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How I Actually Use Claude Code: CLI, Desktop, Diffs, and Blog Workflows + Free Guest Passes inside!

15 Jun 2026 (updated: 24 Aug 2026) / 21 minutes to read

Elena Daehnhardt

Generated with DALL-E / ChatGPT. Prompt: Square editorial-style illustration for a blog post about using Claude Code across the terminal, desktop app, and developer workflows. A clean modern workspace blends software development and technical writing: a laptop with a terminal/CLI window, a larger monitor with a generic visual diff review interface, and a friendly glowing AI assistant connecting the tools. Supporting elements include a markdown draft, git branch/commit cues, code snippets, and automation flowing between surfaces. Polished professional magazine style, soft blues, teals, cool greys, with warm orange accents. No brand logos or exact UI replication.


TL;DR:
  • - Claude Code runs across five surfaces (Terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, Desktop, Web) sharing the same CLAUDE.md, MCP connections, and settings — switch surfaces without losing context.
  • - The CLI's `-p` flag makes Claude pipeable: feed it git diffs, log files, or file lists for targeted one-off automation without opening an interactive session.
  • - A CLAUDE.md file in your project root gives Claude standing instructions it reads automatically — no more repeating conventions every session.
  • - For developers, the key leverage points are Plan mode and visual diff review; for bloggers, bulk markdown maintenance and keeping docs in sync with code.
  • - Keep Claude Code on a short leash for anything irreversible: database migrations, auth changes, billing logic, and bulk edits all warrant Plan mode first.

Introduction

I expected Claude Code to be another AI coding assistant with a nicer interface.

You know the type: autocomplete with opinions, a chat window that occasionally suggests a useful function, and a great deal of confidence around edge cases it has not actually tested.

Claude Code feels different because it does not stay politely outside the project. It enters the repo. It reads files, edits code, runs commands, checks errors, creates commits, and shows you the diff. Used without caution, that sounds alarming. Used carefully, it has become one of the most useful workflow tools I have added this year.

The interesting part is not that Claude can write code — we already knew models could do that. The interesting part is where it sits: inside the terminal, the editor, the Desktop app, the git history, and all the small maintenance tasks that normally eat an afternoon.

This post is a practical field note: where I reach for Claude Code first, where I deliberately slow it down, and how I use it both as a developer and as someone maintaining a technical blog.

The Shift: From Prompting to Delegating

The biggest change for me was not learning a new command. It was changing the size of the task I was willing to hand over.

With autocomplete, I ask for a function. With a chat interface, I ask for an explanation. With Claude Code, I can hand over a workflow: “find the broken tests, fix the root cause, update the docs, and show me the diff.”

That does not mean I stop reviewing — quite the opposite. The review becomes more important. But I spend far less time shuffling between files, copying error messages, pasting logs, and re-explaining project context from scratch every session.

What is Claude Code? An Agentic AI Coding Assistant

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Getting Started

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For Developers and Technical Practitioners

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For Content Writers and Bloggers

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CLI or Desktop?

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A Few Practical Things Worth Knowing

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Where I Still Keep Claude Code on a Short Leash

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Guest Passes

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Start with One Small Task

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About Elena

Elena, a PhD in Computer Science, simplifies AI concepts and helps you use machine learning.





Citation
Elena Daehnhardt. (2026) 'How I Actually Use Claude Code: CLI, Desktop, Diffs, and Blog Workflows + Free Guest Passes inside!', daehnhardt.com, 15 June 2026. Available at: https://daehnhardt.com/blog/2026/06/15/claude-code/
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