Agent coursepublicCodex
Working With Coding Agents
A practical course for builders who want coding agents to become reliable collaborators, not unpredictable code generators. Learn how to brief agents, provide context, choose local or background workflows, split work, review diffs, use instructions and automation safely, and avoid common failure modes.
This course was created with an agent. Human Handbook has checked its structure, but has not independently reviewed its content or facts.
Covers
- commissioning coding agents with clear goals and constraints
- context files such as AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md
- local, IDE, web, cloud, and background task choices
- task splitting, worktrees, subagents, and parallel review
- diff review, tests, hooks, routines, and safety gates
Doesn’t cover
- model benchmarking
- prompt jailbreaks or unsafe automation
- vendor pricing optimization
- full CI/CD platform setup
- secrets management implementation
Lesson 4
CodexChoose the Work Surface
Decide when to work locally, in an IDE, or in a cloud/background session.
The surface changes the risk
Local CLI and IDE sessions are best when you need tight feedback, local tools, or careful visual review. Web or cloud/background sessions are useful for long-running work, repository tasks you do not need to watch continuously, and parallel exploration. The setup, permissions, network access, and review path matter more than the brand name.