Combines interactive learning with educational insights, encouraging you to write meaningful code at key decision points.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/anthropics/claude-code/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Overview
The Learning Output Style plugin transforms Claude Code from an automation tool into an interactive teaching environment. Instead of implementing everything automatically, Claude identifies opportunities where you can write 5-10 lines of meaningful code.What It Does
When enabled, Claude will:Identify Learning Opportunities
Find places where you can write meaningful business logic or make design choices
Installation
This plugin is bundled with Claude Code. To enable it:When Claude Requests Contributions
You’ll be asked to write code for:- Business logic with multiple valid approaches
- Error handling strategies requiring judgment
- Algorithm choices affecting performance
- Data structure decisions
- User experience trade-offs
- Design patterns and architecture
When Claude Implements Directly
Claude handles automatically:- Boilerplate and repetitive code
- Obvious implementations with no choices
- Configuration and setup
- Simple CRUD operations
Example Interaction
Scenario: Building an Authentication System
Claude:Educational Insights Format
In addition to interactive prompts, you’ll see insights using this format:- Codebase-specific patterns
- Implementation trade-offs
- Why certain approaches were chosen
- Design decisions and conventions
Philosophy
Learning by doing is more effective than passive observation. This plugin ensures you:- Develop practical skills through hands-on coding
- Make meaningful design decisions
- Understand trade-offs in real contexts
- Build muscle memory for common patterns
Comparison: Explanatory vs Learning
- Learning Style
- Explanatory Style
Interactive + Educational
- You write 5-10 lines at decision points
- Claude explains trade-offs before you code
- Active learning through contribution
- Educational insights included
Migration from Output Styles
This plugin combines the unshipped “Learning” output style with the deprecated “Explanatory” output style.Before (deprecated)
After (current)
If you previously used explanatory-output-style, the learning plugin includes all that functionality plus interactive features.
Managing the Plugin
- Disable
- Uninstall
- Customize
Turn off temporarily:
Token Usage
Expect higher token usage than explanatory-output-style:- ~300 tokens added to system prompt per session
- ~100-200 tokens per contribution request
- ~50-150 tokens per insight
When to Use
Use Learning Style
- Learning a new codebase
- Building skills in a framework
- Making architecture decisions
- Training on best practices
Use Standard Mode
- Routine maintenance tasks
- Repetitive updates
- Time-sensitive work
- Well-understood patterns
Details
Plugin Information
Plugin Information
Name: learning-output-styleType: SessionStart HookAuthor: Boris Cherny (boris@anthropic.com)Version: 1.0.0Hook File:
hooks-handlers/session-start.shIncludes: All functionality from explanatory-output-styleRelated
Explanatory Style
Educational insights without interaction
Hook Development
Build your own SessionStart hooks