| Term▲ | Definition▲ |
|---|---|
| CLAUDE.md | Project instruction file Claude reads at the start of every session |
| backbone.yml | Project map file — gives Claude directory structure upfront, eliminates exploration waste |
| Skill | A reusable agent workflow defined in a SKILL.md file |
| MCP Server | A running server that exposes tools Claude can call to interact with external systems |
| Plugin | An installable package bundling skills, MCP servers, and hooks into a single versioned unit |
| Context rot | The degradation in model accuracy as the context window fills |
| Compaction | Summarising conversation history to free up context space |
| Exploration tax | Tokens wasted when Claude searches directories instead of reading a map |
| Vibe coding | High-autonomy AI-assisted development where Claude makes architectural decisions |
| Session handoff | A markdown file capturing session state so the next session can pick up where you left off |
| Zone A/B/C | Our classification of code types by the level of Claude autonomy that's appropriate |
Maintained by the neuroflash Engineering team. Changes via PR to ai-engineering-framework/source/claude-code-framework.md. Last reviewed: March 2026.