This article was originally published on aicoderscope.com
Most Claude API tutorials start in the middle. They assume you already have a key configured, a virtual environment ready, and a working .env file. If you hit a wall at step two, you're searching Stack Overflow for answers that aren't there.
This guide starts at zero. By the end you'll have made a real API call, know exactly what every line of code does, and understand the five mistakes that waste 90% of beginners' first hour.
Prerequisites
You need three things before touching any code:
