home / skills / brixtonpham / claude-config / 0-claude

0-claude skill

Q: When should I pick an agent vs a skill?

Prefer agents when the extension runs independently across multiple files or needs multiple tools; prefer skills when guiding the user with domain knowledge or single-file patterns.

Q: How do I reduce CLAUDE.md token usage effectively?

Remove redundancy, focus on actionable patterns, compress examples, and prefer short mission statements; target a 40%+ reduction while keeping critical context.

needs review

/skills/0-claude

This skill helps you configure and extend Claude Code with agents, skills, and CLAUDE.md optimization for faster integration.

npx playbooks add skill brixtonpham/claude-config --skill 0-claude

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (20)

SKILL.md

7.3 KB

---
name: claude-ecosystem
description: "Claude Code ecosystem expertise. Modules: CLI tool (setup, slash commands, MCP servers, hooks, plugins, CI/CD), extensibility (agents, skills, output styles creation), CLAUDE.md (project instructions, optimization). Actions: configure, troubleshoot, create, deploy, integrate, optimize Claude Code. Keywords: Claude Code, Anthropic, CLI tool, slash command, MCP server, Agent Skill, hook, plugin, CI/CD, enterprise, CLAUDE.md, agentic coding, agent, skill, output-style, SKILL.md, subagent, Task tool, project instructions, token optimization. Use when: learning Claude Code features, configuring settings, creating skills/agents/hooks, setting up MCP servers, troubleshooting issues, CI/CD integration, initializing or optimizing CLAUDE.md files."
---

# Claude Ecosystem

Comprehensive guide for Claude Code CLI tool, extensibility (agents/skills/output styles), and CLAUDE.md architecture.

## Module Selection

| Need | Module | Reference |
|------|--------|-----------|
| **Setup/Configuration** | CLI | `references/getting-started.md`, `references/configuration.md` |
| **Slash Commands** | CLI | `references/slash-commands.md` |
| **MCP Servers** | CLI | `references/mcp-integration.md` |
| **Hooks & Plugins** | CLI | `references/hooks-and-plugins.md` |
| **Create Agents** | Extensibility | `references/agent-development.md` |
| **Create Skills** | Extensibility | `references/skill-development.md` |
| **Output Styles** | Extensibility | `references/skill-development.md` |
| **Init CLAUDE.md** | Architecture | `references/initialization-workflow.md` |
| **Optimize CLAUDE.md** | Architecture | `references/optimization-patterns.md` |
| **Enterprise/CI-CD** | CLI | `references/enterprise-features.md`, `references/cicd-integration.md` |
| **Troubleshooting** | CLI | `references/troubleshooting.md` |

---

## Quick Reference

### Extension Types

| Type | Invocation | Purpose | Location |
|------|------------|---------|----------|
| **Agents** | Task tool | Specialized sub-processes | `.claude/agents/` |
| **Skills** | Model-invoked | Domain knowledge | `.claude/skills/{name}/` |
| **Output Styles** | `/output-style` | Modify main agent | `.claude/output-styles/` |

### Model Selection (Agents)

| Model | Use When | Target Time |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| `haiku` | Fast tasks, exploration | < 3s |
| `sonnet` | Balanced, most use cases | < 10s |
| `opus` | Complex reasoning | < 30s |

### CLAUDE.md Token Budget

| Complexity | Target Tokens |
|-----------|---------------|
| Simple | 100-200 |
| Medium | 200-400 |
| Complex | 400-800 |
| Maximum | 1000 |

---

## Extensibility Principles

### Core Truths

| Truth | Meaning |
|-------|---------|
| **Expertise Transfer** | Make Claude *think* like expert, not follow steps |
| **Flow, Not Friction** | Produce output, not intermediate work |
| **Voice Matches Domain** | Sound like practitioner, not documentation |
| **Focused Beats Comprehensive** | Constrain ruthlessly |

### Decision Heuristics

| Rule | Guidance |
|------|----------|
| **3-File Rule** | 3+ files → agent. Enhances YOUR work → skill. |
| **Delegation Test** | Runs independently? Agent. Guides you? Skill. |
| **Activation Breadth** | Trigger on 80% of relevant requests |
| **Tool Constraint** | Start with 2-3 essential tools |

### Activation Keywords

**The description field is your activation gate.** Include:
1. Task verbs: create, build, debug, fix, deploy
2. Problem descriptions: slow, broken, failing
3. Artifact types: component, API, database
4. Casual synonyms: "make it faster" → optimize

---

## Common Workflows

### Create Agent

```yaml
---
name: agent-name
description: "Use when [use case]. PROACTIVELY for [triggers].\n\nExamples:\n<example>\nContext: [situation]\nuser: [request]\nassistant: [response]\n</example>"
tools: Grep, Glob, Read, Bash
model: haiku
---

# Agent Name

Mission statement.

## Strategy
[Approach]

## Does NOT Do
- [boundary] (use X instead)
```

### Create Skill

```yaml
---
name: skill-name
description: "[Core purpose]. [Technologies]. Capabilities: [list].
  Actions: [verbs]. Keywords: [triggers]. Use when: [scenarios]."
allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Glob
---

# Skill Name

## Patterns

### [Pattern Name]
**When you see:** [Observable trigger]
**This indicates:** [Expert insight]
**Therefore:** [Action]
**Watch out:** [Pitfall]
```

### Initialize CLAUDE.md

1. Analyze codebase (language, framework, structure)
2. Extract code style, commands, patterns
3. Generate with template, customize
4. Validate commands, check token count
5. Target <400 lines, prefer <250

**Detailed:** `references/initialization-workflow.md`

### Optimize CLAUDE.md

1. Evaluate token efficiency
2. Find redundancy, outdated info
3. Apply token reduction techniques
4. Target 40%+ reduction
5. Verify critical info retained

**Detailed:** `references/optimization-patterns.md`

---

## Anti-Patterns

| Pattern | Problem | Fix |
|---------|---------|-----|
| **Kitchen Sink Agent** | 10+ tools, handles "everything" | Constrain to 3-5 tools |
| **Echo Skill** | Restates docs without insight | Add expert layer |
| **Invisible Trigger** | Description uses only formal terms | Include user language |
| **Procedure Manual** | Step 1, 2, 3... | Teach patterns, not steps |
| **Over-Documentation** | CLAUDE.md > 400 lines | Document project-specific only |

---

## Quality Signals

### Good Signs
- Frontmatter reads like "when to use" guide
- First 10 lines provide actionable guidance
- Expert would nod "yes, that's how I think"
- Explicit constraints on what it does NOT handle

### Warning Signs
- >50% reference tables or field definitions
- No mention of "when NOT to use"
- Generic language for any domain
- Body exceeds 600 lines

---

## References

### CLI Tool
- `references/getting-started.md` - Installation, setup, auth
- `references/slash-commands.md` - Complete command catalog
- `references/mcp-integration.md` - MCP server configuration
- `references/hooks-and-plugins.md` - Hook types, plugin structure
- `references/configuration.md` - Settings hierarchy
- `references/enterprise-features.md` - IAM, SSO, sandboxing
- `references/cicd-integration.md` - GitHub Actions, GitLab CI
- `references/ide-integration.md` - VS Code, JetBrains
- `references/advanced-features.md` - Extended thinking, caching
- `references/troubleshooting.md` - Common issues
- `references/api-reference.md` - Admin, Messages, Skills APIs
- `references/best-practices.md` - Project organization, security
- `references/agent-skills.md` - Creating skills via CLI

### Extensibility
- `references/agent-development.md` - Full YAML structure, system prompts
- `references/skill-development.md` - Structure, triggers, hooks

### CLAUDE.md
- `references/initialization-workflow.md` - Creating new CLAUDE.md
- `references/optimization-patterns.md` - Token reduction techniques
- `references/integration-strategies.md` - Global config, MCP tools
- `references/output-templates.md` - Standard output formats

---

## Related Skills

**IMPORTANT:** When creating/editing prompts, use `prompt-architect` skill.

```
Skill("prompt-architect") → Create/enhance skill/agent prompt content
```

---

**Documentation:**
- llms.txt: https://context7.com/websites/claude_en_claude-code/llms.txt?tokens=10000
- Main docs: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code/
- GitHub: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code

Overview

This skill captures practical expertise for the Claude Code ecosystem, covering the CLI tool, extensibility (agents, skills, output styles), and CLAUDE.md project instructions and optimization. It helps you configure, create, deploy, and troubleshoot Claude Code components with enterprise and CI/CD patterns in mind.

How this skill works

The skill inspects project structure, recommended frontmatter, and activation patterns to decide whether to build an agent, a skill, or an output style. It guides CLI configuration (slash commands, MCP servers, hooks, plugins) and provides concrete templates and heuristics for initializing and optimizing CLAUDE.md files and agent/skill YAML. It also highlights token budgets, model selection, and enterprise integration points.

When to use it

Setting up or configuring the Claude Code CLI, MCP servers, or enterprise features
Creating or deciding between an agent, a skill, or an output style for your project
Initializing a CLAUDE.md file or optimizing an existing one for token efficiency
Integrating Claude Code with CI/CD pipelines or IDEs
Troubleshooting CLI issues, hooks, plugins, or deployment failures

Best practices

Use the 3-file rule: 3+ files → agent, single-file patterns → skill
Write frontmatter that reads like a "when to use" guide and includes activation verbs
Constrain tools to 2–3 essential ones; avoid kitchen-sink agents
Target CLAUDE.md token budgets (simple 100–200, medium 200–400, complex 400–800)
Reduce CLAUDE.md length and aim for focused, practitioner voice over step lists

Example use cases

Create a focused code-review agent that runs grep, read, and a small bash tool for fast diagnostics
Author a domain skill that recognizes specific error messages and returns repair patterns instead of step-by-step procedures
Initialize a CLAUDE.md for a new repo: analyze languages, extract commands, validate token count, and produce a <400-line file
Add MCP server config and CI/CD integration for enterprise deployment with SSO and sandboxing
Optimize an existing CLAUDE.md to cut tokens by 40%+ while preserving critical guidance

FAQ

When should I pick an agent vs a skill?

Prefer agents when the extension runs independently across multiple files or needs multiple tools; prefer skills when guiding the user with domain knowledge or single-file patterns.

How do I reduce CLAUDE.md token usage effectively?

Remove redundancy, focus on actionable patterns, compress examples, and prefer short mission statements; target a 40%+ reduction while keeping critical context.