Pair Programming

Required:

• Claude Flow CLI installed (npm install -g claude-flow@alpha)
• Git repository (optional but recommended)

Recommended:

• Testing framework (Jest, pytest, etc.)
• Linter configured (ESLint, pylint, etc.)
• Code formatter (Prettier, Black, etc.)

Quick Start

Basic Session

# Start simple pair programming
claude-flow pair --start

TDD Session

# Test-driven development
claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode tdd \
  --test-first \
  --coverage 90

Complete Guide

Session Control Commands

Starting Sessions

# Basic start
claude-flow pair --start

# Expert refactoring session
claude-flow pair --start \
  --agent senior-dev \
  --focus refactor \
  --verify \
  --threshold 0.98

# Debugging session
claude-flow pair --start \
  --agent debugger-expert \
  --focus debug \
  --review

# Learning session
claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode mentor \
  --pace slow \
  --examples

Session Management

# Check status
claude-flow pair --status

# View history
claude-flow pair --history

# Pause session
/pause [--reason <reason>]

# Resume session
/resume

# End session
claude-flow pair --end [--save] [--report]

Available Modes

Driver Mode

You write code while AI provides guidance.

claude-flow pair --start --mode driver

Your Responsibilities:

• Write actual code
• Implement solutions
• Make immediate decisions
• Handle syntax and structure

AI Navigator:

• Strategic guidance
• Spot potential issues
• Suggest improvements
• Real-time review
• Track overall direction

Best For:

• Learning new patterns
• Implementing familiar features
• Quick iterations
• Hands-on debugging

Commands:

/suggest     - Get implementation suggestions
/review      - Request code review
/explain     - Ask for explanations
/optimize    - Request optimization ideas
/patterns    - Get pattern recommendations

Navigator Mode

AI writes code while you provide direction.

claude-flow pair --start --mode navigator

Your Responsibilities:

• Provide high-level direction
• Review generated code
• Make architectural decisions
• Ensure business requirements

AI Driver:

• Write implementation code
• Handle syntax details
• Implement your guidance
• Manage boilerplate
• Execute refactoring

Best For:

• Rapid prototyping
• Boilerplate generation
• Learning from AI patterns
• Exploring solutions

Commands:

/implement   - Direct implementation
/refactor    - Request refactoring
/test        - Generate tests
/document    - Add documentation
/alternate   - See alternative approaches

Switch Mode

Automatically alternates roles at intervals.

# Default 10-minute intervals
claude-flow pair --start --mode switch

# 5-minute intervals (rapid)
claude-flow pair --start --mode switch --interval 5m

# 15-minute intervals (deep focus)
claude-flow pair --start --mode switch --interval 15m

Handoff Process:

1. 30-second warning before switch
2. Current driver completes thought
3. Context summary generated
4. Roles swap smoothly
5. New driver continues

Best For:

• Balanced collaboration
• Knowledge sharing
• Complex features
• Extended sessions

Specialized Modes

TDD Mode - Test-Driven Development:

claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode tdd \
  --test-first \
  --coverage 100

Workflow: Write failing test → Implement → Refactor → Repeat

Review Mode - Continuous code review:

claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode review \
  --strict \
  --security

Features: Real-time feedback, security scanning, performance analysis

Mentor Mode - Learning-focused:

claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode mentor \
  --explain-all \
  --pace slow

Features: Detailed explanations, step-by-step guidance, pattern teaching

Debug Mode - Problem-solving:

claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode debug \
  --verbose \
  --trace

Features: Issue identification, root cause analysis, fix suggestions

In-Session Commands

Code Commands

/explain [--level basic|detailed|expert]
  Explain the current code or selection

/suggest [--type refactor|optimize|security|style]
  Get improvement suggestions

/implement <description>
  Request implementation (navigator mode)

/refactor [--pattern <pattern>] [--scope function|file|module]
  Refactor selected code

/optimize [--target speed|memory|both]
  Optimize code for performance

/document [--format jsdoc|markdown|inline]
  Add documentation to code

/comment [--verbose]
  Add inline comments

/pattern <pattern-name> [--example]
  Apply a design pattern

Testing Commands

/test [--watch] [--coverage] [--only <pattern>]
  Run test suite

/test-gen [--type unit|integration|e2e]
  Generate tests for current code

/coverage [--report html|json|terminal]
  Check test coverage

/mock <target> [--realistic]
  Generate mock data or functions

/test-watch [--on-save]
  Enable test watching

/snapshot [--update]
  Create test snapshots

Review Commands

/review [--scope current|file|changes] [--strict]
  Perform code review

/security [--deep] [--fix]
  Security analysis

/perf [--profile] [--suggestions]
  Performance analysis

/quality [--detailed]
  Check code quality metrics

/lint [--fix] [--config <config>]
  Run linters

/complexity [--threshold <value>]
  Analyze code complexity

Navigation Commands

/goto <file>[:line[:column]]
  Navigate to file or location

/find <pattern> [--regex] [--case-sensitive]
  Search in project

/recent [--limit <n>]
  Show recent files

/bookmark [add|list|goto|remove] [<name>]
  Manage bookmarks

/history [--limit <n>] [--filter <pattern>]
  Show command history

/tree [--depth <n>] [--filter <pattern>]
  Show project structure

Git Commands

/diff [--staged] [--file <file>]
  Show git diff

/commit [--message <msg>] [--amend]
  Commit with verification

/branch [create|switch|delete|list] [<name>]
  Branch operations

/stash [save|pop|list|apply] [<message>]
  Stash operations

/log [--oneline] [--limit <n>]
  View git log

/blame [<file>]
  Show git blame

AI Partner Commands

/agent [switch|info|config] [<agent-name>]
  Manage AI agent

/teach <preference>
  Teach the AI your preferences

/feedback [positive|negative] <message>
  Provide feedback to AI

/personality [professional|friendly|concise|verbose]
  Adjust AI personality

/expertise [add|remove|list] [<domain>]
  Set AI expertise focus

Metrics Commands

/metrics [--period today|session|week|all]
  Show session metrics

/score [--breakdown]
  Show quality scores

/productivity [--chart]
  Show productivity metrics

/leaderboard [--personal|team]
  Show improvement leaderboard

Role & Mode Commands

/switch [--immediate]
  Switch driver/navigator roles

/mode <type>
  Change mode (driver|navigator|switch|tdd|review|mentor|debug)

/role
  Show current role

/handoff
  Prepare role handoff

Command Shortcuts

Configuration

Basic Configuration

Create .claude-flow/pair-config.json:

{
  "pair": {
    "enabled": true,
    "defaultMode": "switch",
    "defaultAgent": "auto",
    "autoStart": false,
    "theme": "professional"
  }
}

Complete Configuration

{
  "pair": {
    "general": {
      "enabled": true,
      "defaultMode": "switch",
      "defaultAgent": "senior-dev",
      "language": "javascript",
      "timezone": "UTC"
    },

    "modes": {
      "driver": {
        "enabled": true,
        "suggestions": true,
        "realTimeReview": true,
        "autoComplete": false
      },
      "navigator": {
        "enabled": true,
        "codeGeneration": true,
        "explanations": true,
        "alternatives": true
      },
      "switch": {
        "enabled": true,
        "interval": "10m",
        "warning": "30s",
        "autoSwitch": true,
        "pauseOnIdle": true
      }
    },

    "verification": {
      "enabled": true,
      "threshold": 0.95,
      "autoRollback": true,
      "preCommitCheck": true,
      "continuousMonitoring": true,
      "blockOnFailure": true
    },

    "testing": {
      "enabled": true,
      "autoRun": true,
      "framework": "jest",
      "onSave": true,
      "coverage": {
        "enabled": true,
        "minimum": 80,
        "enforce": true,
        "reportFormat": "html"
      }
    },

    "review": {
      "enabled": true,
      "continuous": true,
      "preCommit": true,
      "security": true,
      "performance": true,
      "style": true,
      "complexity": {
        "maxComplexity": 10,
        "maxDepth": 4,
        "maxLines": 100
      }
    },

    "git": {
      "enabled": true,
      "autoCommit": false,
      "commitTemplate": "feat: {message}",
      "signCommits": false,
      "pushOnEnd": false,
      "branchProtection": true
    },

    "session": {
      "autoSave": true,
      "saveInterval": "5m",
      "maxDuration": "4h",
      "idleTimeout": "15m",
      "breakReminder": "45m",
      "metricsInterval": "1m"
    },

    "ai": {
      "model": "advanced",
      "temperature": 0.7,
      "maxTokens": 4000,
      "personality": "professional",
      "expertise": ["backend", "testing", "security"],
      "learningEnabled": true
    }
  }
}

Built-in Agents

{
  "agents": {
    "senior-dev": {
      "expertise": ["architecture", "patterns", "optimization"],
      "style": "thorough",
      "reviewLevel": "strict"
    },
    "tdd-specialist": {
      "expertise": ["testing", "mocks", "coverage"],
      "style": "test-first",
      "reviewLevel": "comprehensive"
    },
    "debugger-expert": {
      "expertise": ["debugging", "profiling", "tracing"],
      "style": "analytical",
      "reviewLevel": "focused"
    },
    "junior-dev": {
      "expertise": ["learning", "basics", "documentation"],
      "style": "questioning",
      "reviewLevel": "educational"
    }
  }
}

CLI Configuration

# Set configuration
claude-flow pair config set defaultMode switch
claude-flow pair config set verification.threshold 0.98

# Get configuration
claude-flow pair config get
claude-flow pair config get defaultMode

# Export/Import
claude-flow pair config export > config.json
claude-flow pair config import config.json

# Reset
claude-flow pair config reset

Profile Management

Create reusable profiles:

# Create profile
claude-flow pair profile create refactoring \
  --mode driver \
  --verify true \
  --threshold 0.98 \
  --focus refactor

# Use profile
claude-flow pair --start --profile refactoring

# List profiles
claude-flow pair profile list

Profile configuration:

{
  "profiles": {
    "refactoring": {
      "mode": "driver",
      "verification": {
        "enabled": true,
        "threshold": 0.98
      },
      "focus": "refactor"
    },
    "debugging": {
      "mode": "navigator",
      "agent": "debugger-expert",
      "trace": true,
      "verbose": true
    },
    "learning": {
      "mode": "mentor",
      "pace": "slow",
      "explanations": "detailed",
      "examples": true
    }
  }
}

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Feature Implementation

Implementing user authentication with JWT tokens:

# Session setup
claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode switch \
  --agent senior-dev \
  --focus implement \
  --verify \
  --test

Session Flow:

👥 Starting pair programming for authentication feature...

[DRIVER: You - 10 minutes]
/explain JWT authentication flow
> AI explains JWT concepts and best practices

/suggest implementation approach
> AI suggests using middleware pattern with refresh tokens

# You write the basic auth middleware structure

[SWITCH TO NAVIGATOR]

[NAVIGATOR: AI - 10 minutes]
/implement JWT token generation with refresh tokens
> AI generates secure token implementation

/test-gen
> AI creates comprehensive test suite

[SWITCH TO DRIVER]

[DRIVER: You - 10 minutes]
# You refine the implementation
/review --security
> AI performs security review, suggests improvements

/commit --message "feat: JWT authentication with refresh tokens"
✅ Truth Score: 0.98 - Committed successfully

Example 2: Bug Fixing

Debugging a memory leak in Node.js:

# Session setup
claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode navigator \
  --agent debugger-expert \
  --focus debug \
  --trace

Session Flow:

👥 Starting debugging session...

/status
> Analyzing application for memory issues...

/perf --profile
> Memory usage growing: 150MB → 450MB over 10 minutes

/find "new EventEmitter" --regex
> Found 3 instances of EventEmitter creation

/inspect eventEmitters --deep
> Discovering listeners not being removed

/suggest fix for memory leak
> AI suggests: "Add removeListener in cleanup functions"

/implement cleanup functions for all event emitters
> AI generates proper cleanup code

/test
> Memory stable at 150MB ✅

/commit --message "fix: memory leak in event emitters"

Example 3: TDD Session

Building shopping cart with test-driven development:

# Session setup
claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode tdd \
  --agent tdd-specialist \
  --test-first

Session Flow:

👥 TDD Session: Shopping Cart Feature

[RED PHASE]
/test-gen "add item to cart"
> AI writes failing test:
  ✗ should add item to cart
  ✗ should update quantity for existing item
  ✗ should calculate total price

[GREEN PHASE]
/implement minimal cart functionality
> You write just enough code to pass tests

/test
> Tests passing: 3/3 ✅

[REFACTOR PHASE]
/refactor --pattern repository
> AI refactors to repository pattern

/test
> Tests still passing: 3/3 ✅

[NEXT CYCLE]
/test-gen "remove item from cart"
> AI writes new failing tests...

Example 4: Code Refactoring

Modernizing legacy code:

# Session setup
claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode driver \
  --focus refactor \
  --verify \
  --threshold 0.98

Session Flow:

👥 Refactoring Session: Modernizing UserService

/analyze UserService.js
> AI identifies:
  - Callback hell (5 levels deep)
  - No error handling
  - Tight coupling
  - No tests

/suggest refactoring plan
> AI suggests:
  1. Convert callbacks to async/await
  2. Add error boundaries
  3. Extract dependencies
  4. Add unit tests

/test-gen --before-refactor
> AI generates tests for current behavior

/refactor callbacks to async/await
# You refactor with AI guidance

/test
> All tests passing ✅

/review --compare
> AI shows before/after comparison
> Code complexity: 35 → 12
> Truth score: 0.99 ✅

/commit --message "refactor: modernize UserService with async/await"

Example 5: Performance Optimization

Optimizing slow React application:

# Session setup
claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode switch \
  --agent performance-expert \
  --focus optimize \
  --profile

Session Flow:

👥 Performance Optimization Session

/perf --profile
> React DevTools Profiler Results:
  - ProductList: 450ms render
  - CartSummary: 200ms render
  - Unnecessary re-renders: 15

/suggest optimizations for ProductList
> AI suggests:
  1. Add React.memo
  2. Use useMemo for expensive calculations
  3. Implement virtualization for long lists

/implement React.memo and useMemo
# You implement with AI guidance

/perf --profile
> ProductList: 45ms render (90% improvement!) ✅

/implement virtualization with react-window
> AI implements virtual scrolling

/perf --profile
> ProductList: 12ms render (97% improvement!) ✅
> FPS: 60 stable ✅

/commit --message "perf: optimize ProductList with memoization and virtualization"

Example 6: API Development

Building RESTful API with Express:

# Session setup
claude-flow pair --start \
  --mode navigator \
  --agent backend-expert \
  --focus implement \
  --test

Session Flow:

👥 API Development Session

/design REST API for blog platform
> AI designs endpoints:
  POST   /api/posts
  GET    /api/posts
  GET    /api/posts/:id
  PUT    /api/posts/:id
  DELETE /api/posts/:id

/implement CRUD endpoints with validation
> AI implements with Express + Joi validation

/test-gen --integration
> AI generates integration tests

/security --api
> AI adds:
  - Rate limiting
  - Input sanitization
  - JWT authentication
  - CORS configuration

/document --openapi
> AI generates OpenAPI documentation

/test --integration
> All endpoints tested: 15/15 ✅

Session Templates

Quick Start Templates

# Refactoring template
claude-flow pair --template refactor
# Focus: Code improvement
# Verification: High (0.98)
# Testing: After each change
# Review: Continuous

# Feature template
claude-flow pair --template feature
# Focus: Implementation
# Verification: Standard (0.95)
# Testing: On completion
# Review: Pre-commit

# Debug template
claude-flow pair --template debug
# Focus: Problem solving
# Verification: Moderate (0.90)
# Testing: Regression tests
# Review: Root cause

# Learning template
claude-flow pair --template learn
# Mode: Mentor
# Pace: Slow
# Explanations: Detailed
# Examples: Many

Session Management

Session Status

claude-flow pair --status

Output:

👥 Pair Programming Session
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Session ID: pair_1755021234567
Duration: 45 minutes
Status: Active

Partner: senior-dev
Current Role: DRIVER (you)
Mode: Switch (10m intervals)
Next Switch: in 3 minutes

📊 Metrics:
├── Truth Score: 0.982 ✅
├── Lines Changed: 234
├── Files Modified: 5
├── Tests Added: 12
├── Coverage: 87% ↑3%
└── Commits: 3

🎯 Focus: Implementation
📝 Current File: src/auth/login.js

Session History

claude-flow pair --history

Output:

📚 Session History
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

1. 2024-01-15 14:30 - 16:45 (2h 15m)
   Partner: expert-coder
   Focus: Refactoring
   Truth Score: 0.975
   Changes: +340 -125 lines

2. 2024-01-14 10:00 - 11:30 (1h 30m)
   Partner: tdd-specialist
   Focus: Testing
   Truth Score: 0.991
   Tests Added: 24

3. 2024-01-13 15:00 - 17:00 (2h)
   Partner: debugger-expert
   Focus: Bug Fixing
   Truth Score: 0.968
   Issues Fixed: 5

Session Persistence

# Save session
claude-flow pair --save [--name <name>]

# Load session
claude-flow pair --load <session-id>

# Export session
claude-flow pair --export <session-id> [--format json|md]

# Generate report
claude-flow pair --report <session-id>

Background Sessions

# Start in background
claude-flow pair --start --background

# Monitor background session
claude-flow pair --monitor

# Attach to background session
claude-flow pair --attach <session-id>

# End background session
claude-flow pair --end <session-id>

Advanced Features

Custom Commands

Define in configuration:

{
  "customCommands": {
    "tdd": "/test-gen && /test --watch",
    "full-review": "/lint --fix && /test && /review --strict",
    "quick-fix": "/suggest --type fix && /implement && /test"
  }
}

Use custom commands:

/custom tdd
/custom full-review

Command Chaining

/test && /commit && /push
/lint --fix && /test && /review --strict

Session Recording

# Start with recording
claude-flow pair --start --record

# Replay session
claude-flow pair --replay <session-id>

# Session analytics
claude-flow pair --analytics <session-id>

Integration Options

With Git:

claude-flow pair --start --git --auto-commit

With CI/CD:

claude-flow pair --start --ci --non-interactive

With IDE:

claude-flow pair --start --ide vscode

Best Practices

Session Practices

1. Clear Goals - Define session objectives upfront
2. Appropriate Mode - Choose based on task type
3. Enable Verification - For critical code paths
4. Regular Testing - Maintain quality continuously
5. Session Notes - Document important decisions
6. Regular Breaks - Take breaks every 45-60 minutes

Code Practices

1. Test Early - Run tests after each change
2. Verify Before Commit - Check truth scores
3. Review Security - Always for sensitive code
4. Profile Performance - Use /perf for optimization
5. Save Sessions - For complex work
6. Learn from AI - Ask questions frequently

Mode Selection

• Driver Mode: When learning, controlling implementation
• Navigator Mode: For rapid prototyping, generation
• Switch Mode: Long sessions, balanced collaboration
• TDD Mode: Building with tests
• Review Mode: Quality focus
• Mentor Mode: Learning priority
• Debug Mode: Fixing issues

Troubleshooting

Session Won't Start

• Check agent availability
• Verify configuration file syntax
• Ensure clean workspace
• Review log files

Session Disconnected

• Use --recover to restore
• Check network connection
• Verify background processes
• Review auto-save files

Poor Performance

• Reduce verification threshold
• Disable continuous testing
• Check system resources
• Use lighter AI model

Configuration Issues

• Validate JSON syntax
• Check file permissions
• Review priority order (CLI > env > project > user > global)
• Run claude-flow pair config validate

Quality Metrics

Truth Score Thresholds

Error:   < 0.90 ❌
Warning: 0.90 - 0.95 ⚠️
Good:    0.95 - 0.98 ✅
Excellent: > 0.98 🌟

Coverage Thresholds

Error:   < 70% ❌
Warning: 70% - 80% ⚠️
Good:    80% - 90% ✅
Excellent: > 90% 🌟

Complexity Thresholds

Error:   > 15 ❌
Warning: 10 - 15 ⚠️
Good:    5 - 10 ✅
Excellent: < 5 🌟

Environment Variables

Override configuration via environment:

export CLAUDE_PAIR_MODE=driver
export CLAUDE_PAIR_VERIFY=true
export CLAUDE_PAIR_THRESHOLD=0.98
export CLAUDE_PAIR_AGENT=senior-dev
export CLAUDE_PAIR_AUTO_TEST=true

Command History

Navigate history:

• ↑/↓ - Navigate through command history
• Ctrl+R - Search command history
• !! - Repeat last command
• !<n> - Run command n from history

Keyboard Shortcuts (Configurable)

Default shortcuts:

{
  "shortcuts": {
    "switch": "ctrl+shift+s",
    "suggest": "ctrl+space",
    "review": "ctrl+r",
    "test": "ctrl+t"
  }
}

Related Commands

• claude-flow pair --help - Show help
• claude-flow pair config - Manage configuration
• claude-flow pair profile - Manage profiles
• claude-flow pair templates - List templates
• claude-flow pair agents - List available agents