ClaudeChat

ClaudeChat - Interactive CLI Demo

A full-featured command-line application demonstrating real integration with Claude Code using the .NET SDK.

Prerequisites

1. .NET 8.0+ installed
2. Claude Code CLI installed:

   npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

3. Anthropic API Key configured (Claude Code will prompt if not set)

Features

This demo application showcases 4 different modes of interaction with Claude:

1. Simple Mode (Default)

One-shot query with detailed response metrics.

dotnet run
# or
dotnet run simple

Features:

• ✅ Single question → Single answer
• ✅ Shows thinking process
• ✅ Displays timing metrics (API time, local time)
• ✅ Shows cost and turn count
• ✅ Color-coded output
• ✅ Error handling with helpful messages

Example:

Enter your question: What is the capital of France?

🤖 Claude is thinking...

Paris is the capital of France.

✓ Completed in 1234ms (API: 1100ms, Local: 1250ms)
💰 Cost: $0.0012
🔄 Turns: 1

2. Interactive Mode

Multi-turn conversation with context preservation.

dotnet run interactive

Features:

• ✅ Continuous conversation loop
• ✅ Context maintained across turns
• ✅ Type /exit to quit
• ✅ Real-time response streaming
• ✅ Error handling per response

Example:

You: What is 2 + 2?
Claude: 2 + 2 equals 4.

You: What about 3 times that?
Claude: 3 times 4 equals 12.

You: /exit
Goodbye!

3. Streaming Mode

Shows partial responses as they arrive.

dotnet run streaming

Features:

• ✅ Real-time streaming with IncludePartialMessages
• ✅ Visual progress indicator (dots)
• ✅ Immediate response display
• ✅ Stream completion notification

Example:

Enter your question: Write a haiku about coding

🤖 Claude is responding (streaming)...

.......

Lines of code unfold,
Logic weaves through silent night,
Bugs in morning light.

✓ Stream completed - 1 turns

4. Tools Mode

Demonstrates file operations and tool usage.

dotnet run tools

Features:

• ✅ File operations (Read, Write, Edit, Bash)
• ✅ Tool use visualization
• ✅ Input/output display
• ✅ Permission mode handling
• ✅ Safety warning
• ✅ Tool use count tracking

Example:

This demo allows Claude to use file tools.
⚠️  Claude can read/write files in the current directory!

Enter your request: Create a file called test.txt with "Hello World"

🔧 Claude is working with tools enabled...

I'll create that file for you.

🔧 Using tool: Write
   Input: {"file_path":"test.txt","content":"Hello World"}
   Result: File written successfully

✓ Completed with 1 tool uses
⏱️  Duration: 2345ms
💰 Cost: $0.0023

Usage Examples

Quick Start

# Navigate to the example directory
cd examples/ClaudeChat

# Run in simple mode (default)
dotnet run

# Run in interactive mode
dotnet run interactive

# Run with streaming
dotnet run streaming

# Run with tools enabled
dotnet run tools

Building the Application

# Build
dotnet build

# Run the built executable
dotnet run --no-build

# Create a release build
dotnet build -c Release
./bin/Release/net8.0/ClaudeChat

Publishing for Distribution

# Publish as self-contained application (includes .NET runtime)
dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained

# Publish as framework-dependent (smaller, requires .NET installed)
dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained false

Code Structure

Program.cs
├── Main()                    # Entry point, mode selection
├── RunSimpleMode()          # One-shot query with metrics
├── RunInteractiveMode()     # Multi-turn conversation
├── RunStreamingMode()       # Streaming responses
└── RunToolsDemo()           # File operations demo

Features Demonstrated

SDK Features Used

1. ClaudeAgent.QueryAsync() - Simple query API

   await foreach (var message in ClaudeAgent.QueryAsync(question))
   {
       // Process messages
   }

2. ClaudeSdkClient - Interactive client

   await using var client = new ClaudeSdkClient(options);
   await client.ConnectAsync();
   await client.QueryAsync(input);
   await foreach (var msg in client.ReceiveResponseAsync())
   {
       // Process response
   }

3. ClaudeAgentOptions - Configuration

   var options = new ClaudeAgentOptions
   {
       AllowedTools = new List<string> { "Read", "Write" },
       PermissionMode = PermissionMode.Default,
       MaxTurns = 50,
       IncludePartialMessages = true,
       SystemPrompt = "Custom instructions..."
   };

4. Message Types - Typed message handling

   • AssistantMessage - Claude's responses
   • UserMessage - User inputs
   • ResultMessage - Query results with metrics
   • StreamEvent - Partial streaming updates

5. Content Blocks - Different content types

   • TextBlock - Text responses
   • ThinkingBlock - Internal reasoning
   • ToolUseBlock - Tool invocations
   • ToolResultBlock - Tool outputs

UI Features

• ✅ Color-coded output using Console.ForegroundColor
• ✅ Unicode box drawing for header
• ✅ Progress indicators (dots, spinners)
• ✅ Error handling with helpful messages
• ✅ Metrics display (time, cost, turns)
• ✅ Tool visualization with inputs/outputs

Error Handling

The application handles common errors gracefully:

CLI Not Found

❌ Error: Claude Code CLI not found!

Please install Claude Code:
  npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

API Key Not Set

Claude Code CLI will prompt you to configure your API key on first use.

Connection Errors

❌ Error: Failed to start Claude Code: [error details]

Tool Permission Denied

With PermissionMode.Default, Claude Code will prompt for approval before dangerous operations.

Customization

Adding New Modes

Add a new case to the switch statement in Main():

case "custom":
    await RunCustomMode();
    break;

Then implement your custom mode:

static async Task RunCustomMode()
{
    var options = new ClaudeAgentOptions
    {
        // Your custom options
    };

    await foreach (var message in ClaudeAgent.QueryAsync("prompt", options))
    {
        // Your custom handling
    }
}

Changing Colors

Modify the Console.ForegroundColor settings:

Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Magenta;  // Change to your preference
Console.WriteLine("Your text");
Console.ResetColor();

Adding More Tools

Extend the AllowedTools list:

AllowedTools = new List<string>
{
    "Read",
    "Write",
    "Edit",
    "Bash",
    "Glob",     // File search
    "Grep",     // Content search
    "WebFetch", // Web scraping
    // See Claude Code docs for full list
}

Troubleshooting

"Claude Code not found"

Install or reinstall Claude Code:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

"Permission denied" errors

Run with appropriate permissions, or use PermissionMode.AcceptEdits in your options (use with caution).

High API costs

Set MaxTurns to limit conversation length:

MaxTurns = 5  // Limit to 5 back-and-forth exchanges

Slow responses

This is normal for complex queries. The application shows timing metrics to help you understand performance.

Advanced Usage

Custom Working Directory

var options = new ClaudeAgentOptions
{
    Cwd = "/path/to/project"
};

Environment Variables

var options = new ClaudeAgentOptions
{
    Env = new Dictionary<string, string>
    {
        ["MY_VAR"] = "value"
    }
};

Session Management

await client.QueryAsync("Hello", sessionId: "my-session");

Performance Tips

1. Use Simple Mode for one-off queries
2. Use Interactive Mode for conversations
3. Enable Streaming for faster perceived response time
4. Limit Tools to only what you need
5. Set MaxTurns to prevent runaway costs

Learning Resources

• Claude Code SDK Documentation
• Python SDK Examples
• SDK Implementation Notes
• Test Report

Contributing

To add new features or modes:

1. Implement your mode function
2. Add it to the switch statement in Main()
3. Update this README with usage instructions
4. Test thoroughly with the real Claude Code CLI

License

MIT - Same as parent project