MODULE 0: Claude Code — THE BASELINE CATEGORY: Coding DEPTH: CORE (you already master this — this module just makes the ruler explicit)
You don't need to learn Claude Code. You need to be able to describe its shape so every other tool's difference is obvious. This is that shape.
What Claude Code actually is (one line): an agentic coding tool that lives in your terminal, reads and edits your real local files, runs commands, and drives a plan→act→verify loop against your actual repo.
The five properties that define it (your measuring stick):
| Property | Claude Code | Why it matters for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Locus | Terminal, your machine, your real files | Browser tools (Bolt/v0/Lovable/Replit) run in their sandbox |
| Agency | Full agentic loop — plans, edits many files, runs tests, self-corrects | Copilot/autocomplete tools only complete; v0 only generates |
| Codebase scale | Built for large existing repos | Bolt/Lovable/v0 shine on greenfield, choke on big legacy code |
| Control | You see and approve every command/diff | No-code tools hide the steps |
| Hosting | None — it's a coding tool, not a platform | Replit/Bolt/Lovable also host + give you a DB |
The honest weaknesses of your baseline (so you know what to reach elsewhere for):
- No GUI, no visual canvas — you can't see a component render as you build it (→ v0, Bolt).
- No built-in hosting/DB/auth provisioning (→ Replit, Lovable, Bolt).
- No inline tab-autocomplete-as-you-type model (→ Cursor, Copilot).
- Not the tool you hand to a non-technical client to keep editing (→ Lovable).
Mental model for the rest of the program: Every coding tool below is Claude Code with one knob changed — moved into a GUI (Cursor, Cline), moved into the browser with hosting attached (Bolt, Lovable, Replit), narrowed to one job (v0 = UI, Copilot = autocomplete), or made free/OSS (Aider, Cline, SD).
Next: 01-coding-tools.md.