| title | Glossary |
|---|---|
| description | Definitions of terms, acronyms, and concepts used in PromptBasic IDE |
| category | Reference |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| last_updated | 2026-04-10 |
| audience | all |
AI - Artificial Intelligence. In PromptBasic IDE, refers to Anthropic's Claude language model used for interpreting natural language prompts.
API - Application Programming Interface. The set of protocols and tools that allow different software components to communicate.
API Key - A unique authentication token (format: sk-ant-*) required to access Anthropic's API. Must be kept secure and never committed to version control.
Anthropic - The AI company providing the Claude language model used for code generation. Visit: https://anthropic.com/
Backend - The server-side application (Node.js/Express) that processes API requests and proxies them to Anthropic's Claude API.
Browser - The client application where the frontend runs. Supported: Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+, Edge 90+.
Canvas - The visual design surface in the IDE where UI controls are placed using drag-and-drop.
Claude - Anthropic's large language model used for natural language interpretation and code generation.
Control - A UI component that can be placed on the canvas (Button, TextBox, Label, etc.).
Design Phase - First phase of development where controls are dragged and positioned on the canvas.
Drag-and-Drop - User interface technique allowing controls to be selected and moved by clicking and dragging.
Event - An action triggered by user interaction or system state change (e.g., button click).
Event Handler - Code that executes when an event occurs. In PromptBasic, written as natural language prompts.
Environment Variable - A configuration parameter (e.g., ANTHROPIC_API_KEY) stored outside the code for security.
Frontend - The client-side React application that provides the visual IDE interface.
Generated Code - JavaScript code created by Claude AI based on user prompts.
Handler - See Event Handler.
HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol. The standard protocol for web communication.
IDE - Integrated Development Environment. PromptBasic IDE provides visual design, code generation, and runtime execution.
Integration - The process of combining different software components (frontend, backend, AI service).
JavaScript - Programming language executed by web browsers. Used for UI interactions in PromptBasic.
JSON - JavaScript Object Notation. A lightweight data format used for API communication.
LLM - Large Language Model. The AI technology (Claude) used for natural language interpretation.
Machine-Readable - Documentation or data structured so AI systems and computers can easily parse and understand it (JSON, YAML, OpenAPI).
Natural Language - Human language (e.g., English) as opposed to programming code.
Natural Language Programming - Programming paradigm where developers describe behavior in natural language instead of code.
OpenAPI - Specification standard for REST API documentation (file: openapi.yaml).
Prompt - Natural language description of what an event handler should do.
Prompt Engineering - The practice of writing clear, specific prompts to get accurate AI responses.
React - JavaScript library for building user interfaces with component-based architecture.
REST - Representational State Transfer. Architectural style for web APIs.
Runtime - The environment where code executes. In PromptBasic, the browser JavaScript runtime.
Security - Practices ensuring API keys, user data, and generated code are protected.
Server - Backend Node.js/Express application running on port 3001.
State - Current values and conditions of UI controls at a given moment.
Token - A unit of text processed by the AI model. Important for API cost calculation.
Toolbox - Panel in the IDE containing available UI controls for dragging onto the canvas.
Type Safety - Ensuring data types are correct and consistent (currently browser-native; TypeScript migration planned).
UI - User Interface. The visual elements users interact with (buttons, text boxes, etc.).
Vite - Fast build tool and development server used for frontend development.
Visual Basic - Classic programming language and IDE that inspired PromptBasic's interface design.
Web-Based - Application that runs in a web browser rather than being installed natively.
XML - Extensible Markup Language. Used in various configuration and data interchange formats (not heavily used in PromptBasic).
YAML - YAML Ain't Markup Language. Human-readable data format used for configuration and metadata (e.g., frontmatter in documentation).
Zone - A logical area in the application (not currently used, reserved for future multi-area support).
| Acronym | Expansion | Context |
|---|---|---|
| AI | Artificial Intelligence | Claude language model |
| API | Application Programming Interface | Backend communication |
| CRUD | Create, Read, Update, Delete | Database operations (future) |
| CSS | Cascading Style Sheets | Styling controls |
| DOM | Document Object Model | Browser API for manipulating HTML |
| HTML | HyperText Markup Language | Web page structure |
| HTTP | HyperText Transfer Protocol | Web communication |
| IDE | Integrated Development Environment | PromptBasic |
| JSON | JavaScript Object Notation | Data format |
| JWT | JSON Web Token | Authentication (future) |
| LLM | Large Language Model | Claude-based AI |
| MIT | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | License type |
| npm | Node Package Manager | Dependency management |
| OS | Operating System | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| REST | Representational State Transfer | API style |
| UI | User Interface | Visual elements |
| VITE | Next Generation Frontend Tooling | Build tool |
| YAML | YAML Ain't Markup Language | Configuration format |
A programming paradigm where programs are created using graphical elements rather than text-based code.
Automatic creation of executable code from high-level specifications or descriptions.
- Imperative (traditional): Specify HOW to do something with step-by-step instructions
- Declarative (PromptBasic): Specify WHAT you want to happen; the system figures out HOW
Executing code in an isolated environment to prevent malicious behavior.
Automatically refreshing the development server when code changes, without losing state.
Restricting number of API calls to prevent abuse or overuse (429 error when exceeded).
For more detailed information:
- Getting Started - Setup and installation
- API Reference - Endpoint documentation
- Architecture - System design details
- FAQ - Common questions