Discover before editing
You will identify files, trace behavior and distinguish a tool result from a proposed action. Outputs are illustrations.
Claude Code gathers context, takes tool actions and checks results. Its available tools and permissions differ by configuration. Starting in a directory does not mean every nearby file should be read.
Create a minimal project
Use a new practice folder with this index.html and a copy for comparison:
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Practice course</title>
<h1>Practice course</h1>
<ul id="units"><li>Requests</li><li>Sources</li><li>Revision</li></ul>
<p>Date not set.</p>
</html>
No login, customer data, packages or external service are needed. Open your terminal in that folder and start Claude Code. Inspect directory and permission mode before continuing.
Request a sourced map
Read only index.html in this practice folder.
Explain page purpose, visible content and whether any JavaScript exists.
For each claim, cite the relevant element or line if available.
Do not edit, install, run scripts, access the network or read other folders.
Illustrative output:
Purpose: a static course page.
Content: heading, three units and an unset date.
JavaScript: none in the supplied file.
Interactive controls: none yet.
Compare against the source. A confident description of a backend or registration database would be invented here.
Read tool activity and permission prompts
Inspect which file was actually read. Search, file reading, editing and shell commands serve different purposes. A proposed shell command can execute project code or access a network; read it before approving.
If Claude suggests installing a framework:
Do not install anything. This task is explanation of one static file.
Return to the supplied source and flag unknowns instead of inferring a larger app.
Check the folder after the task. No modification is part of success.
Plan one change without implementing
Propose a minimal plan for a button that hides and shows the units.
Keep the title and unset date visible.
Do not implement yet. List the exact file and behavioral tests.
Expected plan: one file, toggle list visibility, test two clicks and keyboard operation. The lesson ends at a reviewed plan; the daily-workflow chapter executes a change.
Graded practice
Easy: file map
Explain the page. Success: claims match the actual HTML.
Intermediate: unknowns
Ask whether it stores registration. Success: distinguish no evidence from an invented system.
Challenging: permission review
Identify what an offered command would read, write or execute. Success: decline unnecessary effects without abandoning the reading task.
Troubleshooting
Wrong folder: stop before access and reopen in the intended directory.
Too much exploration: name permitted files and expected explanation.
Generated explanation exceeds source: ask for claim-level support.
Source changed unexpectedly: compare with the preserved copy before further work.
Read-only understanding is a deliverable. You do not need an edit to prove the session was useful.