Claude Code Crash Course

The first time you look at Claude Code closely, it can feel like a box full of parts that all seem important, but not obviously related. You see CLAUDE.md . Then rules. Then skills. Then hooks. Then subagents. Then MCP servers. Then… the list goes on. Then context management, planning before coding, verifying outputs, and avoiding letting the session turn into a mess. At first glance, it is easy to think: why are there so many pieces just to get an AI coding workflow working well? But after spending some time with these concepts, I think the answer is actually pretty simple. Claude Code is not one thing. It is a small operating system for AI-assisted development. And like any good system, different parts exist for different jobs. Start here. Claude Code needs memory, structure, and reach A good mental model is this: CLAUDE.md and rules shape behaviour. Skills package reusable know-how. Hooks enforce automatic actions. Subagents isolate work. MCP servers connect Claude to the outside wo