# Beginner's Guide You describe what you want to build. The system builds it. No coding required. This guide takes you from nothing to a working app. It assumes you've never used a terminal, never written code, and never heard of Claude Code. If any of that sounds like you, you're in the right place. --- ## What You Need Four things, all free except the Claude subscription. ### 1. A Computer Windows, Mac, or Linux. Anything made in the last 10 years works. ### 2. Node.js Node.js is a tool that lets you run the install command. You won't use it directly after that. 1. Go to https://nodejs.org 2. Click the big green button that says **LTS** (that's the stable version) 3. Run the installer 4. Click **Next** through everything -- the defaults are fine To check it worked, open any terminal and type `node --version`. You should see a version number. ### 3. VS Code + Claude Code VS Code is a free text editor for projects. Claude Code is an AI assistant that runs inside it. 1. Go to https://code.visualstudio.com and download VS Code 2. Install it (defaults are fine) 3. Open VS Code 4. Click the **Extensions** icon on the left sidebar (it looks like four squares) 5. Search for **Claude Code** 6. Click **Install** 7. Claude Code will ask you to sign in. Follow the prompts. ### 4. A Claude Subscription Claude Code requires a paid Claude subscription (Pro or Max plan). Sign up at https://claude.ai if you don't have one. The sign-in flow in step 7 above will walk you through it. --- ## Install the Framework This takes about 2 minutes. 1. Open VS Code 2. Open the terminal. Look at the bottom of VS Code. There's a dark panel with a blinking cursor. That's the terminal. If you don't see it, click **View** in the top menu, then click **Terminal**. 3. Type this and press Enter: ``` npx create-bashi-app my-first-app ``` This creates a new folder called `my-first-app` with the framework inside it. 4. Now open the new folder. Click **File** in the top menu, then **Open Folder**, and find `my-first-app` wherever you created it. Click **Open**. --- ## Build Your First App You're going to type a few short commands. Each one does something specific. The system tells you what to do next after each step. ### Step 1: Type `/start` In the Claude Code chat panel, type `/start` and press Enter. This is like opening the dashboard. It checks where you are and tells you what to do next. The first time, it will ask you a few questions about how you like to work. Answer them -- it takes 30 seconds. ### Step 2: Type `/setup` Type `/setup` and press Enter. This sets up your project. It will ask you: - What's your project called? - What are you trying to build? (Describe it in a sentence or two) - What type of app is it? (It will suggest one based on your description -- you pick) Answer the questions. The system creates the folder structure for your project. ### Step 3: Type `/capture-idea` Type `/capture-idea` and press Enter. Now describe what you want to build. Write in plain English. Here are some examples: > "I want to build a website for my chocolate business where customers can browse products, place orders, and track delivery." > "I want to build a fun educational game for my kids where they explore a world and answer questions to unlock new areas." > "I want to build a personal training website where clients can book sessions, see their workout plans, and track progress." The system takes your description and creates a plan: what features to build, what order to build them, and what the final product should look like. ### Step 4: Type `/run-project` Type `/run-project` and press Enter. This is where the magic happens. The system picks up your idea and starts working on it. The first time, it usually: - Writes a detailed product plan - Designs the app structure - Breaks everything into small tasks ### Step 5: Keep typing `/run-project` Each time you type `/run-project`, the system completes the next task. It might: - Create a page layout - Build a navigation menu - Set up a database - Add a contact form After each task, it shows you what it did and what's next. Keep going until it says the queue is empty. --- ## What Just Happened? While you were typing those commands, the system: 1. **Planned** your entire app (features, architecture, task list) 2. **Built** each piece one at a time (pages, components, logic) 3. **Reviewed** its own work after each step 4. **Tracked** everything in a state file so nothing gets lost Your project files are in the folder you opened. The actual app code is usually in `src/`. The plans and documents are in `docs/`. When the system tells you the app is ready to preview, it will include instructions for how to see it in your browser. --- ## Saving and Coming Back This is important: **Always type `/save` before closing VS Code.** This saves your progress to files. If you skip this step, you might have to redo work next time. When you come back: 1. Open the same folder in VS Code 2. Type `/start` 3. It picks up exactly where you left off --- ## Tips - **You can't break anything.** The system has safety guards. If something goes wrong, it rolls back automatically. - **Talk to it like a person.** You don't need special commands for everything. If you're confused, just ask: "What should I do next?" - **One step at a time.** Don't try to build everything at once. Let the system plan and pace the work. - **Save often.** Type `/save` whenever you step away, even for a few minutes. - **Convert documents to markdown.** If you want Claude to read a PDF, Word doc, or spreadsheet, convert it to markdown first (just ask Claude: "convert this to markdown"). Raw files can waste 20x more tokens than plain text. - **Start fresh conversations.** After 10-15 exchanges, type `/save`, then start a new session. Long conversations get expensive and the AI works less well. --- ## What's Next? Once you're comfortable with the basics, there's a lot more you can do: - **[User Guide](USER_GUIDE.md)** -- full walkthrough of every command and feature - **[README](../README.md)** -- advanced features like overnight mode (the system works while you sleep), parallel execution (multiple tasks at once), and MCP-connected mode You don't need to learn any of that right now. The four commands above (`/start`, `/setup`, `/capture-idea`, `/run-project`) are enough to build real apps.