Build your own 24/7 AI coding assistant from scratch using OpenClaw
A step-by-step tutorial that guides you to build an AI coding assistant similar to Claude Code from scratch.
No programming experience required - we explain every concept in plain language, then let OpenClaw (AI agent) write the code for you.
An AI assistant that can:
- Chat with you in the terminal
- Read and modify files on your computer
- Execute shell commands (run code, install packages)
- Understand your project structure
- Work safely (won't delete important files)
- Available 24/7
| Day | Topic | What You'll Learn | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Minimal Chat Framework | How AI "talks" | A CLI that can chat |
| Day 2 | Tool System | How AI "acts" | AI can read/write files, run commands |
| Day 3 | Permission System | How to keep AI "safe" | Dangerous operations get blocked |
| Day 4 | Context System | How to make AI "smarter" | AI understands project, remembers conversation |
| Day 5 | UX Polish | How to make it "great" | Streaming output, beautiful UI |
Imagine you have a super assistant that you can tell in natural language:
- "Read this file and explain what it does"
- "Fix this bug"
- "Run the tests"
And it will actually do it, not just tell you how.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ You (User) │
│ │ │
│ "Read config.js" │
│ ↓ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ CLI Program (what we build) │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ 1. Receive your request │ │
│ │ 2. Send to Claude API │ │
│ │ 3. Claude says: "I need to use ReadFile tool" │ │
│ │ 4. CLI executes ReadFile, reads the file │ │
│ │ 5. Send result back to Claude │ │
│ │ 6. Claude summarizes and responds to you │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ ↓ │
│ "config.js contains..." │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
- Chat Engine: Communicate with Claude API
- Tool System: Let AI perform actual operations
- Permission System: Ensure AI doesn't do dangerous things
- Context System: Let AI understand your project
build-your-own-claude-code/
├── README.md # You are here
├── docs/
│ ├── en/ # English docs
│ │ ├── day1/
│ │ │ ├── README.md # Concepts (for humans)
│ │ │ ├── DESIGN.md # Specs (for OpenClaw)
│ │ │ └── TEST.md # Test criteria
│ │ ├── day2/
│ │ ├── day3/
│ │ ├── day4/
│ │ ├── day5/
│ │ └── reference/
│ │ ├── ARCHITECTURE.md
│ │ └── GLOSSARY.md
│ └── zh/ # 中文文档
│ └── ...
- A computer (Mac/Linux/Windows)
- OpenClaw (your AI agent)
- An LLM API Key - supports multiple providers:
- OpenAI (or any OpenAI-compatible API)
- Anthropic (Claude)
- Kimi (Moonshot)
- Minimax
- DeepSeek
- Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint
Pro Tip: OpenClaw will configure the project to use the same model it's currently running on. This means your "my-claude" will use the same API as your OpenClaw!
Go to Day 1: Minimal Chat Framework to begin your journey!
- Plain language explanations
- Diagrams and analogies
- Helps you understand "why"
- Precise technical specifications
- Code structure and interface definitions
- OpenClaw can directly follow this to write code
- Clear test criteria
- Tells you and OpenClaw when this phase is "done"
- Ensures each phase's output is usable
- Follow the order: Each day builds on the previous
- Understand before doing: Read README before letting OpenClaw start
- Testing matters: Verify all tests pass before moving on
- Ask when stuck: Let OpenClaw explain if something is unclear
Ready? Let's start with Day 1: Minimal Chat Framework!
MIT