# Articles tagged "Claude Code"

Alex Cloudstar, senior full-stack developer (https://alexcloudstar.com/)

11 articles. Claude Code guides: hooks, subagents, skills, plugins, MCP servers and permissions, plus Claude Code vs Cursor and Codex, from daily client use.

- [Claude Agent SDK: What It Is and How to Build Your First Agent (2026)](https://alexcloudstar.com/blog/claude-agent-sdk-guide-2026/): The Claude Agent SDK is Claude Code as a library. What it is, how it differs from the Messages API and the claude CLI, how to install it, a minimal working agent in TypeScript and Python, and how tools, permissions, MCP servers, subagents and hooks work.
- [Claude Code Hooks: Every Event, the Config Format and Five Working Examples](https://alexcloudstar.com/blog/claude-code-hooks-guide-2026/): What Claude Code hooks are, every hook event and when it fires, where to configure them, how exit codes and JSON output work, and five copy-pasteable examples. Checked against the official docs in October 2026.
- [Claude Code Subagents: How They Work and How to Build Your Own (2026)](https://alexcloudstar.com/blog/claude-code-subagents-guide-2026/): What Claude Code subagents are, the built-in ones, how to write a custom subagent file, how Claude delegates and runs them in parallel, and when a skill, hook or MCP server is the better tool.
- [Claude Code vs Codex: Which AI Coding Agent to Pick in 2026](https://alexcloudstar.com/blog/claude-code-vs-codex-2026/): Claude Code and OpenAI Codex are both CLI-first coding agents with IDE and cloud modes. Here is how they compare on models, pricing, permissions, MCP and config files, checked against the official docs of both vendors on October 23, 2026.
- [How to Use Claude Code: A Practical Tutorial From Install to Productive](https://alexcloudstar.com/blog/how-to-use-claude-code-2026/): How to use Claude Code from zero: install it on macOS, Windows or Linux, log in, run your first session, write a CLAUDE.md, learn the slash commands that matter, and avoid the mistakes that waste your usage.
- [Claude Code Status Line: Setup, a Working Script, and the Best Tools](https://alexcloudstar.com/blog/claude-code-status-line-guide-2026/): The Claude Code status line is a bar under the prompt that runs any script you give it. Here is how the statusLine setting works, the JSON your script receives, a short bash script that shows model, context, cost and git, and how statusline-pro, ccstatusline and statusline.sh compare.
- [Claude --dangerously-skip-permissions: What It Does and How to Set Up Permissions Safely](https://alexcloudstar.com/blog/coding-agent-permissions-least-privilege-2026/): What claude --dangerously-skip-permissions actually does, when it is safe to use, and the access ladder and settings.json I would use to keep coding agents useful without handing them your whole machine.
- [Claude Code Skills: How to Write Your Own in 2026 (Practical Guide)](https://alexcloudstar.com/blog/writing-claude-code-skill-developer-guide-2026/): Claude Code skills explained: what they are, which ones to install, and how to write your own. The Claude Code marketplace has plenty of skills. Almost none of them solve your exact problem, because nobody else has your exact workflow. The good news is that writing your own skill is the most underrated AI productivity unlock of the year, and it takes about thirty minutes once you understand the moving parts. Here is the walkthrough I wish existed.
- [Claude Skills vs Cursor Rules vs Copilot Instructions: How Real Teams Set AI Coding Standards in 2026](https://alexcloudstar.com/blog/claude-skills-vs-cursor-rules-vs-copilot-instructions-2026/): Every AI coding tool now reads a config file. CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, copilot-instructions.md, AGENTS.md, GEMINI.md. Most teams have three or four of them, written by different people, contradicting each other, drifting out of sync. Here is what each one actually does, where the meaningful differences are, and the layout that finally stopped my team from arguing about it on Mondays.
- [Claude Code Plugins and Skills Marketplace: Best Plugins, Hooks and Setup (2026)](https://alexcloudstar.com/blog/claude-code-plugin-marketplace-skills-2026/): How Claude Code plugins, skills, MCP servers and hooks fit together, how to install them from a marketplace, which plugins are worth starting with, and how to ship your own. Updated October 2026 against the official docs.
- [Claude Code vs Cursor vs GitHub Copilot: The 2026 Verdict After Daily Use](https://alexcloudstar.com/blog/claude-code-vs-cursor-vs-github-copilot-2026/): Claude Code wins on large multi-file and agentic work. Cursor is the better editor-first daily driver. Copilot is the safe pick for enterprise and JetBrains. Here is the full breakdown, plus where OpenAI Codex fits, updated for October 2026.