Week 2 · Track split
Day 04
Claude Code Desktop core
Install, tour, first session — and the daily loop
- Course: Claude Code 101; docs: quickstart + desktop get-started.
- Install/verify the desktop app's Code tab on the training repo; session basics: sidebar, resume, one-topic-per-session habit.
- Permission modes tour:
default/acceptEdits/ plan mode / auto mode — feel the difference on a throwaway change. - Docs: common workflows + best practices.
Exercise
“Explore this codebase and explain how feature X works” — then verify two of its claims by reading the code yourself.
Exercise
Take a bug ticket through the full loop in the Code tab: paste ticket → plan mode → approve plan → implement → watch diff pane, steer with a hunk comment → run tests → PR. Repeat with a second ticket, no help.
- Course: Claude Code in action.
Claude Desktop for planning
Chat, projects, artifacts + Cowork
- Course: Claude 101 deep pass (projects, artifacts, connected tools).
- Set up one Project per training "client"; move all BA/QA work into it.
Exercise
Summarize a messy feature request into a structured brief in the Project; publish the brief as an artifact.
- Course: Introduction to Claude Cowork.
- Workspaces, giving context, task loops; research + document + browser tasks.
Exercise
Run a Cowork research task (e.g. “compare these three auth approaches for our training app, return a decision doc”); edit its output into your own doc.
Skills today
Developer track
- Plan mode: Approve the plan before any code is written — the biggest lever for trusting agentic work on real tickets
How to set up
Already built in — press Shift+Tab in a Claude Code session until the mode indicator shows plan. On Windows terminals where Shift+Tab doesn't work, use Alt+M.
- One-topic-per-session + resume: Clean context, cheap sessions, sharp assistant
How to set up
Already built in — it's a habit, not an install: start a fresh session per topic, and reopen an earlier one with
/resumeinside a session, or runclaude --resumein your terminal to pick from a list.
BA/QA track
- Projects (one per client): All context stays in one place per client
How to set up
- Sign in at claude.ai and click Projects in the left sidebar (or go straight to claude.ai/projects).
- Click + New Project in the upper right and name it after the client.
- Recommended: click Set project instructions and store the client's standing context once — every chat in the project uses it.
- Artifacts for specs/briefs: Requirements become living shareable pages
How to set up
- In claude.ai, open Settings → Capabilities and make sure Cloud code execution and File creation are enabled. On Team/Enterprise plans an admin does this under Organization settings → Capabilities.
- Nothing else to install — ask Claude to write the spec as a document; self-contained output becomes a shareable artifact automatically.
- Cowork workspaces + task loops: Research/document/browser tasks run unattended
How to set up
- Sign in at claude.ai or open the Claude Desktop app.
- Click the message box at the bottom and switch the picker from Chat to Cowork.
- Describe the task (research, document, browser) and send — it runs on its own and reports back. On newer accounts the Chat/Cowork picker is gone: just describe the task; Claude decides whether it's a quick answer or a running task.
Related: Course catalog · Developer track · BA/QA track · Shared fundamentals