dotclaude

My Claude Code setup: output styles, CLAUDE.md, rules, and skills.

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Plain markdown files for ~/.claude. Output styles shape how Claude answers, skills add repeatable jobs, rules load by file type, and CLAUDE.md sets the defaults.

Table of contents

• Output styles
• CLAUDE.md
• Rules
• Skills
• Install

Output styles

Tip

The project page compares ASD-STE100 with Claude Code's built-in Concise and Default on the same question.

ASD-STE100

Claude answers in ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English: short sentences, everyday words, one word per meaning, active voice. The result comes first, then labelled bullets (Verified:, Updated:, Skipped:, Remaining:, Next:). Claude never rewords code or commands.

CLAUDE.md

Standing instructions for every session: General, Engineering, File & Command Safety, Comments, Code Review Findings, External Docs. Copy it to ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md, or to a repo root for one project.

## External Docs sends library questions to context7, an MCP server. Without it, Claude falls back to a web search. Connect it once:

claude mcp add --scope user --transport http --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" context7 https://mcp.context7.com/mcp

Tip

Get a free key from the context7 dashboard. To run the server locally instead: claude mcp add --scope user context7 -- npx -y @upstash/context7-mcp --api-key YOUR_API_KEY.

Rules

A rule is a .md file in ~/.claude/rules/ that loads when Claude touches a file matching its paths: glob.

• compact-markdown. On any **/*.md, points Claude at the compact-markdown skill. Keeps code, commands, and concrete details verbatim. README is exempt.

Skills

A skill is a procedure for one job. Claude Code loads it on demand. See skills/README.md for usage.

• compact-markdown. Telegraphic markdown for AI-facing docs. Strips filler, keeps code and examples.
• ask-first. Ask clarifying questions before acting instead of guessing. One question at a time, each with a recommended answer.
• handoff-session. Hand the whole session over: state, decisions, blockers, next steps. Drops detail that no longer matters.
• offload-task. Write one stuck problem into a standalone brief for a fresh session: goal, failing behaviour, repro, and every attempt with its result, whether a code change or a manual check.
• claude-project-rules. Author .claude/rules/*.md with correct paths: scoping, lazy-load, and shared-rule symlinks.
• html-landing-page. Design a distinctive static landing page with the frontend-design skill. Plan palette, type, and one signature element before any HTML. Manual: /html-landing-page.
• git-merge. Merge a branch into yours without losing local unstaged work. A recon script maps the conflicts first. Claude then resolves each one and runs the repo's own checks to catch changes git merged without a conflict but wrongly.
• git-worktree. Start a worktree with node_modules junctioned and .env copied, so it runs without a reinstall. Windows and PowerShell only.
• empty-commit. Push an empty commit to re-run CI when a pipeline failed on something unrelated. Refuses to run with staged files, on the default branch, or without an upstream. Manual: /empty-commit.
• zoom-out. Map an unfamiliar code area before touching it. Claude edits nothing and runs no mutating command until the map is done. Manual: /zoom-out.
• skill-audit. Audit an existing skill and report findings before editing. Edits only what you approve. Manual: /skill-audit.
• github-issue-creator. Turn raw notes, logs, or screenshots into a GitHub issue that follows the repo's templates and labels. Shows the draft first and creates it with gh only after you approve.
• readme-craft. Scaffold or restyle a README with a centered header, badges from one source, and GitHub markdown patterns. Skips vanity badges.
• visualize-it. Explain a concept, feature, problem, or piece of code as one visual page, built from the real source. The page is a Claude artifact when the Artifact tool is available, otherwise a standalone HTML file in the current folder. Manual: /visualize-it.
• study-notes. Turn a syllabus, course PDF, markdown file, or link into study notes: an outline per chapter and learning objective, then notes that stick to the source. Writes to Notion, an Obsidian vault, or plain markdown. Manual: /study-notes.

Install

Clone the repo, or unzip the latest release straight into ~/.claude/.

git clone https://github.com/MithunWijayasiri/dotclaude.git
mkdir -p ~/.claude/output-styles ~/.claude/rules ~/.claude/skills
cp dotclaude/output-styles/*.md ~/.claude/output-styles/
cp dotclaude/rules/*.md ~/.claude/rules/
cp dotclaude/CLAUDE.md ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md
cp -r dotclaude/skills/* ~/.claude/skills/

Windows PowerShell

git clone https://github.com/MithunWijayasiri/dotclaude.git
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude\output-styles", "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude\rules", "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude\skills"
Copy-Item dotclaude\output-styles\*.md "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude\output-styles\" -Force
Copy-Item dotclaude\rules\*.md "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude\rules\" -Force
Copy-Item dotclaude\CLAUDE.md "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude\CLAUDE.md" -Force
Copy-Item dotclaude\skills\* "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude\skills\" -Recurse -Force

Just one style, no clone

mkdir -p ~/.claude/output-styles
curl -o ~/.claude/output-styles/asd-ste100.md \
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MithunWijayasiri/dotclaude/main/output-styles/asd-ste100.md

Then run /config and pick a style under Output style. Claude Code saves the choice per project. For a global default, set it in ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "outputStyle": "ASD-STE100"
}

The value is the frontmatter name:, not the filename. It takes effect from your next message.

Credits

Thank you to this project.

• mattpocock/skills. Matt Pocock's skills, and the knowledge shared along with them.

License

MIT. Take whatever is useful.