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CCAR-F Claude Code configuration: CLAUDE.md and plan mode
What CCAR-F asks about CLAUDE.md scopes, rules, commands and skills, and how to choose plan mode or direct execution for a given task.
The guide's examples for plan mode include library migrations affecting 45+ files. A single-file bug fix with a clear stack trace goes straight to direct execution.
01 What does CCAR-F test about configuring Claude Code?
You know CLAUDE.md exists, but a question asks where a team-wide test convention belongs, and every option looks like a real path. The guide tests that placement across CLAUDE.md, .claude/rules/, commands and skills.
It also tests workflow choices: plan mode versus direct execution, and the Explore subagent for verbose discovery.
Know where each instruction lives and which workflow fits the task.
02 Where do CLAUDE.md, rules, commands and skills live?
A project CLAUDE.md sits at ./CLAUDE.md or ./.claude/CLAUDE.md and is shared through version control, while ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md holds preferences for only you.
Rule files in .claude/rules/ split standards by topic instead of one monolithic CLAUDE.md. A paths field in a rule's frontmatter limits it to matching files.
Commands in .claude/commands/ are version-controlled for the whole team, while ~/.claude/commands/ stays personal. Skills are invoked on demand for task workflows; CLAUDE.md holds always-loaded standards.
Team standards go in the project and in git; personal variants go under ~/.claude.
03 Should you use plan mode or direct execution?
Plan mode or direct execution: which kind of task
Plan mode
- Changes with architectural implications
- Library migrations across many files
- Choosing between integration approaches
- Investigating before any edit
Direct execution
- Well-understood changes with clear scope
- A single-file fix with a clear stack trace
- Adding one validation check to a function
- Carrying out a plan already made
In plan mode, Claude reads files and writes a plan but does not edit your source. Edits stay blocked until you approve the plan, except in interactive terminal sessions with bypass permissions available.
The guide also combines them: plan mode to investigate a library migration, then direct execution to carry it out.
Plan when the design is open; execute directly when the fix is clear.
04 How do you keep the main context clean?
The Explore subagent isolates verbose discovery output and returns summaries, which prevents context window exhaustion in multi-phase tasks. A skill with context: fork runs in an isolated sub-agent context for the same reason.
In a long cross-package session, Claude Code re-injects the plan file after each compaction, so the plan survives.
Send verbose work to a subagent or forked skill and keep the main session for decisions.
Summary
- Project CLAUDE.md is shared through git; ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md is yours alone.
- CLAUDE.md is always loaded; skills are invoked on demand.
- Plan mode for architectural changes; direct execution for clear, scoped fixes.
- The Explore subagent and context: fork keep verbose output out of the main session.
Sources and editorial status
Research checked Nov 3, 2026.