Code Changes

Best practices for making code changes with Claude Code.

Review Before Approve

Claude always shows proposed changes before execution. Review carefully:

> Add input validation to the form
[Claude shows proposed changes]
[Review the diff]
[Accept or reject]

Accept Modes

Press Shift+Tab to cycle through modes:

• Normal Mode: Confirm each operation
• Accept Edits Mode: Auto-accept file edits
• Plan Mode: Read-only exploration

Safe Editing Workflow

1. Explore first: Understand the code before changing
2. Small changes: Make incremental modifications
3. Test after: Run tests to verify changes
4. Commit often: Save progress with version control

Common Edit Operations

Adding Code

> Add a new function to handle user logout

Modifying Code

> Update the API endpoint to use the new format

Removing Code

> Remove the deprecated login method

Refactoring

> Refactor to use async/await instead of callbacks

Multi-File Changes

Claude can coordinate changes across files:

> Rename the User model to Account and update all references

Handling Errors

If something goes wrong:

> Undo the last change
> That didn't work, try a different approach
> Revert to the previous version

Best Practices

1. Commit before major changes - Easy to revert
2. Review every diff - Catch issues early
3. Test after changes - Verify behavior
4. Use git diff - Review all changes before committing