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Claude Code: It's Not a Tool, It's an Intern

#ai #coding #softwareengineering #tooling

If you've been following me for a while, you've probably noticed that my programming tools keep changing.

From Trae to Gemini to AI Studio, I've tried many AI coding tools, sampling them like an ancient herbalist tasting herbs.

But for the past month, I've almost exclusively used one tool: Claude Code.

Friends often ask me: "Gudong, what exactly is Claude Code? How is it different from Trae or Cursor? Can non-programmers use it?"

Honestly, it's hard to explain in one sentence.

Today, from a software engineer's perspective, I want to skip the complex installation and purchasing tutorials and simply discuss: what kind of creature this is, and why I think it changes the game.

(Note: While this is a technical topic, I'll try to keep it accessible. Even if you don't code at all, you can still follow along—because what it can do goes far beyond writing code.)

1. What is Claude Code?

First, don't be fooled by the name. Despite the "Code" in its name, it's not just a coding tool.

It's an "AI intern" living in your command line.

Think of it this way:

  • Traditional AI (ChatGPT, etc.): Like a consultant. You ask questions, it gives advice. But you still have to do the actual work (copy-paste, modify files, run commands). It has no hands.
  • Claude Code: Like an intern. You give it permissions, and it actually does the work.

You can directly tell it: "Compress all images in this folder," "Analyze this project's code structure," or "Read this Excel spreadsheet and calculate the total."

It will directly manipulate files and run commands on your computer, then hand you the results.

It doesn't just "talk"—it actually "does things."

2. Why is it different?

You might ask: "Trae and Cursor can write code too. What's the difference?"

The difference lies in interaction method and permissions.

Traditional tools (VS Code, Cursor) have graphical interfaces. You need to click buttons, open files.

But Claude Code is a command-line tool (CLI). No fancy interface—just a terminal window.

Something magical happens here: because it's a command-line tool, it naturally has "god-level access" to your operating system.

  • It can call git to commit code.
  • It can call node to run scripts.
  • It can access files anywhere on your computer at any time.

This gives it tremendous freedom. It's no longer trapped in a software window—it directly takes over your operating system.

3. How does it "remember" things?

Anyone who has used AI knows its biggest weakness: forgetfulness. Context gets lost as conversations grow.

Claude Code has a clever approach: documentation-first.

When you start a project, running init makes it scan the entire project and write everything—what the project does, what technologies it uses, its structure—into a file called claude.md.

It's like writing an "employee handbook" for your AI intern.

Before it starts working, it reads this handbook. No matter when you return, it can immediately pick up where it left off, never losing context.

4. A Programmer's Dream: Cross-Project Operations

This is my favorite feature.

I'm currently developing both the Android and PC versions of inBox Notes—two completely separate project folders.
With traditional tools, I'd need two windows. Not only don't they communicate, but I'd have to act as the messenger.

But in Claude Code, I can tell it:

"Read the Android project's logic, and based on that, write a sync feature for the PC version."

Because it runs in the command line, it can cross folder boundaries and read information from another project.

I can even have 6 command-line windows open simultaneously:

  • Window A: Writing PC code
  • Window B: Writing product documentation
  • Window C: Analyzing old Android logic

This is true multi-threaded work.

Once you get started, you might only wish you had three heads and six arms to interact with multiple AIs at once.

5. Powerful for Everyone: Not Just for Code

Here's the important part. If you're not a programmer, is this useful to you?

Absolutely.

Claude Code's core logic is: "Give me a folder, I'll give you a world."

You can create an empty folder on your desktop, throw in whatever you want to process:

  • Throw in bill screenshots → Tell it: "Analyze this month's expenses, make a spreadsheet."
  • Throw in meeting notes → Tell it: "Organize into a weekly report, arranged by timeline."
  • Throw in materials → Tell it: "Help me plan my annual goals, generate monthly folders."

It acts like an all-purpose secretary, helping you manipulate files, organize data, and generate charts.

That's why I say it's not just a coding tool—it's a productivity tool.

6. The Hardest but Most Powerful: Skills

Finally, let's talk about Claude Code's killer feature—Skills (technically MCP, or Model Context Protocol, but let's skip the jargon).

Simply put, skills are just "shortcuts" that encapsulate things you repeatedly do.

Here's my example:
I often need AI to explain obscure technical concepts. But every time, I have to say: "Please explain simply, use real-life examples, don't get too academic..."

Too tedious.

So I created an "explain skill."

Now when I say explain 智能体 (AI agent), it automatically triggers my preset workflow:

  1. Act as a science communicator.
  2. Explain in plain language.
  3. Must include a real-life example.

That's a skill.

Similarly, you can create an "upload skill" (automatically upload images to a server), or a "translation skill" (automatically translate documents into bilingual format).

Anything you repeatedly do can become "muscle memory" for Claude Code.

For space reasons, I won't cover how to create skills in detail here. If you're interested, just search "Claude Skills" and you'll find many tutorials.

In Closing

After using it for a month, I've found my workflow completely transformed.

I used to spend 100% of my time writing code.

Now, I spend half my time coding, and the other half directing it to write documentation, do research, and organize materials.

If you want to try it, the barrier is actually quite low:

  1. Install Claude Code.
  2. Create an empty folder.
  3. Tell it: "I want to make [your idea]."

Whether it's building an app or making a PPT, as long as you take that first step, it will accompany you on the rest of the journey.

Related Reading:

By Gudong, indie hacker building inBox Notes.

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