claude-code-ultimate-guide/cheatsheet-en.md

Claude Code Cheatsheet

1 printable page - Daily essentials

Author: Florian BRUNIAUX | Founding Engineer @Méthode Aristote

Written with: Claude (Anthropic)

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Essential Commands

Command	Action
/help	Contextual help
/clear	Reset conversation
/compact	Free up context
/context	View token usage
/status	Session state
/exit	Quit (or Ctrl+D)

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Shift+Tab	Cycle permission modes
Esc × 2	Rewind (undo)
Ctrl+C	Interrupt
Tab	Autocomplete
Shift+Enter	New line
Ctrl+D	Exit

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File References

@path/to/file.ts    → Reference a file
@agent-name         → Call an agent
!shell-command      → Run shell command

IDE	Shortcut
VS Code	Alt+K
JetBrains	Cmd+Option+K

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Permission Modes

Mode	Editing	Execution
Default	Asks	Asks
Auto-accept	Auto	Asks
Plan Mode	❌	❌

Shift+Tab to switch modes

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Configuration (2 levels)

Level	Location	Scope	Git
Project	.claude/	Team	✅
Personal	~/.claude/	You (all projects)	❌

Priority: Project overrides Personal

File	Where	Usage
CLAUDE.md	Project root	Team instructions
settings.json	.claude/	Team permissions
settings.local.json	.claude/	Your overrides
CLAUDE.md	~/.claude/	Personal instructions

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.claude/ Folder Structure

.claude/
├── CLAUDE.md           # Personal instructions
├── settings.json       # Hooks (committed)
├── settings.local.json # Permissions (not committed)
├── agents/             # Custom agents
├── commands/           # Slash commands
├── hooks/              # Event scripts
├── rules/              # Auto-loaded rules
└── skills/             # Knowledge modules

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Typical Workflow

1. Start session      → claude
2. Check context      → /status
3. Plan Mode          → Shift+Tab × 2 (for complex tasks)
4. Describe task      → Clear, specific prompt
5. Review changes     → Always read the diff!
6. Accept/Reject      → y/n
7. Verify             → Run tests
8. Commit             → When task complete
9. /compact           → When context >70%

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Context Management (CRITICAL)

Statusline

Model: Sonnet | Ctx: 89.5k | Cost: $2.11 | Ctx(u): 56.0%

Watch Ctx(u): → >70% = /compact, >85% = /clear

Actions by Symptom

Sign	Action
Short responses	/compact
Frequent forgetting	/clear
>70% context	/compact
Task complete	/clear

Context Recovery Commands

Command	Usage
/compact	Summarize and free context
/clear	Fresh start
/resume	Resume previous session
/rewind	Undo recent changes

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Plan Mode & Think Levels

Feature	Activation	Usage
Plan Mode	Shift+Tab × 2 or /plan	Explore without modifying
Think	--think flag	Standard analysis (~4K tokens)
Think Hard	--think-hard flag	Deep analysis (~10K tokens)
Ultrathink	--ultrathink flag	Maximum depth (~32K tokens)

Required for: features >3 files, architecture, complex debugging

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MCP Servers

Server	Purpose
Serena	Semantic code navigation
Context7	Library documentation
Sequential	Structured reasoning
Playwright	Browser automation
Postgres	Database queries

Check status: /mcp

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Creating Custom Components

Agent (.claude/agents/my-agent.md)

---
name: my-agent
description: Use when [trigger]
model: sonnet
tools: Read, Write, Edit, Bash
---
# Instructions here

Command (.claude/commands/my-command.md)

# Command Name
Instructions for what to do...
$ARGUMENTS - user provided args

Hook (.claude/hooks/my-hook.sh)

#!/bin/bash
INPUT=$(cat)
# Process JSON input
exit 0  # 0=continue, 2=block

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Anti-patterns

❌ Don't	✅ Do
Vague prompts	Specify file + line
Accept without reading	Read every diff
Ignore warnings	Use /compact
Skip permissions	Never in production
Giant context loads	Load only what's needed
Negative constraints only	Provide alternatives

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Quick Prompting Formula

WHAT: [Concrete deliverable]
WHERE: [File paths]
HOW: [Constraints, approach]
VERIFY: [Success criteria]

Example:

Add input validation to the login form.
WHERE: src/components/LoginForm.tsx
HOW: Use Zod schema, show inline errors
VERIFY: Empty email shows error, invalid format shows error

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Debug Commands

claude --version     # Version
claude doctor        # Diagnostic
claude --debug       # Verbose mode
claude --mcp-debug   # Debug MCPs
/mcp                 # MCP status

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CI/CD Mode (Headless)

# Non-interactive execution
claude -p "analyze this file" src/api.ts

# JSON output
claude -p "review" --output-format json

# Economic model
claude -p "lint" --model haiku

# With auto-accept
claude -p "fix typos" --dangerously-skip-permissions

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The Golden Rules

1. Always review diffs before accepting
2. Use /compact before context gets critical (>70%)
3. Be specific in requests (WHAT, WHERE, HOW, VERIFY)
4. Plan Mode first for complex/risky tasks
5. Create CLAUDE.md for every project
6. Commit frequently after each completed task

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Quick Decision Tree

Simple task       → Just ask Claude
Complex task      → TodoWrite to plan first
Risky change      → Plan Mode first
Repeating task    → Create agent or command
Context full      → /compact or /clear
Need docs         → Use Context7 MCP
Deep analysis     → Use --think or --ultrathink

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Resources

• Official docs: docs.anthropic.com/claude-code
• Inspired by: Claudelog.com - Advanced tips & patterns
• Full guide: english-ultimate-claude-code-guide.md
• Project config: CLAUDE.md at project root

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Author: Florian BRUNIAUX | @Méthode Aristote | Written with Claude

Last updated: January 2025 | Version 1.0