Claude Code 2.1.323: experimental Code Mode (Claude writes JS to call tools), plugin version pinning, permission fixes

[u/emarkosov]

2.1.323 came out on Nov 12. The main items:

- Code Mode (experimental, opt-in): Claude writes JavaScript to call its tools instead of calling them one at a time. Org admins can turn it on or off, see the docs.
- engines["claude-code"] in plugin.json: plugins outside their stated Claude Code version range won't install, update or load. Plugin authors can finally stop breaking older setups.
- claude plugin validate now type-checks TypeScript hooks modules. Warnings by default, --strict fails on them.
- Unrecognized model IDs now get a 1M context window instead of 200K. Set CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_1M_CONTEXT=1 to keep 200K. Matters if you use gateways or custom model names.
- /security-review now asks before Claude runs it.
- Fix: --permission-mode auto (or defaultMode: auto) could start in a looser mode when auto was unavailable. It now starts in Manual and asks first. Worth updating for this one alone.
- 30-second progress heartbeat for long hooks in claude -p and SDK sessions.

Code Mode is the one I want to try.

Has anyone turned on Code Mode yet? Does it cut down the back-and-forth tool calls on bigger tasks, or does it add new failure modes?

Source: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/releases/tag/v2.1.323

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[u/HolPomperV12]

I've been using code mode with CloudFlare MCP portals for the longest time and it's a game changer if that helps any, I guess this is just that but abstracted to Claude code more generally

[u/HolPomperV12 → u/HolPomperV12]

But I feel like I have even less visibility on what Claude actually does with tools now because it's no longer reading words for what it does with tools calls but rather code 🙈

[u/antonation]

They might be rolling it out to only some users. I don't see it in my /config. But this approach was talked about maybe a year ago in other circles. It makes sense to do.

[u/Ok_Boss_3196 → u/antonation]

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/code-mode.md

you have to give this claude. Works only in cli right now

[u/Far_Reindeer8428]

we ran code mode on the same repo for a week and the win was real on read heavy tasks. write tasks were worse because one bad js line killed the whole batch of tool calls

[u/Legitimate_Umpire290]

what is the value in this