Tutorials#
In-depth tutorials organized by topic. Each tutorial takes 30-60 minutes to complete.
Start Here#
New to Jac? Begin with the Build Your First App tutorial -- a 3-part guide that takes you from zero to a multi-user AI-powered app:
| Part | What You'll Build | Concepts |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Todo App | Working todo app with graph persistence | Nodes, def:pub, reactive frontend |
| Part 2: Add AI | AI categorization + meal planner | by llm(), enum, obj, sem |
| Part 3: Walkers, Auth & Structure | Auth, walkers, multi-file structure | walker:priv, authentication, components |
First App vs Full-Stack Tutorials
Build Your First App is a quick end-to-end journey -- build one app across three parts, learning concepts as you go. Full-Stack Apps (below) is a deep-dive into each concept individually. New to Jac? Start with Build Your First App. Want to understand a specific topic (routing, state, auth)? Use the Full-Stack tutorials as targeted reference.
Learning Paths#
Choose a path based on what you want to build:
Core Language#
Master Jac fundamentals and its unique features.
| Tutorial | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jac Basics | Syntax, types, functions - coming from Python | 30 min |
| Object-Spatial Programming | Nodes, edges, walkers, graph traversal | 45 min |
| Testing | Write and run tests for your code | 20 min |
AI Integration#
Build AI-powered applications with byLLM.
| Tutorial | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| byLLM Quickstart | First LLM-integrated function | 20 min |
| Structured Outputs | Type-safe responses with enums and objects | 30 min |
| Agentic AI | Tool calling and ReAct patterns | 45 min |
Full-Stack Development#
Build complete web applications with jac-client.
| Tutorial | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Project Setup | Create a full-stack Jac project | 15 min |
| Components | Build React-style UI components | 30 min |
| State Management | Reactive state with hooks | 30 min |
| Backend Integration | Connect frontend to walkers | 30 min |
| Authentication | Add user login and signup | 30 min |
| Routing | Multi-page applications | 20 min |
Production Deployment#
Deploy your applications to production.
| Tutorial | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Local API Server | Run as HTTP API with jac start |
15 min |
| Kubernetes Deployment | Scale with jac start --scale |
30 min |
Examples Gallery#
Complete applications to study and learn from.
| Example | Description | Level |
|---|---|---|
| LittleX | Twitter clone in 200 lines | Intermediate |
| EmailBuddy | AI email assistant | Intermediate |
| RAG Chatbot | Document Q&A with MCP | Advanced |
| RPG Generator | AI-generated game levels | Advanced |
Prerequisites#
Before starting tutorials, ensure you have:
- Jac installed (
pip install jaseci) - Completed the Quick Guide
- A code editor (VS Code with Jac extension recommended)
Assumed knowledge:
- Python familiarity required -- Jac supersets Python; you should be comfortable with functions, classes, and type annotations
- React/JSX familiarity helpful -- for full-stack tutorials, basic component and hook knowledge helps
- Web development basics helpful -- HTTP, REST, frontend/backend separation
For AI tutorials, you'll also need:
- An LLM API key (OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google)
How to Use These Tutorials#
- Follow in order within each path - tutorials build on each other
- Type the code yourself - don't just copy-paste
- Experiment - modify examples to test your understanding
- Check the reference - link to Language Reference for details
Quick Reference Links#
| Need | Resource |
|---|---|
| Syntax lookup | Language Reference |
| CLI commands | CLI Reference |
| Configuration | jac.toml Reference |
| Get help | Discord Community |