Claude Code Template

A barebones, customizable starter template for Claude Code projects with devcontainer support, custom commands, and comprehensive hook logging for data science analysis.

Quick Start

Option 1: Using VS Code

1. Use this template to create a new repository
2. Install the Remote-Containers extension
3. Open the repository in VS Code
4. Select "Reopen in Container" when prompted (or use Cmd+Shift+P → "Remote-Containers: Reopen in Container")
5. Wait for setup to complete (installs dependencies and configures environment)
6. Open a terminal in VS Code (Ctrl+`` or View → Terminal`)
7. Start Claude Code by running: claude
8. Try the example command: /analyze-project

Option 2: Using Cursor

1. Use this template to create a new repository
2. Open the repository in Cursor
3. Look for the devcontainer notification or use Cmd+Shift+P → "Dev Containers: Reopen in Container"
4. Wait for the container to build and setup to complete
5. Open a terminal in Cursor (Ctrl+`` or View → Terminal`)
6. Start Claude Code by running: claude
7. Try the example command: /analyze-project

Features

DevContainer Ready

• Pre-configured development environment with Node.js 20
• Automatic setup of tools and dependencies
• Consistent environment across team members
• Security-focused with network restrictions

Custom Slash Commands

• /analyze-project - Analyze project structure and provide insights
• Demonstrates YAML frontmatter, bash execution, and argument handling
• Easy to extend with your own commands

Hook Logging & Analytics

• Comprehensive logging of all Claude Code events (PreToolUse, PostToolUse, UserPromptSubmit)
• JSON format for easy data science analysis
• Built-in analysis tools to understand usage patterns
• Temporal analysis and tool usage statistics

Data Science Analysis

Run the analysis script to gain insights:

# Analyze all logged events
python3 scripts/analyze-logs.py

# Filter by specific tool
python3 scripts/analyze-logs.py --tool "edit_file"

# Filter by event type  
python3 scripts/analyze-logs.py --event "PostToolUse"

Starting Claude Code

After your devcontainer is built and running:

1. Open a terminal in your IDE (Ctrl+`` or View → Terminal`)
2. Run the command: claude
3. Wait for Claude Code to initialize (first run may take a moment)
4. Start chatting or use slash commands like /analyze-project

Common Claude Code Commands

• claude - Start interactive session
• claude --help - Show available options
• claude --version - Check version
• /help - Show available slash commands (once in interactive mode)

Project Structure

.claude/
├── commands/           # Custom slash commands
│   └── analyze-project.md
└── settings.json      # Hook configurations

.devcontainer/
├── devcontainer.json  # Container setup
└── post-create.sh     # Environment setup script

scripts/
├── log-hook-event.sh  # Hook logging script
└── analyze-logs.py    # Log analysis tool

logs/                  # Generated logs (gitignored)
├── all-hooks.jsonl    # All events
└── hooks-YYYY-MM-DD.jsonl  # Daily logs

Customization

Adding Custom Commands

1. Create a new .md file in .claude/commands/
2. Use YAML frontmatter for configuration:

---
description: Your command description
argument-hint: [optional-args]
allowed-tools: Bash(command:*), FileRead, etc.
---

Your command content here with $ARGUMENTS support

Modifying Hook Behavior

Edit .claude/settings.json to:

• Change which events are logged
• Add custom hook scripts
• Filter by specific tools or patterns

Analyzing Your Data

The included Python analysis script provides:

• Tool usage statistics
• Temporal patterns (hourly/daily usage)
• Argument pattern analysis
• Summary reports

IDE-Specific Notes

VS Code

• Requires the Remote-Containers extension
• Extensions are pre-configured in devcontainer.json
• Terminal integrates seamlessly with the container

Cursor

• Built-in devcontainer support (no additional extensions needed)
• Claude Code integration works natively within the container
• All logging and analysis tools work the same way
• Use Cmd+Shift+P → "Dev Containers" to access container commands

Security Notes

• Log files are gitignored - they may contain sensitive data
• Use .claude/settings.local.json for sensitive local configurations
• Review custom commands before sharing with team
• DevContainer provides isolation but always use trusted repositories

Learn More

• Claude Code Documentation
• Custom Slash Commands
• Hooks Reference
• DevContainer Guide

Contributing

This template is designed to be forked and customized. Feel free to:

• Add more example commands
• Enhance the logging and analysis tools
• Improve the devcontainer configuration
• Share your customizations with the community

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Happy coding with Claude!