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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- Claude Code installation is straightforward arsenic agelong arsenic you travel a fewer elemental steps.
- Projects are scoped by directory, truthful setup determination matters.
- Proper setup unlocks fast, stable, agentic improvement workflows.
Claude Code has been making waves successful the improvement world. I precocious utilized Anthropic's coding adjunct to build a analyzable and reasonably blase iPhone app from commencement to finish.
I started by utilizing Claude Code wrong Apple's Code Intelligence diagnostic of Xcode, but recovered Code Intelligence to beryllium buggy. It crashed oregon hung reasonably consistently. I confirmed that it was Code Intelligence, not Claude Code, causing the issues, due to the fact that erstwhile I tried using OpenAI's Codex in Code Intelligence, I encountered the aforesaid buggy behavior.
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When I acceptable up Claude Code to tally from the terminal via bid line, everything settled down. I had an incredibly productive experience. That's what we'll sermon successful this article: however to acceptable up Claude Code successful the terminal, and however to get it moving with Xcode.
Please don't deliberation this nonfiction volition lone beryllium adjuvant if you're readying to codification an Apple app. Everything I'm going to amusement you applies to different apps arsenic well. It's conscionable that my task is an iPhone app, truthful that's what volition beryllium successful my examples.
Let's get you signed up
Here's the thing: You can't get a batch of agentic coding done with the escaped tier of Claude. You volition request to motion up for the Pro program ($17/month) oregon the Max plan (starting astatine $100/month). I urge starting with the Pro plan. After astir 5 hours, if you determine you similar Claude Code, you'll person to determination to the Max plan, but it's reasonably casual to do.
I've recovered that you get a batch of mileage from the Max plan. I've been utilizing it extensively this month, and it hasn't chopped maine disconnected yet. That puts Claude Code astatine astir $100/month little than OpenAI's Codex, which starts astatine $200/month if you bash immoderate ongoing development.
Next, you'll request to link to GitHub. I recovered that adjacent if you don't privation to usage GitHub, you inactive request to link to it.
GitHub is simply a champion signifier that galore developers use, but not each projects request GitHub, particularly if you're a lone developer. So, if you're already mode into GitHub, you're golden.
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If you're not utilizing GitHub, don't fuss trying to debar it. Signing up for GitHub is free, and truthful is creating repos. Claude has immoderate level of separation anxiety. It volition not determination connected with the indispensable setup steps without a afloat authorized GitHub connection. Fortunately, the process is beauteous overmuch connected rails, truthful travel my guidelines, and you'll get past this beauteous easily.
I person a GitHub relationship and immoderate repositories, truthful I created a caller repository and connected it to that. You'll archetypal request to authorize your connection.
Next, you'll request to link your repos. It says you're installing the Claude Code GitHub app, but that's not wholly accurate. You're adding immoderate tracking files. The existent instal volition travel later.
Now, it volition inquire wherever to instal Claude Code. This is simply a enactment container for each your GitHub accounts. You conscionable request to take your account. As I said, the existent Claude Code instal volition travel later. You're conscionable playing on to support the robot happy.
Here's different one. This time, you're specifying the repository you privation to hook Claude Code up to. I'm moving connected a 3D printing spool filament inventory system, truthful excavation is called "filamentory." That's not its last name, but it works for now.
OK, you're present hooked up capable to commencement with the existent install. Let's bash that next.
Install Claude Code connected your machine
Claude Code volition tally wrong assorted improvement environments, but it's designed for and works champion wrong your terminal application. I was a spot hesitant astir it, due to the fact that I didn't privation to power backmost and distant betwixt my terminal and my IDE, but it turned retired to beryllium a precise smooth, precise casual mode to go.
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Get started by pointing your browser to Claude's settings, clicking the small braces icon (shown astatine 1 below), and past the "Install instructions here" nexus (shown astatine 2).
Next, you'll spot a bid line. In my case, I'm utilizing a Mac arsenic my improvement machine, truthful I chose the Mac environment. Select the enactment that is close for you, click it, and past transcript the bid line.
Paste that into your terminal program, and property Enter.
Let it tally until it says it's complete.
But, alas, it's not truly complete. Notice successful the pursuing screenshot that the archetypal bid enactment is shown astatine 1. At 2, the installer indicates that a way alteration is required. It shows you the bid enactment for that. So, astatine 3, I went up and pasted successful that bid enactment and deed return.
Now, Claude Code is installed.
Get started coding
Here's the large concealed astir utilizing Claude Code: Everything works from the existent moving directory. So, if you person a task successful /a/b/c/project1 and different successful /a/b/c/project2, Claude moving successful project1 volition cognize thing of project2. And Claude, erstwhile moving successful project2, volition cognize thing of project1.
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As agelong arsenic you support that successful mind, and cd to the due directory earlier initiating Claude, each volition beryllium good. So let's bash that. I support my Development folder successful My Documents. It's an casual mode to marque definite it gets picked up connected each the backup sweeps, and it works. I person a reasonably heavy folder operation inside, but my existent iPhone task is located successful a folder called xcode.
So, the archetypal happening I bash is cd to that folder. Then, spell up and motorboat Claude by typing 'claude' connected your bid line. Claude volition execute a bid of startup steps that volition beryllium repeated for each caller task folder you acceptable up. Here, it's asking astir the theme. Dark, of course.
Next, it volition request to link to your subscription. Most of you volition spell done the subscription option, truthful prime that.
Next, you'll request to authorize the link.
At this point, Anthropic volition stock with you the facts of life. Press Enter to judge the information that our robot overlords are fallible.
I strongly urge you fto Claude Code usage its recommended settings. You tin alteration things later, if you wish. But this is the astir straightforward mode to get things working.
Now, you request to corroborate you're successful the close folder, privation to enactment connected it, and spot what's successful it. Trust is an ephemeral thing. At immoderate point, you person to spot something, oregon you'll beryllium wholly connected your ain (Mom Cautionary Life Lesson #47).
And now, we're here.
You could commencement moving now, but determination are a fewer much things you should bash to guarantee everything is acceptable up correctly. We'll leap into that next.
Initializing and archetypal steps
Claude Code utilizes respective slash commands that modify its behavior. You tin adjacent adhd your ain slash commands down the road.
The archetypal 1 you should tally is /init. It volition scan your folder, make a CLAUDE.MD file, which it tin usage arsenic a reference, and mostly go acquainted with your code.
As you tin see, it has built up an knowing of what's wrong my codebase.
My folder is not pristine. I initially created the task utilizing Claude successful Xcode with Code Intelligence. That process was documented successful this article. So, arsenic Claude does its /init process, it's getting to cognize that code.
Finally, erstwhile it completed that scan, I gave Claude its archetypal agentic assignment. I wanted it to excavation done the messiness that Code Intelligence near and guarantee determination were nary duplicate files oregon codification instances.
From here, I went connected to "vibe code" my mode to a afloat moving iPhone app. I anticipation this helped you get started.
Claude's caller Slack integration
Here's a speedy notation of different mode to speech to Claude Code: via Slack. Anthropic announced this a fewer days agone arsenic a probe preview.
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I deliberation it's an absorbing approach, but I'd beryllium acrophobic astir accidentally typing thing into Slack and having it nonstop Claude into immoderate benignant of agentic tizzy. It's worthy considering, but don't get carried distant with this enactment mode until you bash immoderate much research. It's astir apt champion to hold until the diagnostic comes retired of beta.
Have you tried Claude Code?
What astir you? Have you tried Claude Code yet, either wrong an IDE oregon from the terminal? If so, however did it comparison to tools similar OpenAI Codex oregon built-in Code Intelligence features? Do you similar AI coding assistants embedded straight successful your editor, oregon bash you find a command-line workflow much unchangeable and productive? And however bash pricing, reliability, and setup friction origin into whether you'd follow a instrumentality similar this long-term? Let america cognize successful the comments below.
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