How Claude Code differs from chat
Claude Code runs directly in your terminal and can read your project's file tree. Instead of pasting snippets into a chat box, it opens files, searches, edits, and runs commands — with your permission.
Put simply: chat answers questions, while Claude Code does the work on a real codebase.
How it works
You give a request in natural language. Claude Code plans, calls tools (read file, grep, run tests), then applies changes. Each action can ask for confirmation, so you stay in control the whole time.
The Explore → Plan → Code → Commit workflow
- Explore: let Claude read and summarize the relevant parts before touching anything.
- Plan: agree on the approach before writing code — avoids going the wrong direction.
- Code: make the changes per plan, run narrow tests first.
- Commit: confirm, write a clear commit message.
This loop keeps you out of the "fix → break → rewrite" spiral. For a small feature, all four steps can fit into a few minutes.
Next step
Install it, run your first prompt on a real project, then apply the four-step loop to one small change. That's the fastest way to feel the difference.