Claude Code for Everyone

Cheat Sheet — The Commands You'll Actually Use

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Print this. Tape it next to your laptop. You only need these.

If you only remember 7 things#

Everything below is here when you need it — but these seven carry ninety percent of a normal day. Learn these and you're already dangerous:

  1. cd FOLDER — go into your project folder (press Tab to auto-complete the name so you never mistype it).
  2. ls — see what's in the folder you're standing in.
  3. claude — start Claude Code, inside your project folder. This is the main event; it does the hard parts.
  4. Describe the outcome, one step at a time — tell Claude what you want, not how to do it, and let it plan before it builds.
  5. "Show me a preview / dry-run first" — before anything gets moved, renamed, or overwritten. Then check it before you say go.
  6. Work on copies — never point an automation at your only copy of real files.
  7. git add -A && git commit -m "message" — make a save point you can return to. When something breaks: git restore ..

That's the whole job: go to a folder → start Claude → describe → preview → verify → save. The tables below are just the details.

Terminal — getting around#

Command What it does
pwd Where am I? (print current folder)
ls List files/folders here
ls -la List everything with details
cd FOLDER Go into a folder (use Tab to auto-complete the name!)
cd .. Go up one level
cd ~ Go home
clear Clear the screen
mkdir NAME Make a new folder
touch NAME Make a new empty file
rm NAME ⚠️ Delete a file (no undo! be careful)
code . Open the current folder in VS Code
open . Open the current folder in Finder (macOS)

Survival keys: Ctrl + C = stop a stuck command · Up arrow = repeat last command · Tab = auto-complete names.

Homebrew — installing software#

Command What it does
brew install NAME Install a command-line tool
brew install --cask NAME Install a graphical app
brew list What have I installed?
brew upgrade Update everything
brew --version Check Homebrew works

uv — Python projects#

Command What it does
uv init NAME Create a new project
uv add PACKAGE Add an ingredient the project needs
uv run FILE.py Run a Python program
uv python install 3.12 Install a Python version

Git — save points#

Command What it does
git init Start watching this folder
git status What's changed?
git add -A Stage all changes for the next save point
git commit -m "message" Make a save point
git restore . ⤺ Undo all changes back to last save point

Safety habit: before a big change → git add -A then git commit -m "before X". If it goes wrong → git restore ..

Claude Code#

Command What it does
claude Start Claude Code (run it inside a project folder)
claude --version Check it's installed
Type /help inside Claude Code See built-in commands
Press Ctrl + C (twice) Exit Claude Code

How to ask well:

  1. Describe the outcome, not the method.
  2. Give context only you know ("the date is after the label 'Effective:'").
  3. Big jobs → one step at a time. Ask it to plan first.
  4. Wrong result → say expected vs. actual, specifically.
  5. Confused → "explain that simply."
  6. Before deleting/overwriting → "show me what you'll change first."

The daily rhythm#

cd ~/work-automation/my-project    # go to your project
claude                             # start Claude Code
# ...describe what you want, step by step...
# ...verify the results in VS Code...
git add -A && git commit -m "done" # save your work

The non-negotiables#

  • ⚠️ rm has no undo. Don't rm anything you can't recreate.
  • 🔒 Work on copies, never your only copy of real files.
  • 🔒 Don't paste sensitive data (client info, passwords, tokens) into any chat.
  • 🔒 Don't connect Claude Code to company SaaS tools without IT approval — download & process locally.
  • 👀 Preview (dry-run) then execute. Spot-check the output.