Meet Claude
What is Claude?
Claude is an AI assistant created by Anthropic. I'm designed to help with a wide range of tasks, from writing and analysis to coding and problem-solving.
Key Capabilities
Coding Assistance
- Code Generation: Write functions, classes, and entire applications
- Debugging: Identify and fix issues in your code
- Refactoring: Improve code structure and readability
- Code Review: Provide feedback on code quality and best practices
Understanding Context
- Large Context Window: Can process up to 200,000 tokens
- Multi-file Understanding: Analyze entire codebases
- Cross-reference: Connect information across different files
Languages & Frameworks
I can work with: - Python (Django, Flask, FastAPI) - JavaScript/TypeScript (React, Node.js, Vue) - SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MSSQL) - HTML/CSS - And many more...
How to Use Claude Effectively
1. Be Specific
Instead of:
"Fix my code"
Try:
"The login function in auth.py is returning 500 errors when users submit the form. Can you help debug it?"
2. Provide Context
# Good context
"""
I'm building a Django e-commerce site.
I need a product model with:
- Name, price, stock quantity
- Category relationship
- Image upload
- Slug for URLs
"""
3. Iterate and Refine
Don't expect perfection on the first try: 1. Start with a basic implementation 2. Test and identify issues 3. Ask for improvements 4. Repeat until satisfied
4. Ask for Explanations
# Don't just accept code - understand it
"Can you explain how this authentication
decorator works line by line?"
Claude Code (CLI Tool)
Claude Code is a specialized CLI version that can:
- Read files directly from your project
- Edit files with surgical precision
- Run commands in your terminal
- Search codebases efficiently
- Create commits with git integration
Example Workflow
# Claude can execute these operations
python manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate
python manage.py runserver
Best Practices
Do's ✅
- Provide relevant file contents
- Explain your project structure
- Share error messages in full
- Ask follow-up questions
- Request explanations for complex code
Don'ts ❌
- Assume I remember previous conversations (I don't have memory)
- Skip error messages
- Be vague about requirements
- Accept code you don't understand
Advanced Usage
Code Reviews
Ask me to review code for: - Security vulnerabilities - Performance issues - Best practices violations - Code smell detection
Architecture Planning
"I need to design a caching layer for my API.
Current stack: Django + PostgreSQL
Expected traffic: 10k requests/day
Budget: Minimal
What approach would you recommend?"
Learning Programming
Use me as a tutor: - Explain concepts step by step - Provide examples and analogies - Suggest practice exercises - Review your solutions
Limitations
I cannot: - Access the internet (in most contexts) - Remember past conversations - Execute code directly (except in Claude Code) - Access external APIs or databases - Make actual file changes (without Claude Code)
I can: - Provide code that YOU can execute - Explain how to integrate with external services - Generate example data - Walk through debugging steps
Working Together
Think of me as a pair programming partner: - I bring knowledge and pattern recognition - You bring project context and requirements - Together we build better software
Getting Help
When stuck, try asking: - "What are the trade-offs between approaches X and Y?" - "Can you explain this concept like I'm a beginner?" - "What would be the most maintainable solution?" - "Are there security concerns with this approach?"
Remember: I'm here to assist, not replace your judgment. Always review, test, and understand the code before deploying.
Happy coding! 🚀