Getting Started with Claude Code: A Terminal‑Based AI Coding Assistant

Overview

Claude Code is an AI‑powered, agentic coding tool from Anthropic that works directly in your terminal. Unlike Copilot, Cursor, or Windsurf, which embed themselves in IDEs, Claude Code integrates with your existing workflow without forcing you to switch editors. It can analyze, plan, write, and edit code, and it can be automated in GitHub workflows for pull‑request reviews or issue handling.

Installation

1. Visit the Cloud Code homepage and copy the npm install command (e.g., npm install -g anthropicai/claude-code).
2. Choose a pricing plan on the Anthropic pricing page. The free tier only gives web/desktop access, not Claude Code. The Pro plan ($17 / month) provides decent usage limits and access to models like Sonic 4 and Opus 4.1. The Max plan offers higher limits and the latest features.
3. Run the npm command in your terminal to install Claude Code globally.
4. Navigate to your project folder and start a session with claude.

First‑time Setup

• Claude asks for a UI mode (dark or light). Choose your preference.
• Sign in using your Anthropic subscription; a browser window opens for authentication.
• Confirm that you trust the files in the current folder.
• Claude will warn you that it can make mistakes, so always review its output.

Using Claude Inside VS Code

• Running claude from the integrated terminal automatically installs the Claude Code VS Code extension.
• The extension adds:
• Diff view for generated changes
• Ability to send selected text as context
• Keyboard shortcuts (Shift + Enter for new lines in chat)
• Active‑tab awareness so Claude knows which file you’re editing
• If the extension doesn’t install automatically, search for “Claude Code” in the Extensions pane and install it manually.

Project Walkthrough (Shinobi Demo)

• The demo project is a Next.js blog application called Shinobi.
• Running npm run dev starts a local server at http://localhost:3000.
• The homepage shows two buttons: Blog and Preview UI Components.
• The preview page already contains sample headings, text, and button components; Claude will help create more reusable UI components.
• The blog page lists posts fetched from Hygraph (a headless CMS) and includes a sidebar with dummy data and a light/dark mode toggle.

Safe Development Practices

• Work on a throwaway or version‑controlled repository to avoid permanent damage.
• Create a dedicated Git branch (e.g., claude-edits) before letting Claude make changes. Claude can run git commands for you, but it always shows the bash command and asks for confirmation.
• Use the special command /terminal setup to enable the Shift + Enter shortcut for multiline chat input.
• Review every code snippet Claude generates; treat it as a collaborator, not an autonomous coder.

Next Steps

• In the following lesson you’ll start making real code edits and learn how to add persistent memory to Claude via a claude.md file.
• Early access to the full course is available on Net.dev for $3, or you can subscribe to Net Ninja Pro ($9 / month) for unlimited course access and premium masterclasses. A promo code provides a half‑price first month.

Key Features Recap

• Terminal‑first AI coding assistant
• Seamless VS Code integration
• Git‑aware commands (branching, committing, merging)
• Ability to run autonomously in GitHub workflows
• Model selection (Sonic 4 for balanced usage, Opus 4.1 for higher quality at higher cost)

Claude Code brings AI‑assisted development straight into your terminal, letting you stay in your preferred editor while benefiting from powerful code generation, project‑aware suggestions, and Git integration—making it a practical, controllable partner for modern development workflows.