What code is, and what an AI coding assistant does
Code is a list of instructions a computer follows, like a recipe. An AI coding assistant is a helper who can write the recipe, cook it and taste it, but you decide what dish to make and whether it tastes right.
- Code is written instructions for a computer. A program or app is code that runs. A bug is a mistake in the code that makes the app do the wrong thing.
- A small web page uses three languages that every browser understands:
| Language | Job | Kitchen comparison |
|---|---|---|
| HTML | The content and structure: headings, text, buttons, boxes | The ingredients on the table |
| CSS | The look: colours, spacing, fonts | How the plate is arranged |
| JavaScript | The behaviour: what happens when you click | The cooking steps |
- A file holds code. A folder (also called a directory) holds files. You learned both in Command Line Basics.
- Anthropic describes Claude Code as an agentic coding tool. When you give it a task it works in three phases that blend together: it gathers context (reads your files), takes action (edits files, runs commands), and verifies results (for example by running tests). You can interrupt at any point.
- Claude Code can read your project folder, edit files and run commands in your terminal. It can make mistakes, which is why you stay in the loop: it proposes, you approve.
- Claude Code runs in the terminal, in VS Code and JetBrains, in a desktop app and on the web at claude.ai/code. The engine behind them is the same.
- An AI assistant does not remove the need to understand the result. It saves typing. You still decide what to build and you still check that it works.
- Open a notebook or a text file and write three headings: HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
- Next to each heading, write the job it does in your own words (structure, look, behaviour).
- Open any web page in your browser, right-click a button and choose Inspect (names can differ by browser). Look for the HTML tags.
- Write down one thing on that page that is HTML (a heading), one that is CSS (a colour) and one that is JavaScript (something that changes when you click).
- Read the Overview page of the Claude Code docs and find the list of places you can use it.
- Check: you can explain the three languages with the kitchen comparison, and you can say what "gather context, take action, verify" means.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Host] "What is code? It is a list of instructions a computer follows, like a recipe."
[Text on screen: HTML = structure | CSS = look | JavaScript = behaviour] "A web page uses three languages. HTML is the structure, CSS is the look, JavaScript is what happens when you click."
[Screen: Claude Code reading files in a project folder] "An AI coding assistant like Claude Code can read your files, edit them and run commands."
[Text on screen: Gather context, take action, verify] "It works in a loop: look around, make a change, check the result."
[Host] "You are still the boss. You decide what to build and whether it works."
Pick a web page you use every day. List three things on it that are HTML, two that are CSS and two that are JavaScript. Then write one sentence: "An AI assistant can help me with ___, but I must still check ___."
ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude
Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.
For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.
I'm learning "Coding with AI: your first project from idea to working app" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "What code is, and what an AI coding assistant does". What the lesson teaches: - Code is written instructions for a computer. A program or app is code that runs. A bug is a mistake in the code that makes the app do the wrong thing. - A small web page uses three languages that every browser understands: - Language - Job - Kitchen comparison - HTML - The content and structure: headings, text, buttons, boxes - The ingredients on the table - CSS - The look: colours, spacing, fonts - How the plate is arranged - JavaScript - The behaviour: what happens when you click - The cooking steps - A file holds code. A folder (also called a directory) holds files. You learned both in Command Line Basics. The exercise I'm working on: Pick a web page you use every day. List three things on it that are HTML, two that are CSS and two that are JavaScript. Then write one sentence: "An AI assistant can help me with ___, but I must still check ___." I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "What code is, and what an AI coding assistant does" from the course "Coding with AI: your first project from idea to working app". Here's what the lesson says: Code is a list of instructions a computer follows, like a recipe. An AI coding assistant is a helper who can write the recipe, cook it and taste it, but you decide what dish to make and whether it tastes right. The activity: Pick a web page you use every day. List three things on it that are HTML, two that are CSS and two that are JavaScript. Then write one sentence: "An AI assistant can help me with ___, but I must still check ___." Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Sources
- Claude Code docs, How Claude Code works (the agentic loop): code.claude.com/docs/en/how-claude-code-works
- Claude Code docs, Overview: code.claude.com/docs/en/overview
- MDN Web Docs, What is JavaScript?: developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn_web_development/Core/Scripting/
Set up your workspace
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From idea to a clear request
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Build the first version and open it
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Read the code it wrote
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Test it, fix it and undo safely
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Stay safe, save your work and plan the next project
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Final project
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Quiz
What do HTML, CSS and JavaScript each do?
HTML is structure, CSS is the look, JavaScript is behaviour.
What three phases does Claude Code work through on a task?
Gather context, take action, verify results.
How do you check that Claude Code installed?
Open a new terminal and run claude --version.
Where should you copy install commands from?
The official docs only.
Name the four parts of a good first request.
What it is, what the user does, what it shows, and the rules.
What does plan mode do?
Claude researches and writes a plan; edits are blocked until you approve.
What is a variable?
A named box that holds a value.
Name two test cases beyond the normal case.
Empty input, letters instead of numbers, zero, odd decimals.
What should a bug report include?
What you did, what you expected, what happened and any error message.
Which command or key lets you go back to an earlier point?
/rewind (or Esc twice on an empty prompt).
Do checkpoints replace Git?
No. Git is your real history.
Why must secrets like API keys never go in your code or prompts?
Anyone who sees them can misuse them; keep them in the environment, not in files you share.
Final exam
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Certificate
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