Hey everyone! I've been hearing a lot of buzz about Claude Code and I've even put in some money to try it out, but I keep running into a wall. Each time I use it, I blow through credits pretty quickly. While it's decent at generating code suggestions, I've found that the end result is a disorganized mess. There are huge components, poorly designed APIs, and a lot of unused functions—it's kind of a nightmare reviewing it later. I'm curious if others who find success with Claude are just unconcerned with code quality or if I'm missing some key practices. If you've got any resources like articles or videos on writing clean code with Claude for medium-sized projects, I would really appreciate it!
5 Answers
The output quality really hinges on how well you write your prompts. Detailed specifications are key! Break down tasks into clear steps and ensure your requests have a narrow focus. This should help you avoid chaotic code in a large project.
You might want to consider using Claude Code’s Pro version to save credits, making it a bit more affordable. If you can swing it, the Max plan could be an even better option for you.
That’s not really what I’m asking about. I’m focused on code quality, not the cost.
First off, take some time to really learn how to navigate Claude Code. Don’t just let it take the lead without understanding what it can do and where it might mess up. Familiarize yourself with its limitations by reading change proposals. You’ll find that if you set too many rules, it can lead to confusion, kind of like trying to cook while driving. It’s best to treat the generated code as a rough draft and definitely rewrite it a few times, just be cautious because over-iteration can lead to more clutter. Approach it as if you’re managing a chaotic but bright kid—you’ll get better results that way!
I appreciate the insight, but I was hoping for more specific examples rather than just general advice.
Can you share how exactly you’re prompting Claude? The prompts can significantly affect the quality of the output. For example, if you say something like: 'I want to add a completed status in `example.vue`, which should check if both `foo` and `bar` have a "completed" value in the API response,' that can change what you get back!
Got it! That makes sense, thanks!
Just to clarify, Claude Code is part of the Pro Plan, so the credit situation shouldn’t be a major concern for you as it sounds like you’ve already been using it quite a bit!
That’s not what my question was about, but thanks anyway!
Awesome, do you have any resources you could recommend for crafting better prompts?