Claude Code Workshop: Building with AI-Powered Development Tools

On January 15, 2026, the NS Library hosted a fast-paced technical workshop diving deep into Claude Code - exploring how it works, how to build agents with it, and how to extend it with custom skills.

Why Claude Code?

Claude Code represents a new paradigm in software development. Rather than writing every line manually, developers collaborate with AI to accelerate their work. Understanding how these tools work under the hood enables you to use them more effectively.

Topics Covered

The workshop covered four main areas:

1. How Claude Code Works Technically

We explored the architecture behind Claude Code:

• How prompts are processed and context is managed
• The tool-use system that enables Claude to interact with your codebase
• Memory and context window management
• How Claude reasons about code changes

Understanding these internals helps you structure your requests for better results.

2. Building Autonomous Agents with Claude Code SDK

The SDK enables building custom agents that can:

• Execute multi-step coding tasks
• Make decisions based on code analysis
• Interact with external systems and APIs
• Handle complex workflows autonomously

We walked through practical examples of agent construction.

3. Developing Custom Skills

Skills extend Claude Code's capabilities for specific domains or workflows:

• Creating reusable skill modules
• Packaging domain expertise into skills
• Sharing skills with your team
• Best practices for skill design

4. Ralph Wiggum Plugin Demonstration

A live demonstration of a custom plugin showing how to extend Claude Code's functionality for specific use cases.

The Workshop Format

Unlike passive presentations, this was a hands-on tutorial:

• Live coding demonstrations
• Real-time Q&A
• Practical examples attendees could follow along with

Key Takeaways

Participants left with understanding of:

For Users:

• How to prompt Claude Code more effectively
• Mental models for what Claude Code can and cannot do
• Techniques for complex coding tasks

For Developers:

• How to build custom agents using the SDK
• Patterns for skill development
• Integration approaches for their own tools

Resources Shared

The session included access to:

• Claude Code documentation
• SDK examples and starter code
• Custom skills repository
• Community Discord for ongoing questions

The Bigger Picture

AI-assisted development is not replacing developers - it's augmenting them. The developers who understand these tools deeply will be dramatically more productive than those who don't.

This workshop was about building that understanding.

What's Next

This is the first in a series of technical workshops on AI development tools. Future sessions will cover:

• Advanced agent architectures
• Multi-agent systems
• Custom model fine-tuning
• Production deployment of AI-powered applications

Get Involved

If you missed this workshop, recordings and materials are available to community members. Join our Discord to access resources and get notified about future technical sessions.

The best time to understand AI development tools was yesterday. The second best time is now.