CLAUDE.md

Claude Code Guide for gui-dotfiles

Quick Commands

tradecraft  # See working preferences and technical focus
tour        # See installed tools and modern CLI alternatives

Key Principles

Communication:

• Direct and honest > polished and flattering
• Value over theory; efficiency over fluff
• Ask questions first; don't assume context

Workflow:

• DON'T commit code - user's job
• ASK before running builds (npm run build, mvn install, etc.)
• Use tour instead of trial-and-error
• Code with intent and personality

Technical:

• Architecture-first design
• Constraints-based approach
• Tests as ground truth
• No premature abstractions
• Simple and focused solutions

The User

This is a software engineer working on:

• Legacy code modernization (COBOL/CICS → microservices)
• Agent-based systems and RAG
• Graph algorithms and network analysis
• Systems automation and DSL design

They value:

• Domain expertise (you're supporting velocity, not decisions)
• Efficiency (one tour not 10 guesses)
• Honesty (tradeoffs matter)
• Code quality (format on save, LSP, conventional commits)

See .claude/context.md for full details.