Creating An Online Drawing Tool with AI Code Generation Support

As the final section of the entire guide of ‘Master JavaScript Coding with AI’, we cover another real-world application example with JavaScript's visualization capabilities. Building an online drawing tool offers developers a practical way to explore JavaScript’s capabilities while harnessing the power of AI for efficiency. In this guide, you’ll learn how to create a drawing tool with features such as user authentication, canvas management, and more, using AI-driven code generation. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced developer, this project serves as a fun and educational exercise in JavaScript.

In this section, we’ll cover the following topics:

Key Features of the Online Drawing Tool

Modern online drawing tools provide various functionalities, but this guide focuses on building a beginner-friendly tool with features that are simple yet essential for a smooth user experience. By implementing these features, you’ll gain hands-on experience in JavaScript development and learn how different components come together to create an interactive web application.

Basic Drawing Tool Functionalities

The foundational features of the drawing tool are designed to help users start creating drawings effortlessly:

• Pen Tool: Users can draw on the canvas using a digital pen. The tool will allow you to change the pen's color and thickness, giving you flexibility in your artwork.
• Export Feature: Once the drawing is complete, users can save it as an image file. This feature will help you learn how to transform canvas data into downloadable files.

User Authentication

Adding user authentication introduces a personalized and secure experience for users. Beginners will learn how to manage user data effectively:

• Login and Logout: Users will be able to sign in and out of their accounts securely, ensuring only authorized individuals can access their drawings.
• Draft Saving: Each user’s progress will be saved as drafts, allowing them to continue their work later. This introduces concepts like data persistence and session management.

Canvas and Drawing Draft Management

This feature allows users to handle multiple projects, teaching beginners how to manage dynamic content effectively:

• Multiple Canvases: Users can create, switch between, and delete different canvases. This helps in organizing drawings into separate projects.
• Draft Management: For each canvas, users can save and retrieve drafts. This feature demonstrates how to connect the front end with a database to store and load user-specific data.

By breaking down these features, this guide provides a clear roadmap for beginners to learn how to build a robust and functional drawing tool while mastering core JavaScript skills.

Building an Online Drawing Tool with AI Code Generation

To fully harness the potential of AI and simplify the development process, the project is divided into three focused steps, each addressing a specific functionality:

• Basic Drawing Functionalities: Develop the essential features that allow users to draw on an online canvas and save their work.
• Authentication and Persistence: Implement user authentication and integrate a database to provide secure access and ensure the consistent storage of drawing data.
• Canvas Management: Introduce features to create, organize, and manage multiple canvases efficiently.

This modular approach not only makes the development process more manageable but also allows AI to generate detailed and structured code for each component effectively.

AI Case 1: Implementing Basic Drawing Features

Objective: Build the fundamental functionality of the drawing tool by setting up a backend server and designing an intuitive frontend interface for users to create and save their drawings.

Use the following AI prompt to instruct ChatGPT to generate the necessary code for the application and provide clear execution instructions:

Sample AI prompt:

After running the prompt, follow ChatGPT's instructions carefully. Here are some important tips to keep in mind:

• Make sure the project folder is set as the current working directory in your terminal before running any npm commands. This ensures that dependency packages are installed correctly.
• Verify that all key features are implemented as intended and that the user interfaces are functional, intuitive, and well-designed.

To assist you further, sample code is available in GitHub repository.

Watch the video below to see what the app looks like:

AI Case 2: Integrating User Authentication and Database

Objective: Improve the drawing tool by adding secure user authentication and persistent data storage with MongoDB. This step involves implementing user registration and login functionalities with password protection. Additionally, MongoDB will be integrated to securely store user credentials and chat messages.

Use the following AI prompt (in the same ChatGPT session as AI Case 1) to generate the necessary code for the application and detailed execution instructions:

Sample AI prompt:

After running the prompt, follow ChatGPT's instructions and keep these tips in mind:

Error Handling: While ChatGPT strives to provide error-free code, issues may still arise. If you encounter errors, share the exact error message with ChatGPT for assistance. Errors can occur in various places:

• Terminal: For example, a JavaScript syntax error.
• Browser Console: Such as a "400 Bad Request" error.
• User Interface (UI): Issues like incorrectly applied CSS styles.

Partial Code Updates: ChatGPT may sometimes provide only a portion of the updated code. If you are unsure where to place it, ask ChatGPT to deliver the complete updated code for clarity.

Database Issues: If problems arise with your database (e.g., the database isn’t running), refer to the integration guide provided earlier. Managing three terminal windows can help streamline the process:

• Window 1: Start the database (e.g., MongoDB).
• Window 2: Monitor the database status.
• Window 3: Run the web application.

Port Conflicts: If port 3000 is already in use by another application, stop it by pressing Ctrl + C in the terminal before restarting your app.

Code Review: Review your code thoroughly using the knowledge gained from this guide. Clearly identify issues and provide detailed information when seeking help from ChatGPT. The more specific your request, the better the support you’ll receive.

By following these guidelines, you’ll be better equipped to troubleshoot, refine, and improve your code with ChatGPT’s assistance.

To assist you further, sample code is available in GitHub repository.

Watch the video below to see what the app looks like:

AI Case 3: Adding Multiple Canvas Management Features

Objective: Expand the drawing tool's functionality by enabling support for multiple canvases. This involves adding features to save, delete, and switch between canvases while keeping drawing histories well-organized. MongoDB will be used to store drafts for each canvas, ensuring that user data is securely maintained and easily retrievable.

The user interface will be enhanced with a sidebar displaying a list of available canvases. This update will simplify navigation and allow users to seamlessly manage multiple canvases and their corresponding drafts.

Use the following AI prompt (in the same ChatGPT session as AI Case 1 and Case 2) to generate the code needed for this functionality and follow the provided execution instructions.

Sample AI prompt:

After running the prompt, follow ChatGPT's instructions while keeping the tips from Case 1 and Case 2 in mind. You can also expand the features further, such as adding an image upload feature.

To assist you further, sample code is available in GitHub repository.

Watch the video below to see what the app looks like:

Closing of ‘Master JavaScript Coding with AI’

This guide marks the final section of a comprehensive journey into mastering JavaScript with the support of AI tools. By creating a functional online drawing tool, you’ve explored how JavaScript can be applied to build real-world applications. The project has demonstrated key aspects such as drawing tool functionalities, user authentication, and canvas management, all while leveraging AI to streamline the development process.

Through this series, you’ve not only learned JavaScript fundamentals like syntax, operators, and control statements but also progressed into advanced topics, including manipulating web pages, working with APIs, and building entire web applications. Each chapter was crafted to provide practical knowledge, guiding you from basic concepts to creating robust, scalable solutions.

As you complete this guide, consider revisiting earlier chapters to reinforce your understanding or exploring new projects to expand your skills. With JavaScript and AI, the possibilities for innovation are vast. Whether you aim to develop interactive web applications, automate workflows, or build creative tools, the foundation you’ve built here will serve you well on your coding journey.

Reference links:

MongoDB documentation