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claude-ecosystem

Claude Code ecosystem expertise. Modules: CLI tool (setup, slash commands, MCP servers, hooks, plugins, CI/CD), extensibility (agents, skills, output styles creation), CLAUDE.md (project instructions, optimization). Actions: configure, troubleshoot, create, deploy, integrate, optimize Claude Code. Keywords: Claude Code, Anthropic, CLI tool, slash command, MCP server, Agent Skill, hook, plugin, CI/CD, enterprise, CLAUDE.md, agentic coding, agent, skill, output-style, SKILL.md, subagent, Task tool, project instructions, token optimization. Use when: learning Claude Code features, configuring settings, creating skills/agents/hooks, setting up MCP servers, troubleshooting issues, CI/CD integration, initializing or optimizing CLAUDE.md files.

personAuthor: jakexiaohubgithub

Claude Ecosystem

Comprehensive guide for Claude Code CLI tool, extensibility (agents/skills/output styles), and CLAUDE.md architecture.

Module Selection

| Need | Module | Reference | |------|--------|-----------| | Setup/Configuration | CLI | references/getting-started.md, references/configuration.md | | Slash Commands | CLI | references/slash-commands.md | | MCP Servers | CLI | references/mcp-integration.md | | Hooks & Plugins | CLI | references/hooks-and-plugins.md | | Create Agents | Extensibility | references/agent-development.md | | Create Skills | Extensibility | references/skill-development.md | | Output Styles | Extensibility | references/skill-development.md | | Init CLAUDE.md | Architecture | references/initialization-workflow.md | | Optimize CLAUDE.md | Architecture | references/optimization-patterns.md | | Enterprise/CI-CD | CLI | references/enterprise-features.md, references/cicd-integration.md | | Troubleshooting | CLI | references/troubleshooting.md |


Quick Reference

Extension Types

| Type | Invocation | Purpose | Location | |------|------------|---------|----------| | Agents | Task tool | Specialized sub-processes | .claude/agents/ | | Skills | Model-invoked | Domain knowledge | .claude/skills/{name}/ | | Output Styles | /output-style | Modify main agent | .claude/output-styles/ |

Model Selection (Agents)

| Model | Use When | Target Time | |-------|----------|-------------| | haiku | Fast tasks, exploration | < 3s | | sonnet | Balanced, most use cases | < 10s | | opus | Complex reasoning | < 30s |

CLAUDE.md Token Budget

| Complexity | Target Tokens | |-----------|---------------| | Simple | 100-200 | | Medium | 200-400 | | Complex | 400-800 | | Maximum | 1000 |


Extensibility Principles

Core Truths

| Truth | Meaning | |-------|---------| | Expertise Transfer | Make Claude think like expert, not follow steps | | Flow, Not Friction | Produce output, not intermediate work | | Voice Matches Domain | Sound like practitioner, not documentation | | Focused Beats Comprehensive | Constrain ruthlessly |

Decision Heuristics

| Rule | Guidance | |------|----------| | 3-File Rule | 3+ files → agent. Enhances YOUR work → skill. | | Delegation Test | Runs independently? Agent. Guides you? Skill. | | Activation Breadth | Trigger on 80% of relevant requests | | Tool Constraint | Start with 2-3 essential tools |

Activation Keywords

The description field is your activation gate. Include:

  1. Task verbs: create, build, debug, fix, deploy
  2. Problem descriptions: slow, broken, failing
  3. Artifact types: component, API, database
  4. Casual synonyms: "make it faster" → optimize

Common Workflows

Create Agent

---
name: agent-name
description: "Use when [use case]. PROACTIVELY for [triggers].\n\nExamples:\n<example>\nContext: [situation]\nuser: [request]\nassistant: [response]\n</example>"
tools: Grep, Glob, Read, Bash
model: haiku
---

# Agent Name

Mission statement.

## Strategy
[Approach]

## Does NOT Do
- [boundary] (use X instead)

Create Skill

---
name: skill-name
description: "[Core purpose]. [Technologies]. Capabilities: [list].
  Actions: [verbs]. Keywords: [triggers]. Use when: [scenarios]."
allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Glob
---

# Skill Name

## Patterns

### [Pattern Name]
**When you see:** [Observable trigger]
**This indicates:** [Expert insight]
**Therefore:** [Action]
**Watch out:** [Pitfall]

Initialize CLAUDE.md

  1. Analyze codebase (language, framework, structure)
  2. Extract code style, commands, patterns
  3. Generate with template, customize
  4. Validate commands, check token count
  5. Target <400 lines, prefer <250

Detailed: references/initialization-workflow.md

Optimize CLAUDE.md

  1. Evaluate token efficiency
  2. Find redundancy, outdated info
  3. Apply token reduction techniques
  4. Target 40%+ reduction
  5. Verify critical info retained

Detailed: references/optimization-patterns.md


Anti-Patterns

| Pattern | Problem | Fix | |---------|---------|-----| | Kitchen Sink Agent | 10+ tools, handles "everything" | Constrain to 3-5 tools | | Echo Skill | Restates docs without insight | Add expert layer | | Invisible Trigger | Description uses only formal terms | Include user language | | Procedure Manual | Step 1, 2, 3... | Teach patterns, not steps | | Over-Documentation | CLAUDE.md > 400 lines | Document project-specific only |


Quality Signals

Good Signs

  • Frontmatter reads like "when to use" guide
  • First 10 lines provide actionable guidance
  • Expert would nod "yes, that's how I think"
  • Explicit constraints on what it does NOT handle

Warning Signs

  • 50% reference tables or field definitions

  • No mention of "when NOT to use"
  • Generic language for any domain
  • Body exceeds 600 lines

References

CLI Tool

  • references/getting-started.md - Installation, setup, auth
  • references/slash-commands.md - Complete command catalog
  • references/mcp-integration.md - MCP server configuration
  • references/hooks-and-plugins.md - Hook types, plugin structure
  • references/configuration.md - Settings hierarchy
  • references/enterprise-features.md - IAM, SSO, sandboxing
  • references/cicd-integration.md - GitHub Actions, GitLab CI
  • references/ide-integration.md - VS Code, JetBrains
  • references/advanced-features.md - Extended thinking, caching
  • references/troubleshooting.md - Common issues
  • references/api-reference.md - Admin, Messages, Skills APIs
  • references/best-practices.md - Project organization, security
  • references/agent-skills.md - Creating skills via CLI

Extensibility

  • references/agent-development.md - Full YAML structure, system prompts
  • references/skill-development.md - Structure, triggers, hooks

CLAUDE.md

  • references/initialization-workflow.md - Creating new CLAUDE.md
  • references/optimization-patterns.md - Token reduction techniques
  • references/integration-strategies.md - Global config, MCP tools
  • references/output-templates.md - Standard output formats

Related Skills

IMPORTANT: When creating/editing prompts, use prompt-architect skill.

Skill("prompt-architect") → Create/enhance skill/agent prompt content

Documentation:

  • llms.txt: https://context7.com/websites/claude_en_claude-code/llms.txt?tokens=10000
  • Main docs: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code/
  • GitHub: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code