How to Build a Coding Agent is a workshop that teaches you how to construct an AI-powered coding assistant by progressively adding capabilities to a Claude-based agent.
The workshop addresses the challenge of understanding how modern coding agents work by breaking down their construction into six incremental steps. It starts with a basic chatbot connected to the Anthropic Claude API, then progressively adds tools: file reading, directory exploration, shell command execution, file editing, and code pattern searching. The approach uses an event loop architecture where the agent waits for user input, sends it to Claude, executes any tools Claude requests, and returns results back to Claude for a final response. This iterative design helps developers understand how each capability integrates into the larger system.
The workshop suits developers who want hands-on understanding of agent architecture rather than just using existing tools. It requires Go and an Anthropic API key, with optional setup via devenv. The material is structured as a series of Go files that can be studied and modified, making it appropriate for those learning by building rather than reading documentation. The workshop explicitly positions itself as an alternative to existing coding agents like Roo Code, Cline, Amp, Cursor, and Windsurf, offering a path to understanding their internals rather than adopting them directly.
The project maintains a clear, focused scope with sample files and troubleshooting guidance included. Documentation is structured around concrete examples and try-it-yourself prompts rather than abstract explanations. The workshop includes a detailed blog post overview and provides both recommended and manual setup paths to accommodate different developer preferences.
