Episode 11: Foundational Q&A

⏱ Est. reading time: 3 min Updated on 5/7/2026

This episode summarizes the 5 most common questions beginners encounter when exploring the Claude Code extension ecosystem.

Q1: What's the difference between a Tool and a Skill?

The Essence:

  • Tool: Atomic capability (e.g., Read/Write/Bash). Think of it as Claude's "Hands." These are built-in features implemented in code.
  • Skill: Workflow template (e.g., gsd-quick). Think of it as Claude's "Recipes." These are instruction sets defined in Markdown.

Analogy: A Tool is an action your hands can do (grab, press), while a Skill is a sequence of those actions (how to use your hands to cook a meal).

Q2: What's the difference between MCP and direct API calls?

  • MCP: Encapsulates external capabilities as Tools. Claude can call them natively (identifying parameters, handling structured JSON returns).
  • Direct API: Usually requires Claude to write curl commands and parse raw text responses itself, which is less efficient and less reliable.

Q3: Can Hooks access Claude's internal thoughts?

No. Hooks can only access:

  1. Tool names and input parameters (PreToolUse).
  2. Tool execution results (PostToolUse).
  3. Session status and environment variables. Hooks cannot intercept or read Claude's internal Chain-of-Thought.

Q4: Can one Skill call another Skill?

Yes, but not like a function call. You can write in a Skill's instructions: "If errors are found, call /gsd-debug." When Claude reads this, it understands that it should initiate a new slash command workflow.

Q5: Is it better to use a Plugin or a manual Skill?

  • Go with a Plugin: If you need MCP services (like databases) or automated Hooks.
  • Go with a Manual Skill: If you just want to quickly create a simple, personal instruction template.