Friday, June 12, 2026

Claude Sonnet 4.6 has a 1 million token context window, but long sessions fill it faster than you expect. Learn what triggers the limit, how automatic compaction works, and the exact commands (/clear, /compact, --fork-session) to manage context like a pro.

Stop manually running formatters, linters, and audit scripts after every AI edit. Claude Code hooks wire shell commands directly into the tool-call lifecycle — giving you automatic enforcement, logging, and safety guardrails with zero extra prompting.

Every Claude Code keyboard shortcut, slash command, and @ reference in one place. Includes tables for input navigation, tool interruption, multi-line input, and custom keybinding configuration.

Without explicit scoping, Claude Code in a large monorepo reads tens of thousands of irrelevant files—burning tokens and losing focus. This guide covers --add-dir, .claudeignore, and per-package CLAUDE.md to keep Claude surgical and fast.

MCP turns Claude Code from a file editor into a full developer workspace—query your database, search the web, read Slack, and deploy to Vercel, all from one conversation. Here is exactly how to set it up.

Claude Code can read files, write files, run bash commands, and call APIs. Permission modes determine what requires your approval — and choosing the wrong one can cost you control over your codebase or your time. Here is every mode explained, with real-world recommendations.

Claude Code has two billing paths: a subscription plan (Pro at $20/month, Max at $100–$200/month) or bring-your-own API key with pay-per-token rates. This guide breaks down every option, compares them against Cursor and Copilot, and shows you exactly when each makes sense.

Settings passed on the CLI vanish when the session ends. settings.json makes them permanent. This reference covers every key you can put in .claude/settings.json—from model selection and permission globs to MCP server definitions, PostToolUse hooks, and custom agents—plus a clear project vs. user vs. local split so your team shares the right config.

Three AI coding assistants, three very different philosophies. Claude Code lives in your terminal, Cursor lives in your IDE, and GitHub Copilot lives inside GitHub itself. This guide cuts through the marketing and tells you which one actually fits how you work.

Claude Code's official VS Code extension brings inline diff views, LSP diagnostic integration, and click-to-navigate file references directly into your IDE — no copy-pasting errors, no context switching. Here is the complete beginner-friendly setup guide for 2026.