A hands-on tutorial walks through installing and configuring Claude Code, then using it to build a command-line contact manager in Python from scratch. It covers permission modes (manual, accept edits, plan, auto), writing a CLAUDE.md conventions file, plan-first workflows, reviewing diffs, generating tests with unittest, and committing with Git. A second half demonstrates using Claude Code to explore an unfamiliar codebase, find bugs (a TypeError crash on malformed CSV rows, concurrent write corruption, newline rendering issues, and silent empty-string acceptance), and fix them. Ends with troubleshooting tips and an FAQ on installation, cost, and safety.
Table of contents
PrerequisitesStep 1: Install and Configure Claude CodeStep 2: Build a Python Project From ScratchStep 3: Debug an Existing ProjectTroubleshootingNext Steps for How to Use Claude CodeFrequently Asked QuestionsQuestions this post answers
What are the different permission modes in Claude Code and what does each one do?
Claude Code cycles through four permission modes via Shift+Tab: Manual pauses for approval before every edit, command, or network request; Accept Edits applies edits automatically for review afterward with git diff; Plan researches and proposes changes without editing files; Auto runs actions it judges safe, blocks risky ones, and looks for safer alternatives. Bypass permissions and dontAsk modes are also available via flags or settings. daily.dev surfaces workflow guides like this for developers tuning how much autonomy to give coding agents.
How do I stop Claude Code from crashing when reading a CSV row with missing fields?
Configure csv.DictReader with restval="" instead of its default of None, so missing fields are filled with an empty string rather than None. Without this, calling len() or ljust() on a None value in a table-formatting function raises a TypeError when a CSV row has fewer columns than the header. Developers debugging CSV parsing edge cases can find fixes like this by following python troubleshooting content on daily.dev.
Does Claude Code require Node.js or npm to install?
No, the native installer for Claude Code is a self-contained binary with no Node.js, global npm packages, or version manager required. An older npm-based install path still exists but is no longer the recommended option; the native installer handles auto-updates automatically once installed. daily.dev helps developers weighing setup friction across ai coding tools before adopting one.