Week 2: Configuration & Commands | Claude Code Learning Path

DAY 1

Meet Your AI's Memory: CLAUDE.md

🧠📝

Ever wished your AI assistant could remember things about you? Like how you like your code formatted, what project you're working on, or your favorite shortcuts? That's exactly what CLAUDE.md does!

🎮 Gaming Analogy:
Think of CLAUDE.md like your game save file. When you load a game, it remembers your character's level, inventory, preferences, and progress. CLAUDE.md is Claude's "save file" - it loads your preferences every time you start a new session!

Why Is This SO Cool?

😩 WITHOUT CLAUDE.md (The Annoying Way)

Every single session:

"Hey Claude, I'm working on my game project"
"Remember, I use 2 spaces for indentation"
"My build command is npm run build"
"I prefer TypeScript over JavaScript"

Ugh! So repetitive! 😫

😎 WITH CLAUDE.md (The Smart Way)

Claude already knows:

Your project details ✅
Your coding style ✅
Your common commands ✅
Your preferences ✅

Just start coding! 🚀

Where Does CLAUDE.md Live?

There are different "levels" of memory - like difficulty levels in a game!

🏠 Memory Hierarchy

                        Level 1: PROJECT (shared with team)

                        📁 ./CLAUDE.md

                        Level 2: PERSONAL (just for you)

                        📁 ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md

                        Level 3: ENTERPRISE (company-wide)

                        📁 System folders (for big companies)

🤓 Fun Fact: Claude reads ALL these files! So if your personal CLAUDE.md says "I like dark themes" and your project CLAUDE.md says "use React", Claude knows BOTH things! It's like having multiple sticky notes.

🎯 Today's Mission: Find Your Memory File!

Let's see if you already have a CLAUDE.md file:

Open your terminal
Go to any project folder
Type: ls -la | grep CLAUDE
Check your personal folder: ls ~/.claude/

you@computer:~$ ls ~/.claude/
CLAUDE.md    commands/    settings.json
                    

Found one? Awesome! Don't have one yet? We'll create it tomorrow! 🎉

💡 Pro Tip: Think of the project CLAUDE.md as "team rules" and your personal one as "my style". Both work together to help Claude understand you better!

DAY 2

Building Your AI's Brain! 🧠

🏗️✨

Today we're going to CREATE your very own CLAUDE.md file! It's like writing a user manual for how YOU like to code. Let's make Claude the perfect coding buddy!

📱 Social Media Analogy:
You know how you set up your profile on Instagram or TikTok? You add your bio, preferences, interests... CLAUDE.md is like setting up Claude's profile about YOU. The more info you add, the better it understands you!

What Should Go In Your CLAUDE.md?

🎮 Example: Gaming Project CLAUDE.md

                        # 🎮 Epic Space Shooter Game

                        ## About This Project

                        A 2D space shooter game built with JavaScript and Canvas.

                        Target audience: Kids who love arcade games!

                        ## My Coding Rules

                        - Use 2 spaces for indentation (NOT tabs!)

                        - Always add comments for tricky code

                        - Variable names should be descriptive: playerHealth NOT ph

                        - Functions should do ONE thing

                        ## Important Commands

                        - Start game: npm start

                        - Run tests: npm test

                        - Build for production: npm run build

                        ## Things To Remember

                        - Player starts with 3 lives

                        - High scores are saved in localStorage

                        - Sound effects are in /assets/sounds/

More Real-World Examples!

📚 Homework Helper Project

# Homework Helper App

## What It Does
Helps me organize assignments and track due dates

## Tech Stack
- Frontend: HTML, CSS, vanilla JavaScript
- Storage: localStorage (no backend yet)

## My Preferences
- Simple, clean code - I'm still learning!
- Lots of comments explaining what things do
- Use const and let, never var
                    

🎨 Art Portfolio Website

# My Art Portfolio

## Purpose
Showcase my digital art and photography

## Style Guide
- Minimalist design, let the art speak
- Dark mode by default
- Smooth fade transitions between pages

## Important Files
- Gallery images in /images/gallery/
- CSS variables in /css/variables.css
- Main styles in /css/main.css
                    

🎯 Today's Mission: Create Your First CLAUDE.md!

Let's create a CLAUDE.md for a fun project - choose one:

🎮

Game Project

📝

To-Do App

🌐

Personal Website

Option 1: Quick Start (Easy)

you@computer:~/my-project$ claude
you: /init
I'll help you create a CLAUDE.md file! Let me ask a few questions...
                    

Option 2: Manual Creation (More Control)

Create a new file called CLAUDE.md in your project folder
Copy one of the templates above
Customize it with YOUR preferences
Save it and restart Claude Code

🚨 IMPORTANT: Never Put These in CLAUDE.md!

❌ Passwords or API keys
❌ Personal private information
❌ Secret project details (if shared with team)

If it's in your project folder, your team might see it through git!

🏆 Bonus Challenge!

Create TWO CLAUDE.md files:

Project-level (./CLAUDE.md) - Rules for this specific project
Personal-level (~/.claude/CLAUDE.md) - YOUR preferences for all projects

Example personal preferences:

"I'm 12 years old and still learning to code"
"Explain things simply with examples"
"I prefer dark mode themes"

DAY 3

Slash Commands: Your Superpowers! ⚡

⚡🎯⚡

Get ready for the COOLEST feature! Slash commands are like cheat codes for Claude Code. Instead of typing long requests, just type a slash and a word - BOOM! Instant action! 💥

🎮 Video Game Analogy:
Remember cheat codes in games? Like typing "IDDQD" for god mode or "motherlode" for money in The Sims? Slash commands are EXACTLY like that! /help shows all commands, /clear resets everything, /review checks your code for problems. One command = instant power! 💪

The Most Awesome Built-in Commands

📚

/help

Your command encyclopedia! Shows EVERY available command. Like the help menu in a game.

🧹

/clear

Fresh start! Clears the conversation. Like pressing "New Game".

🔍

/review

Code inspector! Finds bugs and suggests improvements. Like a spell checker for code!

🧠

/memory

Edit your CLAUDE.md files! Quick access to Claude's brain.

🐛

/bug

Bug hunter mode! Helps find and squash those pesky bugs in your code.

💰

/cost

Check your usage! See how much you've used Claude today. Budget tracking!

⏪

/rewind

Time machine! Go back to a previous point in the conversation. Undo mistakes!

📦

/compact

Memory saver! Shrinks your conversation to save space. Like zipping a file!

🎬 Real Action Example!

Watch how fast and easy this is:

                        you: /review

                        Claude: 🔍 Reviewing your code...

                        Found 3 things:

                        1. ⚠️ Line 23: No error handling for fetch() - what if the internet is down?

                        2. 🐌 Line 45: This loop runs 1000 times but could be faster with .map()

                        3. 🔢 Line 67: Magic number 86400 - should be a constant like SECONDS_PER_DAY

                        Would you like me to fix any of these?

🎯 Today's Mission: Command Explorer!

Try out at least 5 different slash commands today:

Type /help - See the full list!
Type /cost - Check your usage
Write some code, then type /review
Type /memory - See your CLAUDE.md
Type /clear - Start fresh

Pro move: Take notes on which commands you find most useful!

🎓 Did You Know? There are over 30 built-in slash commands! Some favorites among pro developers:

/doctor - Diagnoses problems with your setup
/sandbox - Creates a safe testing environment
/export - Saves your conversation

💡 Speed Tip: Start typing a command and press TAB for autocomplete! /re + TAB = /review Just like autocomplete when texting! 📱

DAY 4

Create Your Own Commands! 🛠️

🧙‍♂️✨🎨

This is where you become a WIZARD! 🧙‍♂️ You can create your OWN slash commands that do exactly what YOU want. Have a prompt you use all the time? Save it as a command and use it with one word!

📱 Phone Shortcut Analogy:
You know how you can set up shortcuts on your phone? Like "OMW" auto-expands to "On my way!"? Custom slash commands are the same thing! You type /explain and it expands into a whole detailed request like "Explain this to me like I'm a beginner, use simple words, give examples..." 🎯

Where Do Custom Commands Live?

# For THIS project (shared with team):
.claude/commands/command-name.md

# For ALL your projects (just for you):
~/.claude/commands/command-name.md
                

Real Commands Kids Actually Use!

📝 /explain-simple - For When Code is Confusing

---
description: Explain code like I'm 12
---

Explain this code to me like I'm 12 years old:
- Use SIMPLE words (no fancy tech jargon)
- Give real-world examples I can relate to
- Break it down step by step
- Tell me WHY each part matters
- Use emojis to make it fun! 🎮
                    

Usage: /explain-simple → Claude explains things simply!

🎮 /add-feature - For Your Game Project

---
description: Add a new game feature
argument-hint: <feature-name>
---

I want to add this feature to my game: $ARGUMENTS

Please:
1. Explain how to implement it step by step
2. Show me the code I need to write
3. Tell me where to put the code
4. Make sure it doesn't break existing features
5. Add comments so I understand it later
                    

Usage: /add-feature power-ups → Claude helps add power-ups!

✅ /check-homework - For School Projects

---
description: Review my homework code
---

Please check my homework:

1. 🔍 Look for any bugs or errors
2. ✏️ Check spelling in comments and strings
3. 📐 Make sure the logic is correct
4. 💡 Suggest ways to make it better
5. ⭐ Give me a score out of 10
6. 🎯 Tell me what I did well!

Be encouraging but honest - I want to learn!
                    

Usage: /check-homework → Instant homework review!

🐛 /fix-bug - Quick Bug Squashing

---
description: Help me fix a specific bug
argument-hint: <bug-description>
---

I have this bug: $ARGUMENTS

Help me fix it by:
1. Understanding what's causing it
2. Showing me the fix with code
3. Explaining why this fixes it
4. Making sure it won't happen again
                    

Usage: /fix-bug game crashes when score hits 100

🎯 Today's Mission: Create 3 Custom Commands!

Let's make commands that'll save you tons of time:

Step 1: Create the commands folder

you@computer:~/my-project$ mkdir -p .claude/commands

Step 2: Create your first command

# Create a file called explain-simple.md
you@computer:~$ nano .claude/commands/explain-simple.md
                    

Step 3: Add your command content

Write the description (shows in /help)
Write the prompt you want to save
Save the file

Step 4: Test it!

you: /explain-simple
Claude uses your custom prompt!
                    

Create these 3 commands:

/explain-simple - Explains code simply
/make-better - Improves your code
/daily-checklist - Lists what to do today

⚠️ Common Mistake: Forgetting the description field! Without it, your command won't show up in /help. Always add a description so you remember what it does!

🏆 Super Challenge: Arguments!

Make your commands even SMARTER with $ARGUMENTS!

                        Command file:

                        Help me with: $ARGUMENTS

                        When you type:

                        /help-with CSS flexbox

                        Claude sees:

                        Help me with: CSS flexbox

$ARGUMENTS captures everything you type after the command! Magic! ✨

💡 Organization Tip: As you create more commands, organize them in subfolders! .claude/commands/school/, .claude/commands/games/, etc. The command name comes from the filename, not the folder!

DAY 5

Level Up: Power User Mode! 🚀

🦸‍♂️💪🌟

Congratulations! You've made it to the FINAL DAY! Today we combine everything you've learned into a SUPER POWERED setup that'll make you code like a PRO! 🏆

🎮 RPG Character Build:
In RPGs, you build your character with skills, equipment, and abilities. Today you're building your ULTIMATE Claude Code character! CLAUDE.md is your character stats, commands are your special abilities, and today we're adding the legendary gear! ⚔️

Power Move #1: Import Other Files! 📂

Your CLAUDE.md can pull in content from other files - like including power-ups!

# My Awesome Project

## Core Standards
@docs/coding-style.md      # Imports this file!

## Git Workflow
@docs/git-rules.md         # And this one!

## Team Agreements
@.claude/team-rules.md     # Works with any .md file!
                

🏗️ Why This is AWESOME

Keep your CLAUDE.md organized and short
Share specific rules across multiple projects
Update one file, all projects get the update
Like having a shared inventory across game saves!

Power Move #2: Quick Memory with # 🧠

Add things to Claude's memory INSTANTLY with the # shortcut!

you: # I prefer dark mode in all my UI designs
✅ Added to your project memory!

you: # Always use const instead of let when possible
✅ Added to your project memory!

you: # My favorite color for buttons is #FF9800
✅ Added to your project memory!
                

⚡ Speed Hack: Instead of opening CLAUDE.md every time you want to add something, just type # followed by what you want Claude to remember. It's like quick-saving in a game! 💾

Power Move #3: The Ultimate Setup! 🏰

👑 Your Complete Power User Configuration

                        📁 ~/.claude/ (Your personal stuff)

                        ├── CLAUDE.md          # Your personal preferences

                        └── commands/

                            ├── explain-simple.md

                            ├── daily-standup.md

                            └── weekend-project.md

                        📁 ./my-game-project/ (Project specific)

                        ├── CLAUDE.md          # Project rules

                        └── .claude/commands/

                            ├── add-enemy.md

                            ├── test-level.md

                            └── deploy-game.md

Claude reads BOTH! Personal + Project = Ultimate Power! 🔥

Power Move #4: Command Chaining Ideas! ⛓️

🌅 /morning-startup - Start Your Day Right!

---
description: My morning coding routine
---

Good morning! Let's start my coding day:

1. What did I work on yesterday? (check git log)
2. What's on my TODO list?
3. Any bugs I need to fix first?
4. Suggest what I should focus on today
5. Give me a motivational coding quote! 💪
                    

🌙 /end-of-day - Wrap Up Your Work!

---
description: End of day summary
---

Let's wrap up my coding day:

1. Summarize what I accomplished today
2. List any incomplete tasks
3. Note any bugs I found
4. Suggest what to start with tomorrow
5. Remind me to commit my changes!
                    

🎯 Final Mission: Build Your Ultimate Setup!

Create your complete power user configuration:

✅ Checklist:

Personal CLAUDE.md (~/.claude/CLAUDE.md)
- Your coding style preferences
- Your learning level
- How you like explanations
At least 5 personal commands (~/.claude/commands/)
- /explain-simple
- /morning-startup
- /end-of-day
- /fix-bug [description]
- /make-better
Project CLAUDE.md (./CLAUDE.md)
- Project description
- Tech stack info
- Important commands (build, test, run)
Test everything works!
- Restart Claude Code
- Type /help - see your commands?
- Try each command

🏆 ULTIMATE CHALLENGE: The Super Command!

Create a command that uses EVERYTHING you learned:

---
description: Complete project analysis
argument-hint: <focus-area>
---

Analyze my project with focus on: $ARGUMENTS

Please:
1. Check my CLAUDE.md - am I following my own rules?
2. Review recent code changes
3. Look for bugs or issues
4. Suggest improvements
5. Give me a project health score (1-10)
6. List 3 things to work on next

Use my preferences from my personal CLAUDE.md!
                    

Usage: /analyze performance or /analyze security

💡 Final Pro Tip: Your setup will EVOLVE! As you learn more and work on new projects, keep updating your CLAUDE.md files and adding new commands. The best setups are always growing! 🌱

🎉 WEEK 2 COMPLETE! 🎉

You've mastered CLAUDE.md files and slash commands!

You can now:
✅ Create memory files for Claude
✅ Use built-in slash commands
✅ Create your own custom commands
✅ Build a power user setup
✅ Import files and use quick memory

You're officially a Configuration Master! 👑