Migration guides - from other AI tools, version upgrades, config migration. Use when switching from Cursor, Copilot, or Cody, upgrading Claude Code versions, or migrating configurations and customizations.
Migration guides - from other AI tools, version upgrades, config migration. Use when switching from Cursor, Copilot, or Cody, upgrading Claude Code versions, or migrating configurations and customizations.
What are you migrating?
|
+-- From another AI tool?
| +-- GitHub Copilot --> See "From Copilot" section
| +-- Cursor --> See "From Cursor" section
| +-- Sourcegraph Cody --> See "From Cody" section
| +-- Aider --> See "From Aider" section
|
+-- Upgrading Claude Code version?
| +-- Minor version (1.x to 1.y) --> Usually safe, check changelog
| +-- Major version (1.x to 2.x) --> Review breaking changes
|
+-- Migrating configuration?
+-- Personal settings --> ~/.claude/settings.json
+-- Project settings --> .claude/settings.json
+-- Team settings --> .claude/settings.json + git
Tool Comparison Overview
Feature
Claude Code
Copilot
Cursor
Cody
Interface
CLI + IDE
IDE plugin
Full IDE
IDE plugin
Context
Project-wide
File-based
Project-wide
Codebase
Agentic
Yes
Chat only
Yes
Limited
MCP Support
Yes
No
No
No
Hooks
Yes
No
No
No
Skills
Yes
No
No
No
Custom Commands
Yes
Limited
Yes
Limited
Multi-file Edit
Native
Manual
Native
Manual
Git Integration
Deep
Basic
Good
Basic
Core Concepts Mapping
From Copilot
Copilot Concept
Claude Code Equivalent
Copilot Chat
claude command
Inline suggestions
Not applicable (agentic model)
/workspace
Automatic (project context)
/explain
"explain this code" prompt
/fix
"fix this" prompt
/tests
"write tests for this" prompt
From Cursor
Cursor Concept
Claude Code Equivalent
Composer
claude agentic mode
Cursor Tab
Not applicable
.cursorrules
CLAUDE.md
@codebase
Automatic (Glob + Grep)
@docs
WebFetch or MCP servers
Inline edit
Edit tool
From Cody
Cody Concept
Claude Code Equivalent
Cody Chat
claude command
Autocomplete
Not applicable
Commands
Slash commands
Context selection
Automatic context
Embeddings
Glob + Grep search
Migration Workflow
Phase 1: Assessment
Document current tool usage patterns
List custom configurations and rules
Identify key workflows to preserve
Note team conventions and standards
Phase 2: Setup
Install Claude Code: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Run initial setup: claude
Configure authentication
Set permission mode for your workflow
Phase 3: Configuration
Create CLAUDE.md with project context
Migrate rules to .claude/settings.json
Set up hooks for automation
Configure MCP servers if needed
Phase 4: Validation
Test key workflows
Verify file operations work
Check git integration
Validate custom commands
Phase 5: Team Rollout
Document team conventions
Share configuration files
Create onboarding guide
Establish support channel
Configuration File Mapping
Source Tool
Source File
Claude Code Target
Cursor
.cursorrules
CLAUDE.md
Cursor
.cursor/settings.json
.claude/settings.json
Copilot
.github/copilot-instructions.md
CLAUDE.md
Cody
.sourcegraph/cody.json
.claude/settings.json
ESLint/Prettier
Config files
Hooks (PostToolUse)
Key Differences to Understand
Agentic vs Autocomplete
Claude Code operates in an agentic mode:
You describe what you want
Claude plans and executes multiple steps
Tools are used automatically (file read/write, search, bash)
You approve or guide as needed
This differs from autocomplete-style tools where you:
Type code and get suggestions
Accept/reject line by line
Manually trigger chat for larger tasks
Context Window vs Embeddings
Claude Code uses a context window approach:
Relevant files are loaded into context
Glob and Grep search for specific content
CLAUDE.md provides persistent project knowledge
Compaction summarizes when context fills
Other tools may use embeddings:
Entire codebase embedded in vector store
Semantic search for relevant snippets
May miss recent changes until re-indexed
Permission Model
Claude Code has explicit permissions:
File reads may need approval
File writes need approval (unless configured)
Bash commands need approval
Permission modes control automation level
Mode
Description
default
Ask for each sensitive operation
plan
Read-only, suggest but don't execute
acceptEdits
Auto-accept file edits
dontAsk
Trust all project operations
bypassPermissions
Skip all prompts (dangerous)
Common Migration Challenges
Challenge
Solution
No autocomplete
Use agentic workflow: describe, let Claude implement
Different context model
Use CLAUDE.md for persistent context
Team configuration
Commit .claude/settings.json to repo
IDE integration
Use Claude Code with your existing editor
Custom rules
Migrate to CLAUDE.md and hooks
Workflow Translation Examples
Code Review
Copilot/Cursor:
Select code -> Right-click -> "Explain" or "Review"
Claude Code:
claude "review the changes in this PR for bugs and improvements"
Bug Fixing
Copilot/Cursor:
Select error -> "Fix this"
Claude Code:
claude "fix the TypeError in src/api/handler.ts"
Test Generation
Copilot/Cursor:
Select function -> "Generate tests"
Claude Code:
claude "write unit tests for the UserService class"
Code Explanation
Copilot/Cursor:
Select code -> "Explain this"
Claude Code:
claude "explain how the authentication flow works in src/auth/"
