Basics Lesson 5 of 5

Putting It All into Practice

This lesson shows a step-by-step workflow to apply everything you have learned. The goal is to be clear, deliberate, and repeatable.

Workflow for prompting Claude

Define the task clearly

Be concrete. Avoid "fix this bug." Prefer "Fix the NullPointerException in authenticate() when email is empty."

Gather only the necessary context

Use the Essential, Helpful, Noise filter. Start with essentials and add only what improves correctness.

Structure the prompt

Order it as: task description, essential context, helpful context (optional), and constraints or requirements.

Iterative refinement

Start with essentials. If output is incomplete, add only what is missing and ask follow-up questions.

Maintain a project-level CLAUDE.md

Keep shared conventions, patterns, and constraints in one concise file for ongoing work.

CLAUDE.md essentials

For ongoing projects, store common context in a shared CLAUDE.md file. Keep it concise and practical.

Include

  • Naming conventions
  • Stack or tech choices
  • Key patterns or recurring rules
  • Known pitfalls

Avoid

  • Long explanations
  • Irrelevant project history

Outcome of the Basics series

  1. Define tasks precisely
  2. Filter context intentionally
  3. Structure prompts for clarity
  4. Refine answers iteratively
  5. Reuse context effectively across tasks

Key Takeaways

  • Define the task clearly before adding context
  • Start with essentials and add only what is missing
  • Use structure to reduce misinterpretation
  • Keep shared context in a concise CLAUDE.md

Recommended next steps

  • Build reusable prompt templates
  • Automate prompt refinement
  • Integrate these lessons into team workflows

You are ready to apply these basics right away.
Take the quiz to confirm the fundamentals, then move to Practical for advanced techniques.