Want to use AI assistants for real work, not just chat? This practical, unofficial handbook takes you from zero to confident with Claude, Claude Code and OpenAI Codex.
It starts with setup. You create your accounts, pick a plan that fits your budget, open a terminal for the first time and install the tools on Windows, macOS or Linux. Then you build real things with them.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
• How AI assistants and coding agents work, and what they can and cannot do
• Choosing between the free and paid plans, and keeping your costs under control
• Writing prompts that get useful answers, with a ready-to-use template library
• Installing Claude Code and Codex, step by step for each operating system
• Project instructions files, settings, permission modes and safe defaults
• Power features: plan mode, skills, subagents, hooks and MCP integrations
• A simple Git workflow so an AI change can always be undone
• Testing, debugging and code review with both tools
• Protecting secrets, privacy and your data
• An honest comparison of when to use Claude, Codex, or both
THREE HANDS-ON PROJECTS
1. A personal website built with Claude Code
2. An automation script that turns a spreadsheet into a monthly report, built with Codex
3. TaskNest, a to-do web app with tests, where one tool builds and the other reviews
Plus a troubleshooting FAQ, cheat sheets, a glossary and a learning path for what comes next.
A COMFORTABLE READING APP
• Page-turn or scroll reading, with your place saved automatically
• Light, sepia and dark themes, adjustable fonts, size and spacing
• Highlights, notes, bookmarks and full-text search
• Read aloud with your phone's built-in voice, even with the screen off
• Works offline: no account needed
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mojahidul Islam is a Computer Science Engineer and President of the Bangladesh IT Professionals Association (BITPA), 2017 to present.
Facts in this edition are current as of November 2026. AI tools change quickly, so the book points you to the official documentation for the details that change most often.
This is an independent, unofficial guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic or OpenAI. Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT and Codex are trademarks of their respective owners.
Learn Claude and Codex step by step: setup, prompts, coding and real projects.