Best Practices

Tips for getting the most out of Claude Code when working with FUSION.

Be Specific

Instead of broad questions, provide context about which part of the codebase you’re asking about.

Less effective:

> How does routing work?

More effective:

> How does the KShortestPaths routing algorithm select paths in fusion/modules/routing?

Ask for Context First

Before making changes, ask Claude to explain the existing code and patterns:

> Before I modify the spectrum assignment logic, explain how FirstFit currently works and what data structures it uses.

Reference Modules by Name

FUSION has many components. Specify which module you’re asking about:

> In the spectrum assignment module, how does the guard band calculation work?

> Show me how the reporting module collects blocking probability metrics.

Request Explanations with Code

Ask Claude to show relevant code snippets when explaining concepts:

> Explain how requests flow through the simulation and show me the relevant code paths.

Iterate on Solutions

If Claude’s first suggestion doesn’t quite fit, provide feedback:

> That's close, but I need it to work with multi-core fibers. Can you adjust the implementation?

Break Down Complex Tasks

For large changes, break them into smaller steps:

> First, help me understand the current protection mechanism.
> Now, what would I need to change to add a new protection scheme?
> Finally, show me how to register the new scheme with the factory.

Verify Understanding

Ask Claude to confirm your understanding:

> Let me make sure I understand: the EngineProps class holds simulation state, and SimParams holds configuration. Is that correct?