Essential Terms: Read This First

Before you dive in, here are 6 terms you’ll see throughout this guide:

Terminal/CLI

• The “black screen with text” - it’s just a way to control your computer by typing instead of clicking

• Think: texting commands to your computer instead of clicking buttons

• On Mac: Applications → Utilities → Terminal (or Cmd+Space, type “terminal”)

Claude Code

• The AI tool this guide teaches you to use

• Runs in your Terminal and can actually create/edit files on your computer

• Different from claude.ai (which just gives you text to copy)

Git/GitHub

• Git = “Track Changes” for your whole project folder (undo button for coding)

• GitHub = Website that stores your code projects (like Dropbox, but for code)

• You’ll use Git to save snapshots of your work

Artifact

• When you ask Claude on claude.ai to create something, the interactive preview that appears

• Example: Ask for a calculator → working calculator appears in the right panel

• These live in the cloud (vs Claude Code which creates real files on your Mac)

npm

• Like an App Store for code building blocks

• Instead of building everything from scratch, you can install pre-made pieces

• Commands like npm install or npm start

API

• How programs talk to each other (like a waiter between you and the kitchen)

• Claude Code uses Anthropic’s APIs behind the scenes

• You sign in with your Claude account; access and limits depend on your plan or org settings

Pro tip: Don’t try to memorize these! Just skim them now, come back when you see them in the guide and think “wait, what was that again?”

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