Codebase Learning Plugin for Claude Code

A comprehensive Claude Code plugin designed to help developers learn and understand codebases through specialized AI agents and interactive commands. Whether you're onboarding to a new project, exploring unfamiliar code, or deepening your architectural understanding, this plugin provides structured learning paths and detailed insights.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Quick Start
• Installation
• Commands Reference
• Usage Examples
• Output Formats
• Best Practices
• Troubleshooting
• FAQ
• License

Features

🏗️ Architecture Analysis

• Analyze system architecture and design decisions
• Understand layer separation and module organization
• Visualize component relationships and dependencies
• Learn about architectural patterns in use

🔍 Code Flow Tracing

• Trace feature implementations end-to-end
• Understand execution paths and data flow
• Map function call sequences
• Identify key decision points and logic

🎨 Pattern Detection

• Identify design patterns (Gang of Four)
• Discover architectural patterns
• Analyze coding conventions and best practices
• Learn from pattern implementations

💡 Domain Concept Exploration

• Understand business logic and domain rules
• Learn domain-specific terminology
• Map concepts to code implementations
• Explore entity relationships and workflows

🎯 Interactive Output Formats

Choose your preferred learning style:

• Interactive Documentation: Detailed markdown with diagrams and cross-references
• Guided Exploration: Step-by-step walkthroughs
• Visual Diagrams: Mermaid charts showing structure and relationships
• Structured Notes: Organized summaries for quick reference

Quick Start

1. Install the Plugin

Option A: Install from Marketplace (Recommended)

# Add the marketplace
/plugin marketplace add Jsnnmsc/claude-code-learning-marketplace

# Install the plugin
/plugin install codebase-learning@Jsnn-marketplace

Option B: Install from GitHub

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Jsnnmsc/claude-code-learning-marketplace.git

# Install via Claude Code
cd claude-code-learning-marketplace
claude-code plugin install .

Verify installation:

# In Claude Code
/plugin list
# Should show "codebase-learning"

2. First Learning Session

Start with the interactive learning command:

/learn

Claude will ask you:

1. What to learn? Choose "Architecture & Design Patterns"
2. Scope? Choose "Entire codebase overview"
3. Output format? Choose "Interactive Documentation"

The Architecture Analyzer agent will analyze your codebase and provide a comprehensive overview!

3. View Results

The analysis will be automatically saved to a markdown file in .codebase-analysis/ directory. You can open this file in your editor for better viewing with:

• Formatted markdown
• Rendered diagrams
• Clickable file references
• Easy navigation

4. Explore Different Aspects

# Trace how a feature works
/learn-flow authentication

# Discover design patterns
/learn-patterns

# Understand domain concepts
/learn-concepts order-processing

Installation

Prerequisites

Before installing, ensure you have:

1. Claude Code installed and configured

   • Download from: https://claude.com/claude-code
   • Verify installation: claude-code --version

2. Git (for cloning the repository)

   • Install: https://git-scm.com/downloads
   • Verify: git --version

Install from GitHub

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/Jsnnmsc/claude-code-learning-marketplace.git
   cd claude-code-learning-marketplace

2. Install the plugin

   # Method 1: Using Claude Code CLI
   claude-code plugin install .
   
   # Method 2: Copy to plugins directory
   # Linux/macOS:
   mkdir -p ~/.claude-code/plugins
   cp -r . ~/.claude-code/plugins/codebase-learning
   
   # Windows:
   # Copy to %USERPROFILE%\.claude-code\plugins\codebase-learning

3. Verify installation

   # In Claude Code
   /plugin list
   # Should show "codebase-learning" in the list

4. Enable the plugin (if not auto-enabled)

   /plugin enable codebase-learning

Install from Marketplace

Install directly via Claude Code marketplace:

# Add the marketplace
/plugin marketplace add Jsnnmsc/claude-code-learning-marketplace

# Install the plugin
/plugin install codebase-learning@Jsnn-marketplace

Commands Reference

/learn

Description: Interactive entry point for codebase learning

Usage: /learn

What it does:

• Asks what aspect of the codebase you want to explore
• Guides you to the appropriate specialized command
• Provides personalized learning path recommendations

---

/learn-architecture

Description: Analyze system architecture and design decisions

Usage: /learn-architecture

Best for:

• Understanding overall system structure
• Learning about layer organization
• Discovering architectural patterns
• Mapping component dependencies

Example Output:

• High-level architecture diagrams
• Layer separation analysis
• Component dependency maps
• Design decision explanations

---

/learn-flow [feature-name]

Description: Trace code execution paths for specific features

Usage: /learn-flow <feature-name>

Examples:

• /learn-flow user-login
• /learn-flow data-processing
• /learn-flow api-request

Best for:

• Understanding how features work
• Debugging complex logic
• Learning control flow
• Tracing data transformations

Example Output:

• Entry point identification
• Step-by-step execution trace
• Data flow diagrams
• Sequence diagrams

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/learn-patterns

Description: Identify design patterns and coding conventions

Usage: /learn-patterns

Best for:

• Discovering patterns in use
• Learning best practices
• Understanding code organization
• Identifying refactoring opportunities

Example Output:

• Design pattern catalog
• Architectural pattern analysis
• Coding convention documentation
• Pattern consistency report

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/learn-concepts [concept-name]

Description: Explore domain concepts and business logic

Usage: /learn-concepts <concept-name>

Examples:

• /learn-concepts order-fulfillment
• /learn-concepts user-permissions
• /learn-concepts pricing-rules

Best for:

• Understanding business logic
• Learning domain terminology
• Mapping concepts to code
• Exploring entity relationships

Example Output:

• Business concept explanations
• Domain model diagrams
• Business rules documentation
• Code-to-concept mappings

Usage Examples

Example 1: Learning a New Codebase

You've just joined a project and want to understand its architecture:

/learn-architecture

The plugin will:

1. Ask for your preferred output format
2. Ask what scope to analyze (full system, specific module, etc.)
3. Launch the Architecture Analyzer agent
4. Save the analysis to .codebase-analysis/architecture-[timestamp].md
5. Display the results and provide the file path
6. Suggest related areas to explore

You can then open the markdown file in your editor for better viewing.

Example 2: Understanding a Feature

You need to fix a bug in the authentication system:

/learn-flow authentication

The plugin will:

1. Ask for output format preference
2. Find the authentication entry point
3. Trace the complete execution path
4. Save the flow analysis to .codebase-analysis/flow-authentication-[timestamp].md
5. Display the results and provide the file path

Open the file in your editor to see the complete flow trace with diagrams.

Example 3: Learning Domain Concepts

You're working with a complex business domain:

/learn-concepts payment-processing

The plugin will:

1. Ask for exploration depth (overview/implementation/complete)
2. Ask for output format
3. Analyze the domain concept
4. Save the explanation to .codebase-analysis/concepts-payment-processing-[timestamp].md
5. Display the results and provide the file path

View the file in your editor to understand the business logic and code mapping.

Example 4: Pattern Discovery

You want to understand how the codebase is structured:

/learn-patterns

The plugin will:

1. Ask what patterns to look for (design/architectural/conventions/all)
2. Ask for analysis scope
3. Scan and identify patterns
4. Save the pattern catalog to .codebase-analysis/patterns-[timestamp].md
5. Display the results and provide the file path

Open the file to browse the complete pattern catalog with examples.

Analysis Results Storage

All analysis results are automatically saved to the .codebase-analysis/ directory:

.codebase-analysis/
├── README.md                              # Directory documentation
├── architecture-2025-01-19-14-30.md      # Architecture analyses
├── flow-authentication-2025-01-19-15-00.md  # Flow traces
├── patterns-2025-01-19-16-00.md          # Pattern detections
└── concepts-payment-2025-01-20-10-00.md  # Concept explorations

Benefits of Saved Files

• Better Viewing: Open in your editor for:

  • Syntax highlighting
  • Rendered Mermaid diagrams
  • Clickable file references
  • Proper markdown formatting

• Easy Navigation: Use your editor's:

  • Outline view for quick navigation
  • Search functionality
  • Split view for comparing analyses

• Version Control: Choose to:

  • Keep analyses private (default, in .gitignore)
  • Commit as team documentation
  • Share specific analyses with teammates

Managing Analysis Files

View all analyses:

ls .codebase-analysis/

Search across analyses:

grep -r "authentication" .codebase-analysis/

Open in editor:

# Or simply click the file path provided after analysis
code .codebase-analysis/architecture-*.md

Output Formats

Interactive Documentation

• Comprehensive markdown documents
• Hierarchical structure for easy navigation
• Mermaid diagrams and visualizations
• Code snippets with file references
• Cross-references between sections
• "Deep dive" sections for complex topics

Best for: Thorough understanding, reference documentation, sharing with team

Guided Exploration

• Step-by-step walkthroughs
• Progressive disclosure of complexity
• "Follow along" navigation instructions
• Questions to ponder at each step
• Exercises to reinforce learning
• Multiple exploration paths

Best for: Hands-on learning, onboarding, teaching others

Visual Diagrams

• Architecture diagrams (C4 model style)
• Sequence diagrams for flows
• Class and entity relationship diagrams
• Flowcharts for logic paths
• All diagrams in Mermaid format

Best for: Visual learners, presentations, architectural documentation

Structured Notes

• Concise bullet-point summaries
• Quick reference format
• Key findings highlighted
• File location index
• Pattern catalogs
• Decision logs

Best for: Quick lookups, cheat sheets, summaries

Best Practices

For Learning New Codebases

1. Start with /learn-architecture to get the big picture
2. Use /learn-patterns to understand conventions
3. Trace important features with /learn-flow
4. Dive into domain concepts with /learn-concepts

For Debugging

1. Use /learn-flow to trace the problematic feature
2. Use /learn-concepts to understand related domain logic
3. Use /learn-patterns to identify if patterns are misapplied

For Code Review

1. Use /learn-patterns to check consistency
2. Use /learn-architecture to verify architectural compliance
3. Use /learn-concepts to validate business logic

For Documentation

1. Copy analysis results to create team documentation
2. Use visual diagram output for architecture docs
3. Create concept glossaries with /learn-concepts
4. Build pattern catalogs with /learn-patterns

Common Workflows

Onboarding to New Codebase

# 1. Understand architecture
/learn-architecture

# 2. Discover patterns
/learn-patterns

# 3. Trace key features
/learn-flow user-login
/learn-flow data-processing

# 4. Learn domain concepts
/learn-concepts [main-business-concept]

Debugging a Bug

# 1. Trace the problematic feature
/learn-flow [buggy-feature]

# 2. Understand related domain logic
/learn-concepts [related-concept]

# 3. Check patterns for context
/learn-patterns

Code Review Preparation

# 1. Review architecture
/learn-architecture

# 2. Check pattern consistency
/learn-patterns

# 3. Validate domain logic
/learn-concepts [feature-domain]

Troubleshooting

Plugin not loading

Problem: Plugin doesn't appear in /plugin list

Solutions:

1. Check installation directory:

   ls ~/.claude-code/plugins/codebase-learning

   Should show .claude-plugin/plugin.json and other files

2. Verify plugin.json syntax:

   cat ~/.claude-code/plugins/codebase-learning/.claude-plugin/plugin.json

   Should be valid JSON

3. Reinstall the plugin:

   claude-code plugin install /path/to/plugin

Commands not found

Problem: /learn commands don't work

Solutions:

1. Check plugin is enabled:

   /plugin list
   # Look for "codebase-learning" with "enabled" status

2. Enable if needed:

   /plugin enable codebase-learning

3. Restart Claude Code

Agent not responding

Problem: Agents don't start or don't respond

Solutions:

• Check internet connection
• Verify Claude Code is properly authenticated
• Try the command again
• Check Claude Code has necessary permissions

FAQ

Q: Does this plugin modify my code?

A: No, the plugin is read-only. It only analyzes and documents your code.

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Q: Will it work with any programming language?

A: Yes! The agents are language-agnostic and work with any codebase.

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Q: How long does analysis take?

A: Depends on codebase size. Small projects: 1-2 minutes. Large projects: 5-10 minutes.

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Q: Can I customize the agents?

A: Yes! Agent prompts are in markdown files (agents/*.md) and can be edited to fit your needs.

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Q: Is my code sent to external servers?

A: The plugin uses Claude Code's AI, which sends code snippets to Anthropic's servers for analysis. Review Anthropic's privacy policy for details.

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Q: Can I use this for proprietary codebases?

A: Yes, but review your company's policies regarding AI code analysis tools.

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Q: How accurate is the analysis?

A: Very accurate for understanding structure and patterns. For critical decisions, always verify findings.

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Q: What if I want different output than the predefined formats?

A: You can edit the agent prompts in the agents/ directory to customize the output format and content.

Specialized Agents

The plugin uses four specialized AI agents, each designed for specific learning tasks:

Architecture Analyzer

• Analyzes system architecture at multiple levels
• Identifies architectural patterns and styles
• Maps component dependencies
• Explains design decisions and trade-offs
• Creates architecture diagrams

Code Flow Tracer

• Traces execution paths from entry to exit
• Maps data transformations
• Identifies decision points
• Explains control flow logic
• Creates sequence diagrams

Pattern Detector

• Identifies Gang of Four design patterns
• Discovers architectural patterns
• Analyzes coding conventions
• Assesses pattern consistency
• Creates pattern catalogs

Concept Explainer

• Explains business concepts
• Maps domain to code
• Documents business rules
• Shows entity relationships
• Creates domain models

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Credits

Created for the Claude Code community to make codebase learning more accessible and effective.

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions

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Happy Learning! 📚

Start your codebase learning journey with /learn