Anthropic Claude¶

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Ways to Access Claude¶

There are multiple ways to access Claude:

1. Claude Chat Interface (claude.ai):

Go to: https://claude.ai/
Sign up: Create an account using your email address or with a Google account
Log in: If you already have an account, log in with your credentials

2. Claude Code (VS Code Extension):

Install: Search for "Claude Code" in VS Code Extensions marketplace or visit claude.ai/code
Features: AI pair programming, code generation, debugging, and refactoring directly in VS Code
Authentication: Requires Anthropic API key or Claude Pro subscription

3. Claude Desktop App:

Download: Available for macOS and Windows at claude.ai/download
Features: Native desktop experience with keyboard shortcuts, file handling, and system integration
Model Context Protocol: Built-in MCP support for connecting to local tools and services

4. Anthropic API (for Developers):

Sign Up: Go to https://console.anthropic.com/ to create an account
API Key: Generate an API key from your console dashboard
Documentation: https://docs.anthropic.com/

Treat your API key like a password

Do not share it publicly or commit it to version control platforms (like GitHub).

Model Context Protocol (MCP)¶

The Model Context Protocol is an open standard that enables Claude to interact with external tools and data sources:

What is MCP?

Purpose: Allows Claude to connect to databases, APIs, files, and other tools on your computer
Security: Runs locally with your explicit permission for each connection
Open Standard: Developed by Anthropic and available as open-source

Installing MCP:

For Claude Desktop:
MCP support is built into Claude Desktop
Configure servers in Settings → Developer → Model Context Protocol
Add server configurations in JSON format
Example MCP Configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/allowed/directory"]
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Popular MCP Servers:
Filesystem: Access local files and directories
GitHub: Interact with GitHub repositories
PostgreSQL: Query databases
Slack: Read Slack messages
Google Drive: Access Google Drive files

Learn More: modelcontextprotocol.io

Subscription Plans and Pricing

Claude Free: Access to Claude 3.5 Sonnet with usage limits
Claude Pro ($20/month):
- 5x more usage vs free tier
- Access to Claude 3 Opus and Claude 3.5 Haiku
- Priority access during high-traffic periods
- Early access to new features
Claude Team ($25/user/month, min 5 users):
- Everything in Pro
- Central billing and administration
- Team collaboration features
API Pricing (per million tokens):
- Claude 3.5 Sonnet: $3 input / $15 output
- Claude 3 Opus: $15 input / $75 output
- Claude 3.5 Haiku: $0.25 input / $1.25 output

Using Claude¶

Web Chat Interface (claude.ai):

Prompting: Type your requests or questions into the chat box. Be clear and specific in your prompts
Conversation History: Claude remembers the context of your conversation within the current chat
Projects: Organize chats into projects with custom instructions and shared knowledge
Artifacts: Claude can create and edit code, documents, and diagrams in a dedicated panel
File Uploads: Upload images, PDFs, and text files (up to 5 files, 10MB each)

Claude Code (VS Code Extension):

Installation:
1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + X)
3. Search for "Claude Code"
4. Click Install
Features:
- Inline code completion
- Chat interface within VS Code
- Code explanation and refactoring
- Multi-file context awareness
- Terminal command suggestions

Claude Desktop App:

Installation:
- macOS: Download from claude.ai/download and drag to Applications
- Windows: Download installer and follow setup wizard
Features:
- Native OS integration
- Global keyboard shortcuts
- MCP server connections
- Local file access (with permission)
- Offline viewing of past conversations

Anthropic API:

Quick Start (Python):

from anthropic import Anthropic

client = Anthropic(api_key="your-api-key")

response = client.messages.create(
    model="claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
    max_tokens=1000,
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "Hello, Claude!"}
    ]
)
print(response.content[0].text)

SDKs Available: Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, Go, and community SDKs
Use Cases: Chatbots, content generation, code assistance, data analysis

Tips for Using Claude¶

Be Specific: Provide clear instructions and context in your prompts.
Iterate: Refine your prompts based on Claude's responses to improve the results.
Use System Prompts: For complex or multi-step tasks, consider using system prompts to provide overall instructions to guide Claude's behavior.
Experiment: Try different prompting techniques and model settings to find what works best for your use case.

About Claude¶

Claude is a family of large language models (LLMs) developed by Anthropic, a company focused on AI safety and research. Claude is known for:

Helpful and Honest Responses: Designed with Constitutional AI for safer, more aligned outputs
Advanced Reasoning: Excels at complex analysis, math, and multi-step problem-solving
Strong Coding Abilities: Excellent for software development, debugging, and code review
Large Context Window: Up to 200,000 tokens (approximately 150,000 words or 500 pages)
Vision Capabilities: Can analyze images, charts, diagrams, and screenshots

Claude Model Family¶

Latest Models (January 2025):

Claude 3.5 Sonnet (NEW):
- Most capable model overall
- Best for coding, analysis, and creative tasks
- Model ID: claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022
Claude 3 Opus:
- Previous flagship model
- Still excellent for complex reasoning
- Model ID: claude-3-opus-20240229
Claude 3.5 Haiku:
- Fast and cost-effective
- Great for simple tasks and high-volume applications
- Model ID: claude-3-5-haiku-20241022
Claude 3 Sonnet:
- Balanced performance model
- Good for general use cases
- Model ID: claude-3-sonnet-20240229

Model Selection

Claude 3.5 Sonnet is recommended for most use cases as it offers the best combination of capability, speed, and cost. Use Opus for tasks requiring maximum intelligence, and Haiku for high-volume, simple tasks.

Further Resources¶

Anthropic Website: https://www.anthropic.com/
Claude Documentation: https://docs.anthropic.com/
API Reference: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/api/
Prompt Engineering Guide: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering
Claude Code Documentation: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code
Model Context Protocol: https://modelcontextprotocol.io
Anthropic Cookbook: https://github.com/anthropics/anthropic-cookbook
Community Discord: https://discord.gg/anthropic

Getting Started Recommendations

Start with the free tier at claude.ai to explore Claude's capabilities
For developers, try Claude Code in VS Code for an enhanced coding experience
Install Claude Desktop if you want MCP integration and native OS features
Experiment with different models to find the right balance of capability and cost for your needs