Conversational Development With Claude Code — Part 5: Full‑Stack Architecture Analysis
TL;DR — Claude Code can compress weeks of architectural discovery into minutes. By combining contextual analysis, safe command execution, and persistent memory, you can understand a full‑stack system end‑to‑end, document it for the future, and bring up a reliable local environment without guesswork or destructive trial‑and‑error.
This part of the series focuses on seeing the whole system, not just touching files.
Why architecture analysis is the real productivity multiplier
Most engineering time is not spent writing code — it is spent understanding it.
Legacy repositories, multi‑client platforms, and fast‑moving products accumulate invisible complexity: undocumented decisions, implicit contracts, and assumptions buried across folders. Claude Code changes this dynamic by acting as an architectural reader — one that can traverse the system, connect components, and explain intent.
But this only works if you treat the analysis as a conversation, not a command.
Seeing the full‑stack picture with Claude Code
With the editor open, the project reveals three top‑level domains:
backendfrontendmobile
Instead of manually inspecting each, you provide Claude Code with structured intent:
- Acknowledge multiple projects inside the repository
- Reference folders explicitly using
@backend,@frontend,@mobile - Ask for a big‑picture architectural explanation: components, relationships, and request flow
Claude Code then explores the repository root, inspects each domain, and synthesizes a coherent system narrative.
This is not autocomplete — it is architectural reading.
What Claude Code detects across the system
Backend
Claude identifies a Python backend built with FastAPI, backed by PostgreSQL. It extracts:
- Data models and their relationships
- Exposed endpoints and responsibilities
- Database interaction patterns
The result is not a list of files, but a mental model of how data flows and where business logic lives.
Frontend
On the frontend, Claude recognizes a Next.js application with:
- Server‑Side Rendering (SSR)
- Server‑Side Generation (SSG)
- Responsive layouts inspired by streaming platforms
- API integration via
fetch - Dynamic routing and navigation
It explains why these choices matter, not just that they exist.
Mobile
For mobile, Claude outlines Android and iOS clients as request initiators:
- Client sends a request
- Backend processes logic
- Database persists or retrieves data
- Response returns through the same path
This end‑to‑end view is where architectural clarity emerges.
Persisting architecture in cloud.md
Once the analysis is complete, the next step is permanence.
Claude Code is instructed to:
Create and save
cloud.mdat the project root as architectural memory.
Before accepting, you review the proposal:
- Does it describe architecture accurately?
- Does it document stacks, folder structure, and relationships?
- Is it readable by humans, not just machines?
Once accepted, cloud.md becomes a persistent cognitive anchor for both the team and future Claude Code sessions.
This is memory engineering, not documentation theater.
Bringing up the backend locally with Docker and Make
Understanding is only useful if the system can run.
Claude Code assists by proposing controlled CLI commands — always requiring explicit user approval.
The flow:
- Verify Docker and Docker Compose versions
- Navigate into
backend - Detect
Makefile - Propose
make start
Each command is explained before execution, maintaining trust and auditability.
Handling Docker daemon failures safely
If make start fails because Docker is not running, Claude Code reacts immediately:
- Start Docker on the system
- Pause briefly to allow initialization
- Run
docker psto verify daemon health - Resume container startup
When logs block the terminal, Claude suggests backgrounding with Ctrl + B, preserving traceability while unblocking progress.
This is operational fluency, not automation chaos.
Validating services, migrations, and data
With containers running, Claude Code helps verify system health:
- Execute database migrations
- Run data seeds (including
seed freshwhen needed) - Test endpoints using
curl
Each response is checked for correctness.
The outcome: a fully operational local backend with test data and validated endpoints.
Command safety and responsibility
Claude Code proposes — you decide.
Before approving any command, best practice is to confirm:
- The command is non‑destructive
- It does not remove critical files
- It aligns with the intended environment state
This review loop preserves safety without sacrificing speed.
Why cloud.md becomes a force multiplier
Persistent architectural memory enables:
- Faster onboarding
- Consistent future prompts
- Safer automation
- Clear architectural evolution
It transforms Claude Code from a session‑based assistant into a long‑term collaborator.
Final thoughts
Architectural understanding is leverage.
Claude Code does not replace engineering judgment — it amplifies it. By combining conversational analysis, safe execution, and persistent memory, you gain clarity, confidence, and control over complex systems.
The future of development belongs to engineers who can see systems, not just write code.
— Written by Cristian Sifuentes
Full‑stack engineer · AI‑assisted systems thinker
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