Course
Software Development with Claude Code
BasicSkill Level
Updated 04/2026ClaudeArtificial Intelligence4 hr15 videos43 Exercises3,450 XPStatement of Accomplishment
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Why Claude Code for Real Software Development?
Claude Code brings AI assistance directly into your terminal — but getting reliable results takes more than just asking it to write code. You'll learn the structured workflows that separate productive AI-assisted development from frustrating trial and error, starting with how to explore an unfamiliar codebase and build a mental model fast.How Do I Get Better Results, Consistently?
The explore-plan-code workflow is the foundation. You'll use plan mode and extended thinking to separate exploration from execution, and create CLAUDE.md files that give Claude persistent context about your project so you're not re-explaining the same things every session.How Do I Make Claude Code Work the Way I Do?
Claude Code is general-purpose by default. You'll extend it with custom agents for specialized tasks like code review and security auditing, reusable skills that encode repeatable procedures, and hooks that automatically run tests and linting without you having to ask.How Do I Connect Claude Code to Real Data?
Claude can't query your database without a bridge. You'll configure MCP servers to give Claude direct access to a SQLite database, then use that connection to explore schemas, build validated API endpoints, and write tests against real data — all from the terminal.How Do I Ship AI-Generated Code I Can Trust?
You'll bring everything together by planning and building a complete CLI tool, then applying a seven-item checklist to systematically catch the mistakes AI commonly makes before they reach production. Real workflows, real code, real results.Feels like what you want to learn?
Start Course for FreeWhat you'll learn
- Use Claude Code's CLI and explore-plan-code workflow to systematically navigate unfamiliar codebases and implement features without jumping straight to code generation.
- Create CLAUDE.md files, custom agents, and reusable skills that give Claude persistent project context and encode repeatable team workflows across sessions.
- Explain how PreToolUse and PostToolUse hooks work in Claude Code, and apply shell and Python scripts to automate notifications and logging in a development workflow.
- Connect Claude Code to a SQLite database using an MCP server to explore schemas, build validated Flask API endpoints, and write integration tests against real data.
- Apply a code review workflow using a custom agent to systematically identify common AI mistakes — including hallucinated imports, missing error handling, and unvalidated inputs — before shipping.
Prerequisites
Introduction to AI Agents1
Getting Started with Claude Code
Learn what Claude Code is, how it differs from other AI tools, and see it in action explaining code and finding bugs.
2
Extending Claude Code
Extend Claude Code with custom agents and skills, then apply them to refactor legacy code with confidence and automate checks with hooks.
3
Connecting to External Tools with MCP
Extend Claude Code by connecting it to a database. Build one working endpoint from exploration to testing.
4
Building a Music CLI
Build a complete CLI tool from scratch, combining every major skill from the course — plan mode, MCP database connections, custom agents, and code review.
Software Development with Claude Code
Course Complete
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FAQs
What prior knowledge do I need to take this course?
You need to be comfortable writing Python functions and using basic command line syntax. No prior AI tool experience is required — Introduction to AI Agents is the only listed prerequisite course.
What will I be able to do after completing this course?
You will be able to navigate unfamiliar codebases with Claude Code, create CLAUDE.md files for persistent project context, build custom agents and skills, connect Claude Code to external tools and databases via MCP, and review AI-generated code before it ships.
Why does this course teach an explore-plan-code workflow instead of just prompting Claude directly?
Jumping straight to code generation produces inconsistent results. The explore-plan-code workflow separates exploration and planning from implementation, which reduces mistakes and makes Claude's output more predictable in a real codebase.
How does this course cover MCP servers?
You will learn how MCP servers work as the standard for connecting Claude Code to external tools, databases, and APIs. The course uses a SQLite database as a hands-on example, but the concepts apply to any MCP-compatible service.
How is this course structured?
The course has four chapters across 15 lessons. Chapters 1 through 3 cover the explore-plan-code workflow, custom agents and hooks, and MCP integration. Chapter 4 is a capstone where you plan, build, test, and review a complete CLI tool end-to-end.
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