I am searching for way to teach JavaScript in the age of AI, an age where there is less initial emphasis on mastering code.

Teaching programming correctly changes lives, and yet it is not something that has been done well.

I usually send everyone to video and text tutorials, p5js and Node-RED, but those are far from good starting points.

My visual programming language requires some initial testing work, so adding in a series of tools to play with code is a useful detour.

Even so I wasn’t going to write this text, but I randomly stubbed upon Incredible Machine recently.

I’ve been mindful of the game for many years, it is an ancient pixel art game about making Rube Goldberg machines.

When the notion is brought to JavaScript Visual Programming, creating a rewarding learning environment becomes a possibility.

Rather than scaring Pokey the cat by popping red balloons, a visual programming game can be made about real technologies.

And can result in real applications, web extensions that transform or combine websites in useful ways.

And of-course AI automation, where multiple AI can be joined, to solve specific problems that large application can’t reach.

Hacking challenges doubles the fun, here the UI components, and the target are both a game.

And the resulting application is mastery over and good practice of top security issues.

Today, orchestrating interesting code games requires a setup, that is simply too much for a novice programmer.

But a merger of a Rube Goldberg machine and Visual Programming, creates a fun and easy on-ramp, and a place to put the code in.

With AI assistant everywhere, or a local ollama installation, there isn’t much here to stop a curious person from learning.

To give a solid example Erlang’s OTP Supervisor/WorkQueue combo, is too much for a novice, even when done in JavaScript.

But when presented on the screen as a visual program, it is just two boxes, it is shamefully trivial.

Building user interfaces is also possible by using templates, as they soak up all the nested concerns and expose zones for lists.

Beyond that Access/FileMaker/ActiveRecord and ORM all somewhat scary, are just a few boxes and lines.

A novice programmer, barely used to the syntax, can easily begin visualizing complex concepts.

With AI automating and guiding the user, there maybe a way, to replace game scores, with actual money making.

The student would be conducting a small AI orchestra, something made possible by visual Programming decreasing complexity.

AI based automation need not create slop when done correctly, here are good example would be workout programs.

Fresh music at just the precise speed an duration, that the users need to increase their endurance.

There must be countless such little ideas, leading to stable side projects, and; completing the game.