Claude Code Integration
Learn how to set up and effectively use Claude Code - Anthropic's command-line interface for AI-assisted development.
What is Claude Code?
Claude Code is Anthropic's official CLI tool that brings Claude's AI capabilities directly into your development environment. It provides intelligent code assistance, file manipulation, and project understanding.
Installation
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+ or Python 3.8+
- Git installed and configured
- Active internet connection
Install via npm
bash
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Install via pip
bash
pip install claude-code
Verify Installation
bash
claude-code --version
Initial Setup
1. API Key Configuration
bash
Set your Anthropic API key
claude-code auth login
Or set environment variable
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
2. Project Initialization
bash
Initialize Claude Code in your project
cd your-project
claude-code init
This creates .claude-code/config.json
3. Configuration Options
json
{
"model": "claude-3-sonnet-20240229",
"max_tokens": 4096,
"temperature": 0.1,
"include_patterns": ["src//.js", ".md"],
"exclude_patterns": ["node_modules/", "*.log"]
}
Core Features
File Operations
bash
Read and analyze files
claude-code read src/components/Button.jsx
Edit files with AI assistance
claude-code edit src/utils/helpers.js "Add input validation"
Create new files
claude-code create src/components/Modal.jsx "React modal component"
Code Analysis
bash
Analyze code quality
claude-code analyze src/
Find potential bugs
claude-code review src/components/
Suggest optimizations
claude-code optimize src/utils/api.js
Project Understanding
bash
Get project overview
claude-code explain
Find specific functionality
claude-code find "authentication logic"
Generate documentation
claude-code document src/api/
Development Workflows
1. Feature Development
bash
Start with analysis
claude-code analyze src/features/user-management/
Create new components
claude-code create src/components/UserProfile.jsx \
"User profile component with avatar, name, and edit functionality"
Implement tests
claude-code create tests/UserProfile.test.js \
"Unit tests for UserProfile component"
2. Bug Fixing
bash
Analyze error logs
claude-code read error.log
Find related code
claude-code find "user authentication error"
Suggest fixes
claude-code fix src/auth/login.js \
"Fix authentication timeout issue"
3. Code Review
bash
Review pull request
claude-code review --diff HEAD~1
Check specific files
claude-code review src/components/NewFeature.jsx
Security analysis
claude-code security-check src/api/
Best Practices
1. Context Management
bash
Provide context for better results
claude-code --context="This is a React TypeScript project using Redux" \
create src/store/userSlice.ts "Redux user slice"
2. Incremental Development
bash
Start small and iterate
claude-code create src/components/Button.jsx "Basic button component"
claude-code edit src/components/Button.jsx "Add size variants"
claude-code edit src/components/Button.jsx "Add TypeScript interfaces"
3. Documentation Integration
bash
Generate comprehensive docs
claude-code document --format=markdown src/api/ > docs/api.md
Create README sections
claude-code create README-features.md \
"Feature list for the user management system"
Advanced Usage
Custom Commands
Create project-specific commands in .claude-code/commands/:
``javascript
// .claude-code/commands/test-component.js
module.exports = {
name: 'test-component',
description: 'Create component with tests',
run: async (claude, componentName) => {
await claude.create(
src/components/${componentName}.jsx,
React component: ${componentName}
);
await claude.create(
tests/${componentName}.test.js,
Tests for ${componentName} component
);
}
};
Integration with Git
Analyze changes before commit
claude-code review --staged
Generate commit messages
claude-code commit-message
Create pull request descriptions
claude-code pr-description --branch feature/user-auth
CI/CD Integration
.github/workflows/claude-review.yml
name: Claude Code Review
on: [pull_request]
jobs:
review:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
- name: Install Claude Code
run: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
- name: Review Changes
run: claude-code review --diff origin/main
env:
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
API Rate Limits
Check rate limit status
claude-code status
Use lower temperature for consistent results
claude-code --temperature=0.1 analyze src/
Context Too Large
Limit file analysis
claude-code --max-files=10 analyze src/
Use specific patterns
claude-code --include=".js,.jsx" analyze src/
Configuration Problems
Reset configuration
claude-code config reset
Check current settings
claude-code config show
Set specific options
claude-code config set model claude-3-haiku-20240307
Performance Tips
1. Use Appropriate Models
Claude-3-Haiku - Fast, simple tasks
Claude-3-Sonnet - Balanced performance
Claude-3-Opus - Complex analysis (slower) 2. Optimize Context
Focus on relevant files
claude-code --include="src/components/" analyze
Exclude unnecessary files
claude-code --exclude=".test.js,.spec.js" document
3. Batch Operations
Process multiple files together
claude-code review src/components/*.jsx
Use project-wide commands
claude-code optimize --recursive src/
Security Considerations
1. Sensitive Data
Exclude sensitive files
claude-code --exclude=".env,.key,config/secrets.js" analyze
2. API Key Management
Use environment variables
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="$(cat ~/.anthropic/api-key)"
Or use system keychain
claude-code auth store-secure
3. Code Privacy
Review what code is sent to API
Use local-only commands when possible
Implement company policies for AI tool usage Integration Examples
With VS Code
// .vscode/tasks.json
{
"tasks": [
{
"label": "Claude Analyze",
"type": "shell",
"command": "claude-code",
"args": ["analyze", "${file}"],
"group": "build"
}
]
}
With Pre-commit Hooks
.pre-commit-config.yaml
repos:
- repo: local
hooks:
- id: claude-review
name: Claude Code Review
entry: claude-code review --staged
language: system
stages: [pre-commit]
Getting Help
Built-in Help
General help
claude-code --help
Command-specific help
claude-code edit --help
Show examples
claude-code examples
``