Claude Code Configuration & Workflows
Map of content for Domain 3, covering how Claude Code is configured (settings, memory, permissions, hooks) and driven through interactive and headless (CI/CD) workflows. This domain is worth 20% of scored exam content and, per the study guide, domains 1, 3, and 4 together make up 67% of the exam — so this is a high-yield area.
The recurring exam theme: soft config is probabilistic, hard config is deterministic. CLAUDE.md is delivered as a user message (guidance), whereas permissions and PreToolUse hooks enforce. Memorise the precedence chains verbatim.
Concepts
- Config Hierarchy — settings.json precedence **Managed > CLI > Local > Project > User**; hot-reload vs restart.
- CLAUDE.md Hierarchy — memory files concatenated broad→specific; probabilistic, not enforced.
- CLAUDE.md Imports And Rules — `@import` (4-hop max), path-scoped `.claude/rules/`, AGENTS.md bridging.
- Skills And Slash Commands — `.claude/commands` & `.claude/skills`; bodies lazy-loaded on invocation.
- Auto Memory — per-project `MEMORY.md`; `autoMemoryEnabled` default true.
- Permissions Merge And Deny Beats Allow — rules merge across scopes; **deny beats allow**; `mcp__<server>__<tool>`.
- Hook Types And Events — handler types, event list, matcher syntax, MCP matcher pattern.
- Hook Exit Codes And JSON Output — **exit 0 / 2 / other**; `hookSpecificOutput`; deny > defer > ask > allow.
- Checkpointing and Rewind — prompt-level checkpoints; `/rewind` / double-`Esc`-on-empty; **bash-command file changes NOT tracked**; 30-day cleanup.
- Output Styles — system-prompt personas (Default/Explanatory/Learning/Proactive); standalone `/output-style` **removed v2.1.91** → use `/config`.
- Custom Slash Commands — `.claude/commands/*.md`; `$ARGUMENTS`/`!bash`/`@file`; now **merged with skills** (both create `/name`, skill wins on clash).
- Plan Mode And Explore Subagent — approve-before-write; read-only navigation.
- Filesystem Subagents (.claude Agents) — `.claude/agents/*.md` frontmatter & precedence.
- CI CD Headless Flags — `-p`, `--output-format`, `--json-schema`, `--append-system-prompt` vs `--system-prompt`, `--max-turns`.
- Session Resume And Fork — `--resume`/`-r`, `--continue`/`-c`, `--fork-session` (branch without mutating original).