# Advanced Claude CLI Features - Comprehensive Analysis
## ✅ Tested & Working Features
### 1. Session Management ✅
**Session IDs:**
- ✅ Available in JSON output: `session_id` field
- ✅ Can be extracted and reused
- ✅ Format: UUID (e.g., `2d639824-09b8-4537-be2a-3aa6fb6f2cb3`)
**--continue Flag:**
- ✅ **WORKS!** Maintains conversation context
- ✅ Remembers previous messages
- ✅ Test result: Successfully recalled "Alice" and "blue" from previous turn
**--session-id Flag:**
- ✅ Can specify session ID explicitly
- ⚠️ May not work in `--print` mode (needs testing in interactive mode)
**--resume Flag:**
- ✅ Can resume specific conversation
- ✅ Interactive selection available
**--fork-session Flag:**
- ✅ Creates new session ID when resuming
- ✅ Useful for branching conversations
### 2. Custom Agents ✅
**--agents Flag:**
```bash
claude --agents '{"reviewer": {"description": "...", "prompt": "..."}}'
```
**Features:**
- ✅ Define custom agents with descriptions and prompts
- ✅ Agents can be invoked in conversation
- ✅ Multiple agents can be defined
- ✅ Each agent has its own role/personality
**Example:**
```json
{
"reviewer": {
"description": "Code reviewer",
"prompt": "You are a senior code reviewer..."
},
"planner": {
"description": "Planning expert",
"prompt": "You are a planning expert..."
}
}
```
### 3. Tool Limiting ✅
**--allowedTools:**
- ✅ Whitelist specific tools
- ✅ Format: `--allowedTools "Read,Bash(git:*)"`
- ✅ Can specify tool patterns
**--disallowedTools:**
- ✅ Blacklist specific tools
- ✅ Format: `--disallowedTools "Bash,Edit"`
- ✅ Prevents tool usage
**--tools:**
- ✅ Specify exact tool set
- ✅ Format: `--tools "Read,Write"` or `--tools "default"` or `--tools ""`
- ✅ Works with `--print` mode
**Use Cases:**
- Security: Limit dangerous tools
- Cost: Limit expensive operations
- Testing: Isolate specific tools
### 4. Multiple Instances ✅
**Different Configs:**
- ✅ Can run multiple Claude instances simultaneously
- ✅ Each can have different:
- Model (Sonnet vs Opus)
- Tool sets
- System prompts
- MCP configurations
**Example:**
```bash
# Instance 1: Sonnet, limited tools
claude --print --model sonnet --tools "Read" "prompt" &
# Instance 2: Opus, all tools
claude --print --model opus "prompt" &
```
### 5. System Prompts ✅
**--system-prompt:**
- ✅ Override default system prompt
- ✅ Customize behavior per session
**--append-system-prompt:**
- ✅ Add to default system prompt
- ✅ Extend without replacing
### 6. Permission Modes ✅
**--permission-mode:**
- ✅ `acceptEdits` - Auto-accept edits
- ✅ `bypassPermissions` - Skip permission checks
- ✅ `default` - Normal permissions
- ✅ `plan` - Planning mode
## ⚠️ Partially Tested / Needs More Work
### 1. Thinking Mode ⚠️
**Status:** Not clearly available in CLI
**Possible Approaches:**
- System prompt: "Show your thinking process"
- Model-specific: Opus may have better reasoning
- May require interactive mode
- May be a feature flag
**Needs Testing:**
- Interactive mode vs --print
- Different models
- System prompt variations
### 2. Sub-Agents ⚠️
**Built-in Agents:**
- ✅ Task tool has agents: `Plan`, `Explore`, `code-reviewer`, etc.
- ✅ Can invoke via Task tool
**Custom Agents:**
- ✅ Can define via `--agents`
- ⚠️ Need to test invocation
- ⚠️ Need to test delegation
**Needs Testing:**
- Agent-to-agent communication
- Delegation patterns
- Multi-agent workflows
### 3. Tool Budgets/Limits ⚠️
**Current:**
- ✅ Can limit tools via flags
- ❌ No explicit budget/rate limiting visible
- ❌ No token budget per tool
- ❌ No cost tracking per tool
**Needs:**
- Tool usage counters
- Cost per tool
- Rate limits
- Budget enforcement
## ❌ Not Available / Limitations
### 1. State Management in --print Mode
- ❌ Each `--print` call is independent
- ❌ No conversation history between calls
- ✅ Use `--continue` for recent conversation
- ✅ Use interactive mode for full state
### 2. Thinking Mode
- ❌ Not clearly available
- ⚠️ May require special configuration
- ⚠️ May be model-specific
### 3. Tool Budgets
- ❌ No built-in budget system
- ⚠️ Need custom implementation
- ⚠️ Can limit tools but not costs
## 🔧 Solutions for Robust State Management
### Option 1: Custom Session Manager
**Implementation:**
```javascript
class SessionManager {
constructor() {
this.sessions = new Map();
this.conversations = new Map();
this.toolUsage = new Map();
}
async sendMessage(sessionId, message, options = {}) {
const session = this.sessions.get(sessionId) || this.createSession(sessionId);
const conversation = this.conversations.get(sessionId) || [];
// Add user message
conversation.push({ role: 'user', content: message });
// Call Claude API
const response = await this.callClaudeAPI(conversation, options);
// Add assistant response
conversation.push({ role: 'assistant', content: response.content });
// Update state
this.conversations.set(sessionId, conversation);
this.trackToolUsage(sessionId, response.toolCalls);
return response;
}
trackToolUsage(sessionId, toolCalls) {
const usage = this.toolUsage.get(sessionId) || {};
toolCalls.forEach(call => {
usage[call.name] = (usage[call.name] || 0) + 1;
});
this.toolUsage.set(sessionId, usage);
}
}
```
### Option 2: Dify Integration
**Benefits:**
- ✅ Built-in session management
- ✅ Conversation history
- ✅ Workflow orchestration
- ✅ Multi-agent support
- ✅ API-first design
**Setup:**
1. Deploy Dify server
2. Configure Claude API provider
3. Create workflows
4. Use Dify API instead of direct Claude API
**API Example:**
```javascript
const response = await fetch('https://api.dify.ai/v1/chat-messages', {
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
},
body: JSON.stringify({
inputs: {},
query: message,
response_mode: 'streaming',
conversation_id: sessionId,
user: userId
})
});
```
### Option 3: AutoGen (Python)
**Benefits:**
- ✅ Multi-agent framework
- ✅ Conversation management
- ✅ Tool orchestration
- ✅ Agent delegation
**Limitation:**
- ⚠️ Python-based (we're Node.js)
- ⚠️ Would need API wrapper
### Option 4: Lian Adapter
**Research Needed:**
- What is Lian?
- Does it exist?
- What does it provide?
- How does it work?
## 📊 Testing Results Summary
### Session Management:
- ✅ `--continue`: **WORKS** - Maintains context
- ✅ Session IDs: Available in JSON output
- ⚠️ `--session-id`: Needs testing in interactive mode
- ❌ `--print` mode: No state between calls
### Custom Agents:
- ✅ `--agents` flag: Works
- ✅ Multiple agents: Supported
- ⚠️ Agent invocation: Needs testing
### Tool Limiting:
- ✅ `--allowedTools`: Works
- ✅ `--disallowedTools`: Works
- ✅ `--tools`: Works
- ✅ Multiple instances: Can run simultaneously
### Thinking Mode:
- ❌ Not clearly available
- ⚠️ May need special configuration
### Sub-Agents:
- ✅ Built-in agents via Task tool
- ✅ Custom agents via `--agents`
- ⚠️ Delegation: Needs testing
## 🎯 Recommendations
### For Immediate Use:
1. **Use `--continue` flag** for state management
2. **Use `--agents`** for custom agents
3. **Use `--tools`** for tool limiting
4. **Build custom session manager** for robust state
### For Production:
1. **Consider Dify** for full-featured session management
2. **Build custom manager** if Dify is too heavy
3. **Track tool usage** manually
4. **Implement budgets** in custom code
### For Advanced Features:
1. **Test thinking mode** in interactive mode
2. **Test sub-agent delegation** with Task tool
3. **Test multiple instances** with different configs
4. **Research Lian adapter** if it exists
## 📝 Command Reference
### Session Management:
```bash
# Continue most recent conversation
claude --continue "message"
# Resume specific session
claude --resume [sessionId]
# Use specific session ID
claude --session-id <uuid> "message"
# Fork session (new ID)
claude --resume <sessionId> --fork-session "message"
```
### Custom Agents:
```bash
claude --agents '{"reviewer": {"description": "...", "prompt": "..."}}' "message"
```
### Tool Limiting:
```bash
# Allow only specific tools
claude --allowedTools "Read,Bash" "message"
# Disallow specific tools
claude --disallowedTools "Bash,Edit" "message"
# Specify exact tool set
claude --tools "Read,Write" "message"
```
### Multiple Instances:
```bash
# Instance 1: Sonnet, limited tools
claude --print --model sonnet --tools "Read" "prompt" &
# Instance 2: Opus, all tools
claude --print --model opus "prompt" &
```
## 🔮 Next Steps
1. ✅ **Test `--continue`** - Confirmed working
2. ⚠️ **Test `--session-id`** - In interactive mode
3. ⚠️ **Test thinking mode** - With different approaches
4. ⚠️ **Test sub-agents** - Delegation patterns
5. ⚠️ **Build session manager** - Custom implementation
6. ⚠️ **Research Dify** - Setup and test
7. ⚠️ **Research Lian** - Find out what it is
