code is the “agentic harness” that provides tools, context management, and execution environment around the Claude model.
  • Five tool categories: File operations, search, execution (shell), web, and code intelligence. This is the foundation; everything else extends it.
  • Dual memory system: CLAUDE.md (human-written instructions, scoped to org/project/user/local) + auto memory (Claude-written learnings, per working tree). Both loaded at session start. Target under 200 lines per CLAUDE.md.
  • Six permission modes: From default (reads only) to bypassPermissions (everything). auto mode uses a separate classifier model to review actions — a research preview. This is the trust/autonomy dial.
  • Subagents with isolation: Each subagent gets its own context window, system prompt, tool access, and permissions. Built-in: Explore (Haiku, read-only), Plan (research), General-purpose (all tools). Custom subagents via markdown files. Cannot spawn sub-subagents.
  • Skills as open standard: Follows Agent Skills (agentskills.io). SKILL.md files with YAML frontmatter. Bundled skills include /batch (parallel changes across codebase in git worktrees), /simplify, /loop, /debug.
  • 25+ hook events: Shell commands, HTTP endpoints, or LLM prompts at lifecycle points. Can block actions (PreToolUse deny), inject context, automate workflows. Extremely granular.
  • Three execution environments: Local (your machine), Cloud (Anthropic VMs), Remote Control (local machine, browser UI).
  • Session portability: Move between terminal, desktop, web, mobile, Slack. Same CLAUDE.md and MCP servers everywhere. Resume, fork, parallel sessions via git worktrees.
  • AGENTS.md compatibility: Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md, not AGENTS.md, but can import AGENTS.md for cross-tool compatibility.

See Also#

Backward Bmad Method Evaluating Agent Skills Caparas Forward