70 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
70 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
# CLAUDE.md: Give Claude Code Standing Instructions
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Every time you open Claude Code, it starts fresh. It does not remember
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your last session, your preferences, or your project's conventions.
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CLAUDE.md fixes this. It is a plain text file Claude reads automatically
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before doing anything, every single session.
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Companion repo for the article
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[CLAUDE.md: Give Claude Code Standing Instructions](https://fromaitochitta.com/claude-code-claude-md) on From AI to Chitta.
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---
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## What You Will Learn
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By working through the exercises in this repo, you will be able to:
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- Write an effective CLAUDE.md that gives Claude useful context about your project
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- Use the global, project, and subdirectory hierarchy to scope instructions precisely
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- Audit an existing CLAUDE.md and improve it so Claude actually follows it
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These are not theoretical outcomes. Complete the exercises and you will
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have a CLAUDE.md in your own project that saves you time every session.
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## Prerequisites
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- Claude Code installed (`claude --version` prints a version)
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- A project of your own you can practice on (any directory with a few files)
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- Basic comfort with the terminal (cd, ls, opening files)
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No npm install, no Docker, no build step.
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## Exercises
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| # | Exercise | What It Covers |
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|---|----------|---------------|
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| 01 | [Write Your First CLAUDE.md](exercises/01-write-your-first.md) | Create a CLAUDE.md from scratch for a real project |
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| 02 | [Hierarchy in Action](exercises/02-hierarchy-in-action.md) | Global, project, and subdirectory CLAUDE.md files working together |
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| 03 | [Audit and Improve](exercises/03-audit-and-improve.md) | Diagnose a bad CLAUDE.md and rewrite it |
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Start at `exercises/01-write-your-first.md`. Each exercise links to the next.
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## How to Use This Repo
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**"Show me what it does":** Browse `exercises/` and read through
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the prompts. Understand the pattern before you run anything.
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**"Let me actually do it":** Open Claude Code in this directory
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and follow the exercises in order. Each one has an expected output
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section so you know when you have succeeded.
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```bash
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git clone https://git.fromaitochitta.com/fromaitochitta/claude-code-claude-md.git
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cd claude-code-claude-md
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claude
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```
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Then open `exercises/01-write-your-first.md` and paste the prompt into Claude Code.
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## Domain
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**Claude Code Memory and Instructions** - This repo is part of the Claude Code Foundation series on
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From AI to Chitta. See the full series for related concepts.
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## About
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Built by [Kjell Tore Guttormsen](https://fromaitochitta.com) as
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part of the From AI to Chitta project, exploring the intersection
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of AI tools and inner development.
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MIT License.
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