clade-reference-architecture
Build Claude Code plugins — skills, agents, MCP servers, hooks, and slash commands. Use when working with reference-architecture patterns. The complete guide to extending Claude Code with the Anthropic plugin system. Trigger with "claude code plugin", "build a skill", "create mcp server", "anthropic plugin architecture", "claude code hooks".
What this skill does
# Claude Code Plugin Architecture ## Overview Claude Code has a plugin system with 4 extension points: **skills** (auto-activating knowledge), **commands** (slash commands), **agents** (specialized sub-agents), and **MCP servers** (tool providers). This skill covers building all four. ## Plugin Structure ``` my-plugin/ ├── .claude-plugin/ │ └── plugin.json # Required: name, version, description, author ├── skills/ │ └── my-skill/ │ └── SKILL.md # Auto-activating skill ├── commands/ │ └── my-command.md # Slash command (/my-command) ├── agents/ │ └── my-agent.md # Custom agent └── README.md ``` ## Building a Skill (SKILL.md) ```yaml --- name: my-skill description: | When to activate this skill. Include trigger phrases so Claude knows when to use it. Be specific about the problem it solves. allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Bash(npm:*) version: 1.0.0 author: Your Name <[email protected]> license: MIT compatible-with: claude-code tags: [category, topic] --- # Skill Title ## Overview What this skill does and when to use it. ## Prerequisites - Claude Code installed - Understanding of Markdown and YAML frontmatter - For MCP servers: Node.js 18+ and `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk` ## Instructions Step-by-step instructions Claude follows when this skill activates. ### Step 1: Do the thing Explain what to do with code examples. ## Output What the user should expect when this skill runs. ## Error Handling | Error | Cause | Solution | |-------|-------|----------| | ... | ... | ... | ``` ## Building a Slash Command ```yaml --- name: my-command description: "Run my custom workflow" user-invocable: true argument-hint: "<file-path>" allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Bash(npm:*) version: 1.0.0 --- # /my-command When the user runs `/my-command <file-path>`, do the following: 1. Read the file at $ARGUMENTS 2. Analyze it for issues 3. Report findings ``` ## Building an Agent ```yaml --- name: my-agent description: "Specialized agent for code review" capabilities: ["code-review", "security-audit"] model: sonnet maxTurns: 10 --- # Code Review Agent You are a code review specialist. When invoked: 1. Read the files provided 2. Check for security issues, code quality, and performance 3. Report findings with specific line references ``` ## Building an MCP Server ```typescript // src/index.ts #!/usr/bin/env node import { Server } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/index.js'; import { StdioServerTransport } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/stdio.js'; const server = new Server({ name: 'my-tools', version: '1.0.0' }, { capabilities: { tools: {} }, }); server.setRequestHandler('tools/list', async () => ({ tools: [{ name: 'search_docs', description: 'Search documentation for a query', inputSchema: { type: 'object', properties: { query: { type: 'string' } }, required: ['query'], }, }], })); server.setRequestHandler('tools/call', async (request) => { if (request.params.name === 'search_docs') { const results = await searchDocs(request.params.arguments.query); return { content: [{ type: 'text', text: JSON.stringify(results) }] }; } }); const transport = new StdioServerTransport(); await server.connect(transport); ``` ## Hooks ```json // .claude/settings.json { "hooks": { "pre-tool-call": [{ "matcher": "Edit", "command": "echo 'About to edit a file'" }], "post-tool-call": [{ "matcher": "Bash", "command": "echo 'Bash command completed'" }] } } ``` ## Path Variables | Variable | Context | Resolves To | |----------|---------|-------------| | `${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}` | Skills (bash/DCI) | Skill's directory | | `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}` | Hooks | Plugin root directory | | `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA}` | Persistent state | Survives updates | | `$ARGUMENTS` | Commands | User-provided args | ## Examples See Building a Skill (SKILL.md), Building a Slash Command, Building an Agent, Building an MCP Server, and Hooks configuration examples above. ## Resources - [Plugin Docs](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/plugins) - [SKILL.md Spec](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills) - [MCP Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) ## Next Steps See `clade-multi-env-setup` for managing plugins across environments.
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