After this lesson, you will be able to: Use a browser-based IDE and AI coding agents to scaffold and prototype apps quickly, and understand the tradeoffs vs. local development.
Browser-based IDEs like the one LastWrite ships with let you write, run, and deploy code without installing anything. Pair them with an AI coding agent and a single prompt can scaffold a working app for you to iterate on. This lesson is about using both well, and understanding when browser tools shine vs. when you need to move local.
Zero install. Works on any computer with a browser. Free tier covers what you've done so far. Built-in deployment to a public URL. Multi-file projects, real terminals, secrets management, and collaboration, all without setting up anything locally.
An AI coding agent typically lives on the homepage of a hosted editor and is ready when you sign in.
Sign in to the editor
On the home page, type a prompt like: "a simple expense tracker app with add, list, and delete features, using Express and SQLite"
The agent scaffolds the project, runs it, and shows you the live URL
Use the chat to iterate: "add a category dropdown" or "show a chart of expenses by category"
When you're happy, click Deploy to publish it
Stay in your editor for: tutorials, prototypes, small demos, classroom work. Move to local + Cursor/Claude Code when: you need fast feedback loops with type checking, you have complex multi-file refactors, you want to use specific tools (Tailwind, Prisma, Stripe), or you're working with sensitive secrets you don't want in a browser tab.
Pick one of: getting started fast, learning fundamentals, building production systems.
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