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Published Feb 28, 2026 • 9 min read
Everything about Anthropic's Claude Code: installation, features, MCP servers, agent teams, hooks, skills, pricing, and how to use it in the terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, and on the desktop.
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Key Takeaways
If you work with code — or want to start — you need to know about Claude Code. This isn't hyperbole: Anthropic's tool is redefining what "programming with AI" means in 2026.
Unlike code assistants that merely complete lines, Claude Code is an autonomous software engineering agent that reads your entire project, understands the architecture, edits multiple files, runs tests, and even deploys. All from the terminal.
This guide covers everything: installation, features, integrations, pricing, and how to use Claude Code to multiply your productivity.
Want to learn how to use AI for programming in practice? Check out our course Claude Code Remote: Program from Your Phone — setup in 2 minutes.
Claude Code is a command-line tool (CLI) from Anthropic that brings the Claude model directly into your development workflow. It works like a senior developer partner that:
The key difference from other code assistants: Claude Code takes action. It doesn't just suggest — it implements.
Claude Code is available in 5 different environments:
| Environment | Status | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal (CLI) | Stable | Experienced developers who live in the terminal |
| VS Code | Stable | Anyone using Visual Studio Code as their main IDE |
| JetBrains | Stable | Users of IntelliJ, WebStorm, PyCharm, etc. |
| Desktop App | Stable | Working with AI in any context (not just code) |
| Claude.ai (Web) | Stable | Quick access without local installation |
# Install
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
# Start in any project
cd my-project
claude
That's it. Claude Code automatically detects your project structure, reads package.json, requirements.txt, Cargo.toml, or any other configuration file and understands the context.
FAQ
The editor integrations turn Claude Code into a side panel with full access to your project. You can select code, request refactors, generate tests — all without leaving your editor.
For those who prefer not to install anything locally, Claude Code is available within the Claude Desktop app and on claude.ai. The web version is ideal for quickly getting started.
Claude Code doesn't edit one file at a time. It understands relationships between files — if you ask it to add a new API route, it creates the endpoint, updates the database schema, adds validation, writes tests, and updates documentation. All in a single interaction.
MCP is the protocol that lets Claude Code connect to external tools:
Example: with the Sentry MCP server configured, you can ask "what are the most frequent errors in production?" and Claude Code queries your actual data.
One of the most powerful features: Claude Code can create teams of sub-agents that work in parallel. Each agent receives a specific task and operates autonomously.
Practical example:
"Refactor the authentication system:
one agent handles the backend,
another handles the frontend,
another handles tests"
Claude Code distributes the tasks, the agents work simultaneously, and the results are integrated automatically.
Hooks are commands that execute automatically in response to events. There are 14 event types available:
PreToolUse / PostToolUse — before and after using a toolStop — when the agent stopsExample: configuring a hook that automatically runs eslint --fix every time Claude Code edits a JavaScript file.
Skills are .md files that teach Claude Code how to perform specific tasks in your project. They work like "permanent memory" for patterns and conventions.
Skill examples:
The CLAUDE.md file in your project root acts as an "instruction manual" for Claude Code. It reads this file automatically and follows the conventions defined there.
# CLAUDE.md
- Use TypeScript with strict mode
- Tests with Vitest
- CSS with Tailwind v4
- Commits in English
- Always run `pnpm lint` before committing
With Remote Control, you can control Claude Code sessions from any device — phone, tablet, or another computer. Ideal for:
Learn how to set it up in our course Claude Code Remote: Program from Your Phone.
Claude Code uses Anthropic's most advanced models:
| Model | ID | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.6 | claude-opus-4-6 | Complex tasks, architecture, deep debugging |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | claude-sonnet-4-6 | Balance of speed and quality |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | claude-haiku-4-5 | Quick tasks, simple lookups, low-cost |
The Max plan gives you access to Opus 4.6 — Anthropic's most capable model — with unlimited usage.
| Plan | Price | Main Model | Agent Teams | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $20/month | Sonnet 4.6 | Limited | Generous usage for most developers |
| Max 5x | $100/month | Opus 4.6 | Unlimited | 5x Pro usage |
| Max 20x | $200/month | Opus 4.6 | Unlimited | 20x Pro usage |
| Enterprise | Contact us | Opus 4.6 | Unlimited | API keys, SSO, admin control |
For most Brazilian developers, the Pro plan is more than enough to get started. If you work 8+ hours a day with code, Max pays for itself on the first day of extra productivity.
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
claude login
Opens the browser for login with your Anthropic/Claude account.
cd ~/my-project
claude
Command examples:
# Understand the project
"Explain this project's architecture"
# Fix a bug
"The authentication test is failing. Fix it."
# Create a feature
"Add pagination to the product listing"
# Refactor
"Refactor the payments module to use the Strategy pattern"
# Deploy
"Build and commit with a descriptive message"
Claude Code can integrate with CI/CD to automatically review PRs, suggest improvements, and even fix issues detected in pipelines.
Configure it to receive notifications when Claude Code completes long tasks or needs approval.
With the Chrome MCP server, Claude Code can:
| Feature | Claude Code | GitHub Copilot | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-file editing | Yes (unlimited) | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Agent Teams | Yes | No | No | No |
| MCP Servers | 100+ | No | Partial | No |
| Native terminal | Yes | No | Partial | No |
| Custom hooks | Yes | No | No | No |
| Skills/memory | Yes (CLAUDE.md) | No | .cursorrules | No |
| Opus 4.6 model | Yes | No | No | No |
Claude Code's main advantage is extensibility: MCP servers, hooks, and skills let you adapt the tool exactly to your workflow.
The more context you give Claude Code about your project, the better the results. Include:
If you frequently do the same thing (deploying, creating components, setting up tests), create a skill that teaches Claude Code to do it exactly the way you want.
For features that touch frontend, backend, and tests, create an agent team. Parallelization drastically reduces development time.
Connect Claude Code to the tools you already use: databases, Sentry for errors, GitHub for PRs, Slack for notifications.
Before implementing complex features, use /plan mode so Claude Code analyzes the codebase and proposes an approach. You review and approve before any code is written.
The job market in 2026 is splitting into two groups:
Claude Code doesn't replace programmers. But programmers who use Claude Code are replacing those who don't.
If you want to position yourself in group 1, start now:
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Claude Code is the most complete AI programming tool available in February 2026. The combination of autonomous agents, MCP servers, parallel teams, and extensibility via skills creates an experience no competitor offers.
Whether you're a junior developer, senior engineer, or tech lead — integrating Claude Code into your workflow will change how you program. And the sooner you start, the more competitive edge you'll have.
The future of programming is with AI. And that future is already here.