Claude Code for Beginners - The AI Coding Assistant That Actually Understands Your Codebase

I don’t write code by hand anymore. And no, I’m not exaggerating.

For the past few months, I’ve been using Claude Code as my primary coding companion, and it has fundamentally changed how I build software. Whether I’m scaffolding a new .NET Web API, debugging a tricky race condition, or refactoring a legacy codebase — Claude is right there in my terminal, reasoning through problems like a senior engineer sitting next to me.

But here’s the thing: most developers I talk to either haven’t heard of Claude Code, or they’ve tried it once and didn’t realize its true potential. They treat it like a fancy autocomplete. It’s not.

Claude Code is a full-fledged agentic coding assistant that can read your entire codebase, understand your architecture, plan multi-step implementations, and execute them — all while respecting your coding standards.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to get started with Claude Code in under 15 minutes. We’ll cover installation, the magic of CLAUDE.md, Plan Mode, context management, and I’ll give you an honest comparison with GitHub Copilot and Cursor.

Let’s get into it.

What is Claude Code?

Claude Code is Anthropic’s terminal-native AI coding assistant built on top of Claude (the same model powering claude.ai). Unlike traditional code completion tools that suggest snippets as you type, Claude Code operates as an agentic system — meaning it can:

• Read and understand your entire project structure
• Search through files, grep for patterns, and analyze dependencies
• Plan complex implementations before writing any code
• Execute multi-file changes while respecting your conventions
• Run shell commands, tests, and build processes
• Learn your project’s rules through a CLAUDE.md file

Think of it as having a senior developer in your terminal who never gets tired, never forgets your coding standards, and can hold 200,000 tokens of context in memory.

Claude Code launched in February 2025 and reached general availability in May 2025. By November 2025, it hit $1 billion in annualized revenue — that’s how fast developers are adopting it.

Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot vs ChatGPT vs Cursor — Quick Comparison

Before we dive in, let’s address the elephant in the room. You’ve probably used GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, or heard about Cursor. How does Claude Code stack up?

My honest take:

• GitHub Copilot is fantastic for autocomplete and writing boilerplate fast. It’s the easiest to adopt and lives right in your IDE.
• ChatGPT/Codex excels at brainstorming, exploring ideas, and conversational problem-solving. When you need to think through an approach before touching code, it’s a great sparring partner.
• Cursor shines when you’re doing multi-file refactoring and want a familiar VS Code experience with AI baked in.
• Claude Code wins when you need reasoning. When you want the AI to understand why your code is structured a certain way, plan before executing, and explain its decisions.

For .NET developers working on complex architectures (Clean Architecture, microservices, domain-driven design) — Claude Code’s ability to hold massive context and reason through dependencies is a game-changer.

My Journey Through AI Coding Tools

Let me share how I ended up here — and why I believe the future isn’t about picking ONE tool.

I started with GitHub Copilot like most developers. It’s decent for basic code changes and generation — no complaints there. The autocomplete is snappy, and it genuinely speeds up boilerplate work. But as I used it for larger tasks, I wasn’t happy with the context it maintained. It felt like explaining the same architectural decisions over and over. The AI would suggest patterns that contradicted what I’d just built two files ago. And the developer experience? Despite being integrated directly into the IDE, something about the back-and-forth never clicked for me when I needed deeper reasoning.

Then came Codex. I’d had a ChatGPT subscription for a long time, but I never realized it included Codex access — pleasant surprise. When I discovered it, I went all in. For JavaScript and frontend work, I could see real success. The conversational interface made it easy to iterate on ideas. I even used it to improve FullStackHero — refactoring modules, cleaning up patterns, and it actually did a solid job understanding the .NET ecosystem.

But when I tested Claude Code, I was genuinely impressed.

It wasn’t just about code generation. Claude understood my codebase structure, respected my workflow, and grasped my requirements in a way the others didn’t. When I described a feature, it would ask clarifying questions about edge cases I hadn’t considered. When I pointed it at a bug, it would trace through the call stack and identify the root cause — not just patch the symptom. The Blazor skills? Surprisingly strong. It could reason through component hierarchies, understand the render lifecycle, handle cascading parameters correctly, and suggest patterns that actually made sense for Blazor development. For complex .NET work — Clean Architecture, domain-driven design, multi-project solutions — Claude Code’s ability to hold context across dozens of files is unmatched.

The Real Lesson: Use Every Tool for What It’s Best At

Here’s what I’ve learned after months of experimentation: the goal isn’t to choose one tool and abandon the rest. Each tool has its strengths, and the smartest developers use them together.

Here’s my current setup:

• Claude Code — My primary tool for complex implementations, debugging, architectural decisions, and anything that requires deep codebase understanding. When I need the AI to think before it acts, Claude is where I go.
• GitHub Copilot — Still in my workflow for quick autocomplete and commit message generation. It’s fast, it’s inline, and for small completions it’s hard to beat.
• ChatGPT — My go-to for brainstorming ideas, exploring approaches before I write code, and rubber-ducking problems. Sometimes I just need to think out loud with an AI that isn’t tied to my codebase.

The tools complement each other. Copilot for speed. ChatGPT for exploration. Claude Code for depth.

Don’t fall into the trap of tribal loyalty to one tool. The AI landscape is evolving fast, and the developers who win are the ones who adapt their toolkit to the task at hand.

That said, for the core work of building software — understanding requirements, planning implementations, writing production code, and debugging complex issues — Claude Code has become my daily driver. And trust me, there are a lot of ways to supercharge your Claude experience beyond the basics. I’ll be covering advanced patterns, custom commands, and productivity hacks in upcoming articles.

For now, let’s get you set up.

Installation — Get Running in 5 Minutes

Let’s get Claude Code installed. You’ll need:

• A Claude subscription (Pro at $20/month minimum)
• Node.js (for the npm installation method)
• A terminal (Command Prompt, PowerShell, or your IDE’s integrated terminal)

CLI vs Desktop vs Cloud — Pick Your Flavor

Here’s something most tutorials skip: Claude Code isn’t just a CLI tool. You have three ways to access it:

1. CLI (Terminal) — The original experience. Runs directly in your terminal alongside your code.
2. Desktop App — A standalone application with a dedicated window and UI.
3. Cloud (claude.ai) — Browser-based access, works anywhere including mobile.

I use all three. And honestly, that’s the productivity hack nobody talks about.

Here’s my setup:

• CLI for intense coding sessions — When I’m deep in backend work, implementing features, or debugging complex issues, I run Claude in my terminal. It’s lightweight, fast, and stays out of the way. The CLI just feels more responsive when you’re in the zone.
• Desktop for general development — The desktop app is convenient when I want Claude in a separate window. But fair warning — it’s more memory intensive than the CLI. During really long sessions, I’ve noticed it can get sluggish or act a bit weird. If you’re on a machine with limited RAM, stick with the CLI.
• Cloud and mobile app for brainstorming — This is my go-to when I’m away from my dev machine. Thinking through architecture during a commute? Sketching out an approach before I sit down to code? I use the Claude Android app on my phone — it’s smoother than the browser and works great for quick back-and-forth conversations. The web version at claude.ai is there when I’m on a different machine without the CLI installed.

The beauty is they all share your Claude subscription. Same account, same usage limits, different interfaces for different contexts.

For this guide, we’ll focus on the CLI installation — it’s the most powerful option for developers and the one you’ll use for serious coding work.

Windows Installation

The official PowerShell script can be finicky. Here’s the reliable approach using npm:

Step 1: Install Node.js (if you don’t have it)

Head to nodejs.org, download the LTS version, and run the installer.

Verify the installation:

node -v

You should see a version number like v22.x.x.

Step 2: Install Claude Code via npm

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Step 3: Launch Claude Code

claude

On first run, you’ll:

1. Choose your theme (dark mode, obviously)
2. Connect your Anthropic account
3. Trust the current directory

macOS / Linux Installation

You have more options here:

# Using Homebrew (recommended for macOS)
brew install --cask claude-code

# Or using the official installer
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Then simply run claude in your terminal.

The CLAUDE.md File — Your Project’s Constitution

Here’s where Claude Code becomes truly powerful.

The CLAUDE.md file is a Markdown file at the root of your project that onboards Claude onto your codebase. Every time you start a Claude session in that directory, the contents of this file are injected into context automatically.

Think of it as writing instructions for a new developer joining your team — except this developer has perfect memory and follows instructions precisely.

What to Put in CLAUDE.md

Structure your CLAUDE.md around three layers:

1. The What — Your tech stack, project structure, key packages
2. The Why — The purpose of each component, architectural decisions
3. The How — How you want Claude to work with the project

Here’s an example for a .NET Web API project:

# CLAUDE.md - MyApp API

## Tech Stack
- .NET 9, ASP.NET Core Minimal APIs
- Entity Framework Core with PostgreSQL
- MediatR for CQRS
- FluentValidation for request validation

## Project Structure
- `src/MyApp.Api/` — Entry point, endpoints, middleware
- `src/MyApp.Application/` — Use cases, handlers, DTOs
- `src/MyApp.Domain/` — Entities, value objects, domain events
- `src/MyApp.Infrastructure/` — EF Core, external services

## Commands
- Build: `dotnet build`
- Test: `dotnet test`
- Run: `dotnet run --project src/MyApp.Api`

## Coding Standards
- Use primary constructors for dependency injection
- Always pass CancellationToken to async methods
- Validation goes in FluentValidation validators, not handlers
- Never hardcode connection strings or secrets

## Workflow Rules
- ALWAYS create a git branch before making changes
- Run `dotnet test` after every implementation
- Keep commits atomic and focused

Creating CLAUDE.md Automatically

You can ask Claude to generate this file for you:

Analyze this codebase and create a CLAUDE.md file that covers:
1. Tech stack and dependencies
2. Project structure and purpose of each folder
3. Build/test/run commands
4. Coding conventions you observe
5. Workflow rules I should follow

Use progressive disclosure — keep the main file concise and link to
detailed docs in a /docs folder if needed.

Claude will scan your project, identify patterns, and create a comprehensive CLAUDE.md. You can then refine it based on your preferences.

Pro Tip: Treat CLAUDE.md as a living document. Commit it to version control so your entire team benefits. When coding standards evolve, update the file.

Does It Actually Work?

Let me show you. After setting up CLAUDE.md with a rule that says “always create a git branch before making changes,” I asked Claude to fix a bug:

There's a bug where clicking on the calendar doesn't set the correct
time for the new event. The time shown in the modal doesn't match
where I clicked.

Claude found the bug in a TSX file, but before implementing the fix, it asked to create a new branch first — exactly as instructed in my CLAUDE.md.

That’s the power of this file. Claude respects your workflow.

Plan Mode — Think Before You Code

Here’s a mistake I see developers make with AI coding tools: they jump straight into implementation without planning.

Claude Code has a Plan Mode specifically designed to prevent this. When you’re in Plan Mode, Claude can only:

• Read files
• Search and grep through code
• Browse the web for documentation
• Ask you clarifying questions

It cannot write, modify, or execute anything. It’s forced to think first.

How to Enter Plan Mode

Press Shift + Tab twice to cycle to Plan Mode — you’ll see the indicator in the bottom left corner of the prompt.

Windows users: If Shift + Tab only toggles between Edit and Auto-accept modes, try Alt + M instead. There’s a known issue on some Windows setups where Plan Mode is skipped in the cycle.

When to Use Plan Mode

Use Plan Mode when:

• Starting a new feature with multiple components
• Making architectural changes
• You’re not 100% sure about the approach
• Working on an unfamiliar codebase

A Real Example

Let’s say I want to build a chore management app. Instead of vibe-coding with a vague prompt like “make me a chore app,” I enter Plan Mode and write:

Build a chore management app with these requirements:
- Calendar view similar to Outlook
- Add/remove chores
- Recurring schedules
- Assign chores to team members
- Manage team members

Ask me questions to clarify requirements, tech stack preferences,
engineering constraints, and architecture decisions.

Claude will now ask targeted questions:

• “Should this be React, Vue, or another framework?”
• “Local storage or a backend database?”
• “Do you need authentication?”
• “Any specific UI library preferences?”

After I answer, Claude generates a detailed implementation plan:

• Project structure
• Data models
• Component breakdown
• Implementation phases
• Key design decisions

This is like pair programming with a senior engineer. You discuss the approach, agree on the plan, and only then do you execute.

If I see something I disagree with (like Claude choosing JavaScript instead of TypeScript), I can say:

Use TypeScript instead of JavaScript.

Claude regenerates the plan. Once I’m satisfied, I approve it and Claude starts implementing — now with a clear roadmap.

Context — How Claude Understands Your Codebase

One thing that sets Claude Code apart is its 200,000-token context window. For perspective:

• GitHub Copilot practically uses around 8,000 tokens
• GPT-4 Turbo supports 128,000 tokens
• Claude Code can hold roughly 150,000 words of code and conversation in memory

This means Claude can genuinely understand large codebases. I’ve used it on .NET solutions with 50+ projects, and it navigates them effectively.

How Context Works

When you start a session, Claude doesn’t load your entire codebase into memory immediately. Instead, it:

1. Reads your CLAUDE.md file
2. Scans the project structure
3. Loads files on-demand as needed
4. Maintains conversation history

If you’re working on a specific feature, Claude will read the relevant files, understand the dependencies, and keep that context as you iterate.

Managing Context

Context can fill up during long sessions. Here are some tips:

Clear conversation history: Type /clear to reset the conversation while keeping your CLAUDE.md context.

Use subagents for isolated tasks: When Claude spawns a subagent (a focused task), it gets its own context. This prevents bloating your main session.

Keep CLAUDE.md concise: Since CLAUDE.md is loaded into every session, don’t dump your entire documentation there. Keep it focused and link to external files for details.

Hooks — Automate Your Workflow (Light Intro)

Hooks let you run custom actions at specific points in Claude’s workflow. They’re event-driven:

• PreToolUse — Runs before Claude uses a tool (like before writing a file)
• PostToolUse — Runs after a tool completes
• Stop — Runs when Claude finishes a task

For example, you could set up a hook to automatically run your linter after every file edit, or validate a deployment script before execution.

# Access the hooks interface
/hooks

Hooks are powerful for teams that want to enforce quality gates automatically. I’ll cover them in depth in a follow-up article.

Custom Slash Commands — Your Shortcuts (Light Intro)

You can create custom commands to streamline repetitive tasks. These live in the .claude/commands/ folder as Markdown files.

For example, create .claude/commands/test.md:

Run all tests for the solution and report any failures.
If tests fail, analyze the error and suggest fixes.

$ARGUMENTS

Now you can type /test in Claude, and it executes your predefined prompt.

Some ideas for custom commands:

• /pr — Create a pull request with a structured description
• /review — Review the current changes for code quality
• /migrate — Generate an EF Core migration

I’ll do a deep dive on custom commands in the next article. They’re a productivity multiplier once you get the hang of them.

Pricing — What It Actually Costs

Claude Code access comes with your Claude subscription. Here’s the breakdown:

My recommendation: Start with the Pro plan at $20/month. It’s enough for most individual developers. If you’re using Claude Code all day for heavy development, consider Max 5x.

For teams, there’s a Teams plan with centralized billing and admin dashboards — useful for tracking usage across developers.

No per-message overage fees — you get a fixed allocation per time window, and it resets. No surprise bills.

What Happens When You Hit the Rate Limit?

This is something every Claude Code user experiences eventually — you’re in the zone, shipping features, and suddenly Claude says it needs to wait.

Here’s what actually happens:

1. You get a warning — Claude will tell you that you’re approaching your usage limit for the current window.
2. Requests slow down or pause — Once you hit the limit, Claude won’t process new prompts until the window resets.
3. The 5-hour window resets — Your allocation refreshes every 5 hours. If you hit the limit at 2 PM, you’ll get a fresh allocation around 7 PM.

How to manage this:

• Break work into sessions. If you’re on Pro, plan your heavy Claude Code sessions around the 5-hour windows. Don’t burn through 45 messages on small tasks.
• Use Plan Mode strategically. Planning consumes fewer resources than execution. Do your thinking in Plan Mode, then execute efficiently.
• Batch your requests. Instead of asking Claude to fix one file, then another, then another — describe the full scope and let it handle multiple files in one go.
• Know when to upgrade. If you’re consistently hitting limits before lunch, Max 5x at $100/month gives you 5x the headroom. For all-day coding, Max 20x is worth it.

I’ve been on Max 5x for months, and I rarely hit the ceiling. But when I was on Pro, I learned to be strategic — mornings for heavy implementation, afternoons for review and planning.

Quick Tips Before You Go

After using Claude Code extensively, here are my top tips — lessons learned from real projects, not theory.

1. Talk to Claude Like a Senior Engineer

Be clear, specific, and direct. You don’t need to be overly polite or use corporate speak — just state the facts.

Instead of:

Could you please help me with maybe adding some validation
to the user input if that's not too much trouble?

Try:

Add FluentValidation to the CreateUserCommand.
Validate: Email is required and valid format,
Name is required and max 100 chars.

Claude responds better to specific, actionable instructions. Treat it like a capable colleague who needs clear requirements, not hand-holding.

2. Commit Early, Commit Often

This one has saved me countless times. Before you pile on more prompts, commit your working state.

AI can introduce regressions. Claude might fix one bug and accidentally break something else. If you’ve committed after each successful change, rolling back is trivial:

git diff HEAD~1  # See what changed
git checkout HEAD~1 -- src/file.cs  # Restore specific file

I commit after every meaningful change Claude makes. It takes seconds and gives you a safety net.

3. Review the Code — Always

Claude is a teammate, not a replacement for code review. I’ve seen Claude:

• Add dependencies I didn’t ask for
• Use patterns that don’t match my architecture
• Write code that works but isn’t idiomatic

Check its work like you would any pull request. Read the diff, understand the changes, and push back if something doesn’t look right.

4. Use Plan Mode for Anything Non-Trivial

If a task touches more than 2-3 files or involves any architectural decisions, start in Plan Mode. The upfront planning saves hours of back-and-forth later.

I’ve learned this the hard way — jumping straight into implementation with a vague prompt leads to Claude making assumptions. Those assumptions compound, and suddenly you’re three files deep into an approach you don’t want.

Plan first. Execute with confidence.

5. Invest in Your CLAUDE.md

A well-crafted CLAUDE.md pays dividends across every single session. Every minute you spend refining it saves you from repeating yourself later.

Things worth adding:

• Your naming conventions
• Patterns you always use (Result pattern, MediatR, etc.)
• Patterns you never want (no repository pattern, no AutoMapper, etc.)
• How you structure commits and branches

The more specific your CLAUDE.md, the less you’ll fight Claude on style decisions.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Say “No”

Claude will suggest approaches. Sometimes they’re great. Sometimes they’re not what you want.

Push back. Say “No, use X instead” or “I don’t like this approach because Y.” Claude is designed to iterate. It won’t get offended, and it’ll adapt to your preferences.

The best results come from a back-and-forth dialogue, not blind acceptance of the first suggestion.

FAQ — Common Issues and Questions

Here are the questions I get asked most often about Claude Code.

”npm install failed with permission errors”

Don’t use sudo npm install -g. Instead, fix npm’s permissions:

mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH

Add that last line to your .bashrc or .zshrc to make it permanent. Then run the install again without sudo.

On Windows, run your terminal as Administrator for the initial install, or use the native installer instead of npm.

”Claude doesn’t understand my project structure”

This usually means Claude hasn’t read enough context. Try:

1. Create a CLAUDE.md file — This is the single biggest improvement you can make.
2. Explicitly tell Claude to explore — Say “Read the project structure and understand the architecture before making changes.”
3. Point Claude to key files — “Look at src/Application/ to understand how we structure commands and handlers.”

Claude doesn’t automatically read every file. It reads on-demand. Guide it to the important parts.

”Claude made changes I didn’t ask for”

This happens. Claude sometimes “improves” code while fixing something else. A few ways to prevent this:

• Be explicit about scope — “Only modify the UserService class. Don’t touch anything else.”
• Add rules to CLAUDE.md — “Never refactor code unless explicitly asked.”
• Use Plan Mode — Review the plan before Claude executes. If you see unrelated changes, tell it to remove them.

And always: commit before asking Claude to make changes. Easy rollback.

”The context window filled up and Claude forgot earlier instructions”

Long sessions can exhaust context. When this happens:

1. Type /clear — This resets the conversation but keeps your CLAUDE.md loaded.
2. Start a new session — Close and reopen Claude Code. Fresh context.
3. Summarize before continuing — After /clear, paste a brief summary: “We’re building X. We’ve completed Y. Next step is Z.”

For very long tasks, I break them into multiple sessions intentionally. Each session has focused scope.

”Claude keeps suggesting patterns I don’t use”

Put your preferences in CLAUDE.md. Be explicit:

## Patterns We Use
- MediatR for CQRS
- Result<T> pattern for error handling
- FluentValidation for all request validation

## Patterns We DON'T Use (Never suggest these)
- Repository pattern (we use EF Core directly)
- AutoMapper (we write explicit mappings)
- Exceptions for control flow

Claude follows these rules reliably once they’re documented.

”Is my code being sent to Anthropic’s servers?”

Yes — Claude Code sends your code to Anthropic’s API for processing. This is how it works.

However, Anthropic has stated that data from Claude Pro/Max subscriptions is not used to train models. If you’re working on sensitive code, check your company’s AI usage policy and Anthropic’s terms of service.

For enterprise needs, there’s a Teams plan with additional compliance features.

”Can I use Claude Code offline?”

No. Claude Code requires an internet connection to communicate with Anthropic’s API. There’s no offline mode.

If you’re working in an air-gapped environment, Claude Code isn’t an option — you’ll need to look at local LLM solutions.

What’s Next? — The Complete Claude Code Series

This was just the beginning. I’m building a complete Claude Code series for .NET developers — taking you from beginner to mass productivity.

Here’s what’s coming:

CLAUDE.md Mastery

• The Perfect CLAUDE.md for .NET Developers — My exact template for Clean Architecture, Minimal APIs, and enterprise .NET projects. Copy-paste ready.
• Everything You Need to Know About CLAUDE.md — Deep dive into progressive disclosure, team sharing, and advanced patterns.

Core Features

• Understanding Plan Mode — When to use it, when to skip it, and how to get the most out of planning sessions.
• Understanding Subagents in Claude Code — How Claude spawns focused tasks, context isolation, and multi-agent patterns.
• Skills in Claude Code — Build custom slash commands that 10x your workflow. I’ll share my personal /pr, /review, and /migrate commands.

Advanced (Coming Soon)

• Hooks — Automate linting, testing, and deployment validation
• MCP (Model Context Protocol) — Connect Claude to Jira, GitHub, databases, and Slack
• YOLO Mode & Context Management — When to go fast, and how to handle massive codebases

This series will be the most comprehensive Claude Code resource for .NET developers on the internet. No fluff, just practical patterns you can use tomorrow.

If you want to be notified when these drop, subscribe to my newsletter below. I send out .NET and developer productivity content every week — no spam, just value.

What are your thoughts on AI coding assistants? Are you using Copilot, Cursor, or something else? Let me know in the comments — I’m curious how other developers are integrating AI into their workflows.

Happy Coding :)