IDE Integrations, Environments & CI/CD

Claude Code runs in multiple environments beyond the terminal:

VS Code Integration

Native extension for VS Code with inline Claude Code panel
Plugin management support for MCP servers
OAuth users can browse and resume remote sessions from the Sessions dialog
Set CLAUDE_CODE_IDE_SKIP_AUTO_INSTALL=1 to skip auto-install of IDE extensions

JetBrains Integration

Extension available for IntelliJ-based IDEs (WebStorm, PyCharm, etc.)
Integrates Claude Code directly into the IDE workflow

Chrome Extension (`--chrome`)

Enables browser automation and web testing
Claude can interact with web pages, take screenshots, fill forms
Enable with --chrome flag, disable with --no-chrome

Desktop App (Cowork)

Claude Code's capabilities in the Claude desktop app
Give Claude access to a folder, set a task, and let it work
Download at claude.com/download

Claude Code on the Web

Browser-based Claude Code at claude.ai/code
--remote "task" creates a web session from CLI
--teleport resumes a web session in your local terminal

Slack Integration

Claude Code available as a Slack bot for team workflows
Enables code assistance directly in Slack conversations

GitHub Actions CI/CD

Use Claude Code in GitHub Actions workflows for automated code review, PR creation, and issue resolution
Key flags for CI: -p (print mode), --permission-mode acceptEdits, --allowedTools, --max-turns, --max-budget-usd
Authentication via ANTHROPIC_API_KEY secret or cloud provider credentials (Bedrock/Vertex)

GitLab CI/CD

Native integration with GitLab pipelines
Trigger with @claude mentions in issues and MRs
Supports Claude API, AWS Bedrock (OIDC), and Google Vertex AI (WIF)
Claude can create MRs, fix bugs, implement features, and respond to review comments
Example .gitlab-ci.yml configuration available in official docs

Exercise: Set up Claude Code in at least two environments (terminal + VS Code or Chrome). Try --remote to create a web session, then --teleport to resume it locally.

Curriculum Version: 2.1 — February 2026 Model: Claude Opus 4.6 Last Updated: 2026-02-13

Prompt Reuse: Building Efficient Workflows

As you start using Claude Code regularly, you'll notice yourself typing similar prompts repeatedly. This is a common friction point.

Recognize repetition: Track which prompts you reuse across sessions (debugging, refactoring, explaining code)
Community example: Prompttu — a desktop app built entirely with Claude Code to manage reusable prompts
Built-in solution: Claude Code's custom slash commands (covered in Week 9) solve this natively
Takeaway: Identifying workflow friction early helps you build better habits as you progress through the curriculum

Claude Code CLI Authentication Commands (v2.1.41)

Claude Code now includes dedicated auth subcommands for managing your session directly from the terminal:

claude auth login — Authenticate with your Anthropic account
claude auth status — Check your current authentication state
claude auth logout — End your session

These replace the need to manage authentication through the web interface and are especially useful when working across multiple machines or switching accounts.

Autonomous Cowork Workflow: Self-Revising Agents

An emerging community pattern uses Claude's Cowork mode for fully autonomous project execution:

Have Claude write its own autonomous instructions
Execute those instructions with zero human input
Steelman and revise the output iteratively
Achieve complex, clean-running projects in a single shot

Key insight: Letting the agent define its own execution plan (then critique and refine it) produces higher-quality results than hand-writing every instruction
When to use: Complex multi-file projects where the overall architecture matters more than individual line-level decisions
Reference: Community discussion

This pattern complements the agent orchestration and parallel session techniques covered earlier in this week.