Chapter 02
Guide Documentation
title: "Guide Documentation" description: "Index of all core documentation files for mastering Claude Code" tags: [guide, reference]
Guide Documentation
Core documentation for mastering Claude Code, organized by topic.
Getting Started
| File | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| learning-path/ | Structured 7-module learning path for beginners: Installation, Core Loop, Memory, Agents, Skills, Hooks, Advanced Patterns | 8-11 hours |
| learning-path/01-installation.md | Module 01: Install Claude Code and verify it works | 15 min |
| learning-path/02-core-loop.md | Module 02: Understand the interaction loop and context | 45 min |
| learning-path/03-memory.md | Module 03: Create CLAUDE.md and configure memory | 1 hour |
| learning-path/04-agents.md | Module 04: Create specialized agents | 1.5 hours |
| learning-path/05-skills.md | Module 05: Build reusable skills | 1.5 hours |
| learning-path/06-hooks.md | Module 06: Create automation hooks | 1 hour |
| learning-path/07-advanced.md | Module 07: Multi-agent orchestration | 2-3 hours |
Core Reference
| File | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| ultimate-guide.md | Complete reference covering all Claude Code features | ~3 hours |
| cheatsheet.md | 1-page printable quick reference | 5 min |
| core/architecture.md | How Claude Code works internally (master loop, tools, context) | 25 min |
| core/tools-reference.md | Complete tools reference: all 40 built-in tools, permission rule formats, per-tool behaviors (Bash timeouts, Edit read-before-edit, Glob cap, WebFetch lossy), and how-to for Monitor, Workflow, agent teams, Cron, Tasks API | 20 min |
| core/hooks-events-reference.md | Complete hooks reference: all 30 hook events, matcher fields, input schemas, decision control formats, and timeout defaults, with copy-paste JSON examples | 15 min |
| core/methodologies.md | 15 development methodologies reference (TDD, SDD, BDD, etc.) | 20 min |
| core/visual-reference.md | Visual cheatsheet — ASCII diagrams for key concepts | 5 min |
| core/claude-code-releases.md | Official release history (condensed) | 10 min |
| core/known-issues.md | Critical bugs tracker: security issues, token consumption, verified community reports | 15 min |
| core/context-engineering.md | Context Engineering: token budget, modular architecture, team assembly, ACE pipeline, quality measurement | 25 min |
| core/memory-systems.md | Memory Systems: native stack (CLAUDE.md, Auto Memory, Auto Dream), cross-session tools (claude-mem, agentmemory, ICM), team sharing, multi-agent patterns, architecture, risks, decision flowchart | 30 min |
| core/glossary.md | Glossary: official Claude Code terminology (31 terms, paragraph format, with links to guide sections) | 5 min |
| core/community-patterns.md | Community Patterns: ~130 community-coined patterns, workflow terms, AI engineering concepts, and quick-reference definitions | 10 min |
| diagrams/ | Visual Diagrams Series: 41 Mermaid interactive diagrams for model selection, agent lifecycle, security, multi-agent patterns | 15 min |
Visual Diagrams
48 interactive Mermaid diagrams across 12 thematic files, with GitHub-native Mermaid rendering and an ASCII fallback for every diagram. See diagrams/ for the full navigation index and use-case guides.
| File | Diagrams | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| diagrams/01-foundations.md | 4 | 4-layer model, workflow pipeline, decision tree, permission modes |
| diagrams/02-context-and-sessions.md | 4 | Context zones, memory hierarchy, session teleportation, fresh context |
| diagrams/03-configuration-system.md | 4 | Config precedence, skills vs commands vs agents, agent lifecycle, hooks |
| diagrams/04-architecture-internals.md | 4 | Master loop, tool categories, system prompt assembly, sub-agent isolation |
| diagrams/05-mcp-ecosystem.md | 4 | MCP ecosystem map, MCP architecture, rug pull attack, config hierarchy |
| diagrams/06-development-workflows.md | 5 | TDD cycle, spec-first pipeline, plan-driven, iterative refinement, AI fluency paths |
| diagrams/07-multi-agent-patterns.md | 5 | Agent topologies, worktrees, dual-instance, horizontal scaling, decision matrix |
| diagrams/08-security-and-production.md | 4 | 3-layer defense, sandbox decision, verification paradox, CI/CD pipeline |
| diagrams/09-cost-and-optimization.md | 4 | Model selection, cost optimization, subscription tiers, token reduction |
| diagrams/10-adoption-and-learning.md | 3 | Onboarding paths, UVAL protocol, trust calibration |
| diagrams/11-context-engineering.md | 4 | 3-layer context system, adherence degradation, modular architecture, rule placement |
| diagrams/12-enterprise-governance.md | 3 | Governance risk tiers, MCP approval workflow, data classification |
Security
| File | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| security/security-hardening.md | Security threats, MCP vetting, injection defense | 25 min |
| security/sandbox-isolation.md | Docker Sandboxes, cloud alternatives, safe autonomy workflows | 10 min |
| security/sandbox-native.md | Native Claude Code sandbox: configuration and security model | 10 min |
| security/production-safety.md | Production safety: guardrails, review gates, rollback strategies | 15 min |
| security/data-privacy.md | Data retention and privacy guide | 10 min |
| security/enterprise-governance.md | Org-level governance: usage charters, MCP approval workflow, guardrail tiers (Starter/Standard/Strict/Regulated), compliance | 25 min |
Ecosystem
| File | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| ecosystem/ai-ecosystem.md | Complementary AI tools (Perplexity, Gemini, Kimi, NotebookLM, TTS) | 30 min |
| ecosystem/agentic-tools.md | Agent tools comparison: Hermes Agent, Codex CLI, Aider, Devin, SWE-agent, CrewAI, LangGraph, AutoGen, decision framework | 20 min |
| ecosystem/mcp-servers-ecosystem.md | Community MCP servers: 8 validated servers (Playwright, Semgrep, Kubernetes, etc.) with production configs | 25 min |
| ecosystem/third-party-tools.md | Community tools: GUIs, TUIs, config managers, token trackers, alternative UIs | 15 min |
| ecosystem/context-engineering-tools.md | Context & token optimization: output compression (RTK, Headroom), prompt compression (LLMLingua), AI gateways (Edgee, Portkey), RAG, LLMOps | 20 min |
| ecosystem/remarkable-ai.md | Remarkable AI usage patterns and power-user techniques | 10 min |
| ecosystem/practitioner-insights.md | Practitioner field reports: 65 paraphrased insights from IFTTD, Devoxx, Dev With AI Meetup, ByteByteGo, and Stanford Online, organized by theme (context engineering, agentic patterns, LLM evaluation, agent security, DevX and adoption) | 20 min |
| ecosystem/team-knowledge-base.md | Team knowledge infrastructure: 3-tier framework (static Markdown vault, MCP connectors for live systems, RAG at scale), RAG threshold (~100-1000 docs), Atlassian/Notion/GitBook MCP, Onyx/LlamaCloud/Ragie, plugin distribution, Code+Cowork bridge | 18 min |
Roles & Adoption
| File | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| roles/ai-roles.md | AI roles mapping: when to use Claude Code vs Claude Desktop vs API | 10 min |
| roles/adoption-approaches.md | Implementation strategies for teams | 15 min |
| roles/learning-with-ai.md | Guide for juniors on using AI without losing skills | 15 min |
| roles/agent-evaluation.md | Agent quality metrics: Measuring custom agent effectiveness with hooks, tests, and feedback loops | 20 min |
Operations
| File | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| ops/devops-sre.md | FIRE framework for infrastructure diagnosis and incident response | 30 min |
| ops/observability.md | Session monitoring and cost tracking | 15 min |
| ops/api-gateway.md | API Gateway: centralize cost control, budget enforcement, model allowlists, and usage tracking with LiteLLM Gateway or Portkey | 15 min |
| ops/ai-traceability.md | AI attribution, disclosure policies, git-ai, compliance | 20 min |
| ops/team-metrics.md | Team metrics for AI-augmented engineering: DORA, SPACE, DX Core 4, AI-specific signals, by team size (5–25 people) | 20 min |
| ops/ai-unit-economics.md | AI unit economics: per-task cost decomposition, real cost levers (routing, sub-agent isolation, exit criteria), autonomous agent break-even point, team budget governance | 15 min |
Workflows
Hands-on guides for effective development patterns:
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| workflows/tdd-with-claude.md | Test-Driven Development with Claude |
| workflows/spec-first.md | Spec-First Development (SDD) |
| workflows/plan-driven.md | Using /plan mode effectively |
| workflows/iterative-refinement.md | Iterative improvement loops |
| workflows/tts-setup.md | Add text-to-speech narration to Claude Code (18 min) |
| workflows/task-management.md | Multi-session task tracking, TodoWrite migration |
| workflows/agent-teams.md | Orchestrating multi-agent teams for complex tasks |
| workflows/agent-teams-quick-start.md | Quick start guide for agent team patterns |
| workflows/agentic-software-factories.md | Orientation map: from a single session to a software factory, and when a closed platform actually wins |
| workflows/dynamic-workflows.md | JavaScript-orchestrated multi-agent pipelines: deterministic control flow, parallel fan-out, automatic resume |
| workflows/dual-instance-planning.md | Dual-instance planning: Opus plans, Sonnet executes |
| workflows/event-driven-agents.md | Event-driven agent coordination patterns |
| workflows/github-actions.md | Step-by-step claude-code-action setup: PR review on mention, automatic review on push, issue triage |
| workflows/support-csm-agent.md | Internal support/CSM agent: ticket triage, DB diagnosis, CRM via MCP |
| workflows/plan-pipeline.md | End-to-end plan pipeline: start, validate, execute |
| workflows/design-to-code.md | Convert Figma/wireframes to working code |
| workflows/exploration-workflow.md | Systematically explore unfamiliar codebases |
| workflows/pdf-generation.md | Generate professional PDFs with Quarto/Typst |
| workflows/search-tools-mastery.md | Master rg, grepai, Serena, ast-grep combined workflows |
| workflows/skeleton-projects.md | Use battle-tested repos as scaffolding for new projects |
| workflows/talk-pipeline.md | 6-stage talk preparation: raw material to slides |
| workflows/team-ai-instructions.md | Scale CLAUDE.md across multi-developer teams |
Cowork Documentation
For knowledge workers using Claude Cowork (agentic desktop):
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Cowork Hub | Complete Cowork documentation |
| Getting Started | Setup and first workflow |
| Capabilities | What Cowork can/cannot do |
| Security Guide | Safe usage practices |
| Prompt Library | 50+ ready-to-use prompts |
| Cheatsheet | 1-page quick reference |
Recommended Reading Order
- New users: Start with Quick Start section in
ultimate-guide.md - Daily reference: Print
cheatsheet.md - Team leads: Read
roles/adoption-approaches.mdfor rollout strategies - Security focus:
security/security-hardening.mdthensecurity/sandbox-isolation.md - Deep architecture:
core/architecture.mdthendiagrams/
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