A friend recently complained to me that coding feels like moving bricks - too much repetitive work, and by the end of the day, his brain is fried. I asked him, “Have you tried Claude Code?” He looked puzzled, “What’s that?”

Claude Code is actually an AI programming assistant from Anthropic. But unlike those tools that just autocomplete code, this thing is more like hiring a 24/7 personal butler for your codebase - it not only knows what’s in your house, but can actually get the work done for you.

Why Is It Like Having a Butler? Check Out These Superpowers

Local Execution, No Tool Switching

First off, Claude Code is a command-line tool that runs directly in your terminal. It’s like having a butler who lives in your house - you don’t have to move to accommodate them.

Whatever editor or IDE you normally use, keep using it. No need to install a new IDE, no need to open some specific website. Just chat with it in natural language right in your familiar terminal. It feels like you’ve always had an assistant by your side, ready to answer questions like “Hey, help me figure out what’s wrong with this function,” and it immediately gives you an answer.

A Photographic Memory: 1M Super-Long Context

Most tools look at code like someone with bad eyesight - they can only see clearly what’s right in front of them. But Claude Code is different - it supports up to 200K tokens of context length.

What does this mean? It can read your entire project’s code at once and remember it crystal clear. It’s like asking someone to help organize a room - most people can only remember what’s in the current room, but Claude Code can remember the layout of your entire house, know where everything is, and understand how they relate to each other.

I once took over an old project with years of code and incomplete documentation. I ran Claude Code on it, and in less than a minute, it mapped out the entire project architecture and core logic, and could tell me which code had dependencies. Doing that manually would’ve taken at least two or three days.

MCP Protocol: An Assistant That Knows How to Use Tools

Claude Code supports the MCP (Model Context Protocol), which sounds technical but basically means it can use various tools.

Like a real butler who doesn’t just talk but can also operate a vacuum cleaner, washing machine, and coffee maker, Claude Code can call Git for version control, run tests, execute build commands, and even operate browsers through Playwright and view design files through Figma.

What does this mean? It’s not just an advisor who talks the talk - it’s an assistant who actually walks the walk. When you ask it to fix a bug, it doesn’t just change the code; it also runs tests to see if the fix worked, and can even help you commit code and create a PR.

Autonomous Work Ability: No Need to Babysit

This might be Claude Code’s most impressive feature. It’s not one of those “dumb assistants” that only does what you tell it - it’s a “smart worker” that can plan, execute, and adjust on its own.

There’s a real case from Rakuten Japan: they had Claude Code’s Opus 4 version do a major code refactoring task, and the thing worked for 7 hours straight, constantly writing code, testing, and optimizing, without needing anyone to supervise.

Of course, 7 hours is a bit extreme, but it does prove one point: for tasks with clear goals, Claude Code can handle them independently. Like when you ask a butler to organize the study - they won’t ask you about every single book placement, but will complete it according to common sense and give you a tidy result in the end.

What’s the Real User Experience?

Enough theory - what’s it actually like to use? I chatted with some friends who’ve really used it.

One guy is a power user who says he burns through $160 worth of tokens daily. Sounds scary, but he says it’s worth it because he used to complete 3 features a day and now completes 10. Efficiency more than tripled - however you calculate the ROI, it’s a good deal.

Another friend is even more interesting. He says he’s entered a “vibe coding” state. What does that mean? Instead of typing code line by line, he chats with Claude Code, tells it what he wants to do, and watches it get the work done. He says it feels like going from “construction worker” to “engineer” - no longer getting bogged down in implementation details, but focusing on architecture design and business logic.

Of course, it’s not perfect. Some people report it occasionally “gets dumb,” probably when server load is high and performance drops. Also, while 200K tokens of context is large, it can still be insufficient for super-large projects.

Cost: Not Cheap, But It Depends How You Use It

Speaking of money, this is unavoidable. Claude Code subscription prices come in several tiers:

  • Trial Day Pass: 9.9 yuan, daily budget limit of $5, suitable for trying it out
  • Basic: 159 yuan/month, daily budget of $35
  • Standard: 299 yuan/month, daily budget of $80
  • Professional: 599 yuan/month, daily budget of $200

Seems expensive, but think about it this way: if it can boost your development efficiency by 50%, that’s like having an extra half person. In terms of labor costs, this investment is actually quite worthwhile.

Plus, some domestic platforms (like Galaxy Video Bureau) now offer mirror services that don’t require overseas networks, which is good news for Chinese developers.

Practical Tips: How to Get Maximum Value

Based on heavy users’ experiences, I’ve summarized several usage tips:

1. Use Plan Mode for Complex Tasks

Plan Mode is like having your assistant draft a plan first, which you review before they proceed. This prevents it from randomly making changes that make your code messier. Press Shift+Tab to enter this mode.

2. Iterate in Small Steps, Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

Although Claude Code can handle large tasks, it’s better to break tasks into smaller chunks. Like eating - taking bite-sized pieces is always more comfortable than stuffing your mouth. Small iterations keep it “clear-headed” and less prone to errors.

3. Switch Models Based on Task Difficulty

Use Sonnet for simple tasks, Opus for complex ones. Sonnet is cheap and fast, Opus is expensive but smart. Like ride-sharing - call an economy car for short distances, premium for long distances, choose based on the situation.

4. Avoid Peak Usage Times

Some users have found that when server load is low (like late at night), Claude Code performs noticeably more stable. If your task isn’t urgent, pick a good time.

5. Create a CLAUDE.md File

Create a CLAUDE.md file in your project root directory with project architecture, coding standards, and important notes. This way Claude Code can read this “manual” first every time, making its work more reliable.

Who Should Use It?

Claude Code isn’t a silver bullet, but it definitely fits certain scenarios:

Good fit for:

  • Those who frequently take over new projects and need to quickly understand codebases
  • Doing large refactors requiring cross-file modifications
  • Writing lots of test cases and documentation
  • Pursuing development efficiency and willing to invest in tools

Not ideal for:

  • Beginners (easy to become dependent, not good for learning fundamentals)
  • Highly sensitive projects (security and privacy considerations)
  • Individual developers on tight budgets (subscription fees are high)

How Does It Compare to Other AI Coding Tools?

There are many AI coding tools on the market, like GitHub Copilot and Cursor. Claude Code’s characteristics:

  • “Smarter” than Copilot - can understand entire projects, not just the current file
  • More “independent” than Cursor - no need to switch IDEs
  • More “proactive” than most tools - can plan and execute tasks independently

But it also has disadvantages: command-line interface isn’t beginner-friendly, costs are relatively high, and network environment requirements are strict.

Which tool to choose still depends on your specific needs. If you’re comfortable with command lines and like high automation, Claude Code is a good choice. If you prefer a GUI or just need code completion, other tools might be more suitable.

Final Thoughts

Claude Code is essentially an efficiency lever. Used well, it can double your productivity; used poorly, it’s just an expensive toy.

I think its greatest value isn’t replacing programmers, but freeing programmers from repetitive work to have more time to think about architecture, polish products, and solve truly challenging problems. Like how washing machines didn’t replace people but freed us from hand-washing clothes to do more meaningful things.

The era of AI programming assistants has just begun, and Claude Code is just the start. More similar tools will definitely emerge in the future, more powerful and more affordable. For us developers, instead of resisting this trend, it’s better to learn early how to use these tools well and turn them into our competitive advantage.

After all, tools are just tools - it’s the people using the tools who truly create value.

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