- Pair Programming
- Collaborative AI pair programming with intelligent role management, real-time quality monitoring, and comprehensive development workflows.
- What This Skill Does
- This skill provides professional pair programming capabilities with AI assistance, supporting multiple collaboration modes, continuous verification, and integrated testing. It manages driver$navigator roles, performs real-time code review, tracks quality metrics, and ensures high standards through truth-score verification.
- Key Capabilities:
- Multiple Modes
-
- Driver, Navigator, Switch, TDD, Review, Mentor, Debug
- Real-Time Verification
-
- Automatic quality scoring with rollback on failures
- Role Management
-
- Seamless switching between driver$navigator roles
- Testing Integration
-
- Auto-generate tests, track coverage, continuous testing
- Code Review
-
- Security scanning, performance analysis, best practice enforcement
- Session Persistence
- Auto-save, recovery, export, and sharing Prerequisites 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:
30-second warning before switch
Current driver completes thought
Context summary generated
Roles swap smoothly
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
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
- Clear Goals
- - Define session objectives upfront
- Appropriate Mode
- - Choose based on task type
- Enable Verification
- - For critical code paths
- Regular Testing
- - Maintain quality continuously
- Session Notes
- - Document important decisions
- Regular Breaks
- - Take breaks every 45-60 minutes
- Code Practices
- Test Early
- - Run tests after each change
- Verify Before Commit
- - Check truth scores
- Review Security
- - Always for sensitive code
- Profile Performance
- - Use
- $perf
- for optimization
- Save Sessions
- - For complex work
- 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
!
- 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