Basics of Claude Code — Workshop
A practical introduction to Claude Code for anyone looking to start using it for coding.
Pre-Requisites:
Claude Code account — check GitHub settings
Latest version of Claude Code — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/quickstart
VS Code — Or any other code editor will do
A Codebase you want to use to practice talking to Claude Code.
Terminal — Mac’s Terminal or Windows Powershell will work, you can try Warp if you want an AI-aware terminal
Duration: ~2 hours
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1K-QU4tRBbnq5UH7Z5jlppUS8ALrbZBTXY-RyCYBnqfs/edit?usp=sharing
Welcome to Claude Code Basics! This training takes about two hours to go through, and it's designed so you can either follow along in a live session or work through it on your own at your own pace. There are two hands-on exercises built in so you can practice as you go.
Here's what we're going to cover:
First half: What LLMs and AI agents are, and how Claude Code works — models, modes, tools, and context
Second half: More advanced workflows like running multiple agents and connecting Claude Code to external services with MCP
The goal here isn't just to learn Claude Code — it's to learn how to think in terms of AI agents. Once you've got that down, you'll be able to pick up any of the other tools out there (Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf, etc.) pretty easily, because they all work on the same ideas.
Alright, let's get into it.
Workshop Sections
Work through each section in order and complete the exercises as you go!
CC - Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Wrapping Up
That's a wrap on Claude Code Basics! Here's a quick recap of everything we covered:
What LLMs are and how they work — tokens, vectors, next-token prediction
What AI agents are and how they use LLMs as a brain
The Claude Code modes — Conversational, Plan, and Auto-mode — and when to use each
How to choose models and manage your request budget
How tools work and how to control which ones Claude Code can access
Adding context and checkpoints
Running multiple agents simultaneously and using subagents for parallel work
Extending Claude Code's capabilities with MCP servers
Everything here applies broadly — the mental model transfers to Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf, and any other agent you pick up down the road.
Thanks for following along!
Content Index
Core Concepts
Concept | Summary | Section |
|---|---|---|
LLM (Large Language Model) | The core AI technology — a next-token prediction machine trained on massive amounts of text. |
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Token | The unit an LLM actually predicts — smaller than a word, a chunk of text that maps to a number. |
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Vector / Embedding | How text is converted into numbers and placed in a high-dimensional semantic space so the model understands relationships between concepts. |
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Next-token prediction | The fundamental mechanism of LLMs — given some input text, predict the most likely next token. |
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AI Agent | A software layer built on top of an LLM that gives it "hands" — the ability to read/write files, run commands, call APIs, and take real actions. |
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Claude Code Models & Configuration
Concept | Summary | Section |
|---|---|---|
Model Picker | How and why to select the different models |
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Effort | A toggle on some models that controls how much reasoning the model does before responding. |
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Usage | How usage is measured, how its affected by model + effort, and how to check your current usage |
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Claude Code Modes
Concept | Summary | Section |
|---|---|---|
Conversational Mode | Conversational-only mode — no file edits or commands. Best for brainstorming, exploring ideas, and building shared understanding before writing code. |
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Plan Mode | Optimized for creating implementation plans. Has its own tool set tuned for research and step-by-step planning. Best used with a powerful model. |
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Agentic Mode | Full-power mode — Claude Code can edit files, run terminal commands, execute tests, spin up servers, and orchestrate multi-step work. |
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Ask → Plan → Agent workflow | The recommended sequence: design in Ask, plan in Plan, implement in Agent. Produces better results than jumping straight to implementation. |
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Tools & Context
Concept | Summary | Section |
|---|---|---|
Tools | Built-in capabilities Claude Code can invoke (fetch, file edit, terminal, etc.). Available tools vary by mode. Viewable via the tools icon in the chat. |
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Fetch Tool | Lets Claude Code browse the web. |
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Approvals Dropdown | Controls when Claude Code asks for confirmation before taking actions: Default (Claude Code decides), Bypass (auto-approve), or Autopilot (fully autonomous). |
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Code Highlighting | Select lines in the editor to automatically pin them as context in the chat window. |
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Drag and Drop Files | Drag files or images from the file explorer directly into the chat to add them as context. |
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Context Window | Check how full Claude Code's memory is. Start a new chat when it gets too full. |
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Checkpoints | You can undo recent changes. Use git to make checkpoints so you can roll back all subsequent file changes. |
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Conversation History | Every message includes the full chat history, so Claude Code remembers everything discussed — the more you flesh out in Ask mode, the better it implements later. |
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Multi-Agent Workflows
Concept | Summary | Section |
|---|---|---|
Multiple Chat Windows | Open several independent Claude Code chat windows side by side — each with its own mode, model, and context — all scoped to the same project. |
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Subagents | A built-in tool ( |
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Isolated Context Window | Each subagent runs in its own context — it only knows what the main agent passes it. Intermediate thinking is discarded after it returns its result. |
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Manual multi-agent | You orchestrate multiple chat windows yourself — good for a small number of independent tasks running in parallel. |
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Automated multi-agent | Ask Claude Code to use subagents and it handles all orchestration internally — good for coordinating everything toward a single goal. |
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Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Concept | Summary | Section |
|---|---|---|
MCP (Model Context Protocol) | A standard interface for extending Claude Code's toolbox by connecting it to external services, APIs, databases, or platforms. |
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MCP Server | A service that exposes tools to Claude Code via the MCP standard. Can be installed globally or per-workspace (mcp.json). |
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mcp.json | The workspace-level config file where MCP server configurations are stored when installed per-project. |
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Global vs Workspace Install | MCP servers can be installed globally (available in all projects) or scoped to a single workspace via mcp.json. |
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MCP Authentication | MCP servers may require auth tokens or OAuth flows. |
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