Michael Limberger

Once the basics feel like a habit

Slash commands start with /. /help lists them. /context checks usage. /compact compresses history. /clear wipes history. /init generates CLAUDE.md. /permissions views tool permissions.

Custom commands are markdown files. Global ones live in ~/.claude/commands. Project ones live in .claude/commands. Example: a review command in ~/.claude/commands/review.md:

Review the code in $ARGUMENTS for:

1. Security vulnerabilities
2. Performance issues
3. Perl best practices
4. Missing error handling

Be concise and actionable.

Then run /review lib/Auth.pm. $ARGUMENTS is whatever you type after the command. Multiple args work too: put $1 and $2 in a compare.md, then run /compare lib/OldAuth.pm lib/NewAuth.pm.

Useful ones to write: a commit checker that reviews git diff HEAD for TODOs, commented-out code, debug prints, hardcoded test values, and secrets. A test writer for $ARGUMENTS using Test::More. An explain command that assumes Perl fluency and a new codebase.

Sessions, files, extra tools

claude --continue resumes the last session. claude --resume opens a picker. Both are useful after a crash or yesterday's work. Auto-compact at 75% via CLAUDE_AUTOCOMPACT_PCT_OVERRIDE. /add-dir ~/shared/libraries lets Claude see files outside the project. /permissions is an interactive editor so you do not have to hand-edit JSON. /statusline shows model and context at the bottom.

MCP is Model Context Protocol: extra tools the agent can call. We are not covering it in depth tonight. claude mcp add postgres can let it query databases. /mcp lists configured servers.

Many related files: "Read @lib/Controller/*.pm and understand the pattern. Now apply the same pattern to @lib/Controller/NewThing.pm." Batch work: for each file in @lib/Model/*.pm, add a documentation header, add use strict and warnings, then list what changed. Stuck? Run /context, compact if full, then ask "Summarize what we've discussed so far."