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Germey
Germey

Posted on • Originally published at platform.acedata.cloud

How to Connect AceData Cloud MCP to Your AI Assistant

#ai #devtools #tutorial #api

The hard part of adopting an AI coding agent is rarely the first prompt; it is building a terminal setup you can reuse inside a real repository without mixing credentials, project rules, and task context.

Claude Code CLI with Ace Data Cloud

This guide sets up Claude Code CLI with Ace Data Cloud, then uses it for focused terminal work: explaining code, reviewing a diff, and following repository instructions stored in CLAUDE.md.

What this setup gives you

Claude Code can run interactively in a project directory, execute one task and exit, consume piped input, or continue an earlier conversation. The Ace Data Cloud configuration needs two values:

  • ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN: your API token. Claude Code adds the Bearer prefix when sending it.
  • ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL: https://api.acedata.cloud.

You can define them in your shell profile or isolate them in Claude Code's settings. I prefer the second option on shared development machines because the variables remain scoped to one tool.

1. Install Claude Code

On macOS, Linux, or WSL, use the native installer:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
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Homebrew is also supported:

brew install claude-code
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On Windows, use WinGet:

winget install Claude.ClaudeCode
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Open a fresh terminal and verify the command:

claude --help
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If you see command not found, reopen the terminal and check $PATH before reinstalling.

2. Configure the API safely

Copy your API token from the Ace Data Cloud console. Do not put it in source control, CLAUDE.md, or a command that will remain in shell history.

For a persistent shell-level configuration, add this to ~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, or ~/.bash_profile:

export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN="{token}"
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://api.acedata.cloud"
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Reload the relevant profile:

source ~/.zshrc  # use ~/.bashrc for Bash
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To scope the variables to Claude Code, create or edit ~/.claude/settings.json instead:

{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "{token}",
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://api.acedata.cloud"
  }
}
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In both examples, replace {token} locally. The useful boundary is simple: user-level settings hold credentials; repository files describe the project.

Now enter a repository and start an interactive session:

cd /path/to/your/project
claude
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Begin with a modest request such as: explain the request flow from the HTTP handler to the database. This checks the agent's understanding before you ask it to modify files.

3. Use one-shot commands for bounded work

Interactive mode is useful for exploration, but one-shot commands are easier to audit. Run a query and exit with -p:

claude -p "explain this function"
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Claude Code also accepts piped input. To review only the current diff:

git diff main | claude -p "review these changes"
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Ask for concrete findings—correctness risks, missing tests, or unclear error handling—rather than a vague quality score. Then inspect the response yourself. The pipe narrows the supplied context, but it does not turn the model's judgment into a merge decision.

For ongoing work, claude -c continues the latest conversation in the current directory, while claude -r restores a previous one. In interactive mode, /compact compresses context and /clear starts over. These controls help when an old assumption begins influencing a new task.

4. Add project memory with CLAUDE.md

Create CLAUDE.md in the repository root to store instructions Claude Code should load at startup:

# Project
Django API with a Vue.js frontend.

## Working rules
- Use Python 3.12.
- Follow PEP 8.
- Add unit tests for API behavior changes.
- Do not edit generated migration files by hand.
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Keep this file short and operational. It is not a place for secrets or a full architecture handbook. Commit it only when the instructions should apply to everyone working in the repository.

A practical builder loop

My preferred loop is: enter the repository, ask Claude Code to explain the relevant path, use one bounded prompt to make or review a change, run the project's tests, and inspect git diff before committing. The agent accelerates the middle of the loop; it does not replace the boundaries around it.

The Claude Code Terminal CLI integration guide contains the complete command and environment-variable reference. The setup is intentionally small: two environment variables, one project-memory file, and terminal commands you can inspect as you go.

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