Frequently Asked Questions

CCDW is a structured approach to building applications with Claude as your AI development partner. It guides you through 5 phases: Requirements Gathering, Architecture & Planning, Implementation, Testing, and Deployment. Claude handles the technical implementation while you provide guidance and feedback.

Basic programming knowledge is helpful but not strictly required. Claude will handle most of the technical implementation. However, understanding basic development concepts (APIs, databases, deployment) will help you make better decisions during the workflow.

CCDW works for most application types: web applications, REST APIs, static websites, microservices, data processing tools, automation scripts, and more. The workflow is flexible and adapts to different project types and complexity levels.

You can start using CCDW immediately - just upload the workflow file to Claude and begin. Your first simple project will take 1-2 hours and teaches you the basics. Most developers are comfortable with the workflow after building 2-3 projects.

The CCDW materials and workflow are completely free. You only need access to Claude (which has free and paid tiers). All workflow files, templates, and documentation are available at no cost.

Claude breaks complex projects into manageable phases and components. It maintains project state, tracks progress, and implements features incrementally. For very large projects, you can use the workflow across multiple Claude sessions, with state files maintaining continuity.

Yes! CCDW generates standard code that works with any development environment. You can copy the generated code to your IDE, use your preferred version control system, and integrate with existing CI/CD pipelines. Claude can also help set up these integrations.

CCDW supports any language or framework that Claude can work with, including: JavaScript/TypeScript (Node.js, React, Vue, Angular), Python (Flask, Django, FastAPI), Go, Rust, Java (Spring), C#, PHP, and many others. You specify your preferences during requirements gathering.

Testing is integrated throughout the workflow. Claude writes and runs tests for each component as it's built. The dedicated Testing phase includes unit tests, integration tests, API tests, and end-to-end tests. All tests are executed automatically with results shown to you.

Currently, CCDW is designed for single-user sessions with Claude. However, you can share the generated code and project files with your team through normal collaboration tools like Git. For team workflows, each team member can use CCDW for their individual components.

Try these steps: 1) Say "Show me the current state" to see where you are in the workflow, 2) Provide more specific requirements or feedback, 3) Say "Let's restart this phase" to restart the current phase, or 4) Upload the workflow file again if Claude has lost context.

If progress stalls, you can: 1) Ask Claude "What's the current task?" 2) Say "Skip this and move to the next phase" 3) Provide more specific direction like "Focus on the core functionality first" 4) Reset by saying "Let's restart this phase with a simpler approach".

You can restart any phase by saying "Let's go back to [phase name]" or "Restart the [requirements/architecture/implementation/testing/deployment] phase". Claude will maintain the work from previous phases while restarting the specified phase.

Claude will automatically debug failing tests. You can also: 1) Ask "Why are these tests failing?" 2) Say "Fix the failing tests" 3) Request "Show me the test results" 4) Ask "Let's debug this step by step". Claude will analyze the failures and implement fixes.

Common deployment issues and solutions: 1) Environment variables - ensure all required env vars are set, 2) Dependencies - verify all packages are included, 3) Ports - check port configuration matches deployment platform, 4) Database - ensure database connection is properly configured. Ask Claude to "Debug the deployment issues".

Good requirements are: 1) Specific - "User login with email and password" vs "authentication", 2) Prioritized - focus on core features first, 3) User-focused - explain who will use each feature and why, 4) Realistic - consider your timeline and resources, 5) Testable - define what success looks like for each feature.

Provide feedback: 1) After each phase for major decisions, 2) When Claude shows you code for review, 3) If the direction doesn't match your vision, 4) When you have additional requirements or changes, 5) If you want to see alternative approaches. Early feedback prevents rework later.

For large projects: 1) Break into smaller, independent modules, 2) Use multiple CCDW sessions for different components, 3) Start with an MVP and iterate, 4) Focus on core functionality first, 5) Plan integration points early, 6) Maintain clear documentation between sessions.

CCDW creates a standard structure: 1) /src for source code, 2) /tests for all tests, 3) /docs for documentation, 4) /deployment for deployment configs, 5) state.json for tracking progress. This structure works well with most development workflows and tools.

CCDW automatically generates documentation during development. You should: 1) Review and approve the generated docs, 2) Ask for additional documentation as needed, 3) Keep the README.md file updated, 4) Maintain API documentation for services, 5) Document any custom setup or deployment steps.