Learn Ampt, Elixir and Gulp

Elixir is a dynamic, functional language designed for building scalable and maintainable applications.

Elixir leverages the Erlang VM, known for running low-latency, distributed and fault-tolerant systems, while also being successfully used in web development and the embedded software domain.

elixir

Some common uses for pattern matching in Elixir include checking conditions and passing parameters into functions. It's useful for pulling out only specific variables from collections of data.

Additional resources:
- [Elixir docs on pattern matching](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/pattern-matching.html)

Pattern match in conditions and function parameters in Elixir

Elixir uses `=` as an operator, but rather than assigning values to variables with it, it *matches* values on the right hand side of the `=` with the left side. This can be used in simple values, more complex data structures, and powerful condition checking.

Put into simpler terms, pattern matching is Elixir's way of assigning variables.

Additional resources:
- [Elixir docs on pattern matching](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/pattern-matching.html)

Pattern match values in Elixir

These videos include the introductory steps to writing your first Elixir function and beginning to understand some key concepts in Elixir that make it unique. 

Some of those concepts include:
- the Mix build tool
- project structure
- collections of functions written in modules
- function *arity*
- pattern matching and common uses for it
- the pipe operator

Getting Started with Elixir

The syntax to pass arguments into functions is akin to many other languages. Elixir functions are uniquely recognized when running based off of the number of arguments passed in (a term called *arity*). This means you can define functions with the same name, so long as a different number of arguments is passed in.

Arity is a key concept to be aware of when reading documentation and writing your own code.

Additional resources:
- [Information about arity](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/modules-and-functions.html#function-capturing)
- [Default arguments in functions](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/modules-and-functions.html#default-arguments)

Pass arguments into Elixir functions and understand arity

Elixir code is organized into groups of functions called modules. You can create your own modules and built on top of predefined modules that are a part of Elixir by default.

Additional resources: 
- [Getting started with Modules and function from Elixir docs](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/modules-and-functions.html)

Write a New Function Inside of an Elixir Module

Bootstrap a new Elixir project using Mix (a build tool included when you install Elixir), with its built in project generation.

Additional resources:
- [Official introduction to Mix](https://elixir-lang.org/getting-started/mix-otp/introduction-to-mix.html#our-first-project)

Generate a new Elixir project using Mix

The pipe operator is an easy to use and powerful feature of Elixir. It takes the output from the expression on the left, and automatically passes it as the first argument to the function on the right. This is especially useful when chaining together multiple function calls or data transformations. Using the pipe operator results in code that's easier to read, write and refactor.

Chain Function Calls with the Pipe Operator in Elixir

Gulp is a toolkit for automating painful or time-consuming tasks in your development workflow, so you can stop messing around and build something.

gulp

We will look at bundling your JavaScript files using Gulp, Gulp-Concat, and Gulp-Uglify

Bundling Your JavaScript Files with Gulp

Babel has support for the latest version of JavaScript through syntax transformers. These plugins allow you to use new syntax, right now without waiting for browser support.

babel

What is already a nice workflow using Gulp, Browserify, Watchify & Browsersync to enable auto rebuilds & live browser reloading can be further improved by adding Babelify. A simple wrapper around the popular transpiler Babel, Babelify can ‘transform’ source files as they pass through our stream to enable certain Javascript features not yet available in the Browser or Node. We end the lesson by looking at how to generate & extract sourcemaps using `exorcist`.

Gulp and Browserify - Adding Babel & Source Maps

Building upon the `watch` task that we begin this lesson with, we’ll look at how to create a local development server using the `app` directory as the web root. By using Browsersync to achieve this, we can also instruct all connected browsers to automatically reload each time our bundle is re-generated. Browsersync has a public `.stream()` method that is designed exactly for this purpose.

Gulp and Browserify - Adding Live Reload with Browsersync

Beginning with a single Gulp task capable of generating a one-time Browserify bundle, we enable file-watching and incremental rebuilds by incorporating Watchify. We add a second task `watch` & refactor our initial code to enable the bulk of it to be re-used. We’ll look at exactly how to ‘wire’ these tools together and how the relationship between Watchify & Browserify can manifest into a seriously efficient workflow.

Gulp and Browserify - Hooking up Watchify

Browserify lets you require('modules') in the browser by bundling up all of your dependencies.

browserify

Let's look at the basics of setting up Gulp and Browserify. Creating a Gulp task from scratch, we'll cover how to utilise the Browserify API to generate a single `bundle.js` file, catch and log any errors that occur in the compilation process, transform the stream into a format that can be consumed by `gulp.dest` and finish by writing the bundle to a `dist` directory.

Gulp and Browserify - Initial Setup

A brief introduction to using GulpJS in your JavaScript application and creating your first Gulp task.

Installing and Writing a Default Task with Gulp

Hardcoding your script to search for only one type of file (like `.md`) is a major limitation. This lesson shows you how to make your script smarter by teaching it to infer the desired file type directly from the user's natural language prompt.

You'll implement a two-stage AI process. The first stage analyzes the user's request to determine the file extension they're interested in (e.g., `md`, `txt`). The second stage then uses that file type to dynamically search the file system, find the relevant files, and execute the command.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

* Add a preliminary `generateObject` call to extract a `fileType` from the user's initial prompt.
* Define a list of supported `fileTypes` (e.g., `['md', 'txt']`) and use a detailed prompt to guide the AI, instructing it to choose from the list or use a default.
* Dynamically construct the `globby` pattern using the inferred `fileType` (e.g., `*.$[fileType]`).
* Implement error handling to inform the user if they request an unsupported file type or if no files of the specified type are found.
* Demonstrate how the script defaults to searching for Markdown files but can correctly search for other types when specified (e.g., "summarize my profile from my pdf").

This technique adds a significant layer of intelligence to your script, allowing it to adapt its behavior based on the user's intent and making it a far more flexible and intuitive command-line tool.

John Lindquist

Dynamically Inferring File Types from User Prompts in Local AI Scripts

Hardcoding command logic and prompts directly into your script makes it rigid and difficult to extend. This lesson demonstrates a more flexible and powerful pattern: defining your script's commands as individual Markdown files in a dedicated directory.

This approach allows you to easily add, remove, or modify commands without touching the core script logic. You'll learn how to dynamically load these command files, present them as options to the AI, and inject the corresponding instructions into your prompt, creating a truly modular and extensible tool.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

* Create a `commands` directory to house your command definitions (e.g., `summarize.md`, `translate.md`).
* In each file, write the specific prompt or instructions for that command.
* Use `globby` to discover all available command files at runtime.
* Create a `commandMap` that maps the filename (e.g., "summarize") to its file content.
* Update the Zod schema to use an `enum` of the dynamically discovered command names.
* Dynamically construct the final text generation prompt by injecting the instructions from the user-selected command file.
* Add a `profile.md` file to demonstrate how the script can act on user-created content with the new file-based commands.

By the end of this lesson, your script will be architected for easy expansion, allowing you to build a robust library of custom commands simply by adding new text files.

Creating Dynamic, File-Based Commands for Local AI Scripts

AI models won't always give you the answer you expect; sometimes they'll return invalid data or "hallucinate" a response that doesn't fit your schema. This lesson teaches you how to make your local AI script more robust by implementing essential error handling for user commands.

You'll learn how to validate the AI's output against a predefined list of valid commands and gracefully catch errors when the model generates an unexpected response, ensuring your script fails predictably and provides helpful feedback to the user.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

* Define a list of `validCommands` (e.g., `summarize`, `translate`, `review`) to constrain the AI's choices.
* Wrap the `generateObject` call in a `try...catch` block to handle cases where the AI's output doesn't match the Zod schema.
* Implement a type guard function (`isValidCommand`) to check if the command returned by the AI is in your list of valid commands.
* Provide clear error messages to the user, indicating what went wrong and what the valid commands are.
* Test the script with invalid commands (like "taco" or "delete") to confirm that the error handling works as expected.

By adding these checks, you make your script significantly more reliable and user-friendly, preventing it from crashing on bad input and guiding the user toward correct usage.

Handling Invalid Commands and AI Errors in Local Scripts

Once your script can understand a user's command and identify a target file, the next step is to perform an action. This lesson shows you how to use the Vercel AI SDK's `generateText` function to process a file's content and produce a relevant, AI-generated response.

You'll learn how to read the content from the file path you've already identified, combine it with the inferred command into a new, more detailed prompt, and then pass it back to your local AI model to generate a final text output, such as a summary or a review.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

* Import the `generateText` function from the `ai` SDK.
* Read the file content from the `filePath` returned by `generateObject`.
* Construct a new, structured prompt that includes the original command (e.g., "summarize") and the full content of the file.
* Pass this new prompt to the `generateText` function.
* Log the resulting AI-generated text to the console.
* Run the script with commands like "Summarize our TypeScript config" or "Review my package file" to see the full, context-aware output.

This lesson completes the core cycle of your AI script: understanding a command, reading the relevant context, and generating a useful, text-based result, all on your local machine.

Generating Text with a Local AI Model Based on File Content

A command is useless without knowing what to act upon. This lesson elevates your local AI script by giving it context from your project's file system. You'll learn how to find all relevant files and empower the AI to intelligently select the correct one based on your prompt.

The core technique involves using the `globby` package to scan for files and then feeding that list into a Zod `enum`. This constrains the AI's choices to a valid set of files, allowing it to accurately determine which file you're referring to in a natural language command.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

* Install and import the `globby` library to find files based on a pattern (e.g., all `.json` files).
* Add a `filePath` field to your Zod schema.
* Define the `filePath` as `z.enum(files)`, where `files` is the array of file paths returned by `globby`.
* Pass a natural language prompt like "Summarize our typescript config" to the script.
* Observe how the AI correctly identifies `tsconfig.json` from the list of available JSON files and returns it as structured data.

This lesson is a crucial step toward building powerful, context-aware tools that can intelligently interact with your project's files based on simple, human-readable commands.

Providing File System Context to Local AI Scripts with Globby and Zod Enums

Hardcoded prompts are great for testing, but a truly useful script needs to respond to dynamic user input. This lesson shows you how to make your local AI script interactive by capturing command-line arguments.

You'll learn how to use Node.js's built-in `parseArgs` utility to take a user's natural language command directly from the terminal and pass it to your local language model for processing.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

* Import the `parseArgs` function from the `node:util` module.
* Configure `parseArgs` to accept positional arguments from the command line.
* Replace the static, hardcoded prompt with the dynamic input provided by the user.
* Run the script with different sentences (e.g., `"Download a file"` or `"I want to download a file"`) to demonstrate that the AI can correctly infer the core command regardless of the phrasing.

By the end of this short lesson, your script will be able to accept and process commands directly from the user, making it a flexible and reusable command-line tool.

Processing Dynamic User Input in Local AI Scripts

While command-line chats with local AI models are useful, the real power comes from scripting. This lesson walks you through the initial setup for creating powerful, local AI-driven scripts by combining Ollama, the Vercel AI SDK, and Zod.

You'll learn how to take a natural language command, like "Concatenate all of the markdown files in my Downloads folder into a single file," and use the `generateObject` function to intelligently extract structured, actionable data from it.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

* Install and set up the `ollama-ai-provider`, `ai`, and `zod` packages.
* Create a local AI model instance using Ollama and the Gemma 3 model.
* Define a Zod schema to specify the exact data structure you want to extract (e.g., `{ command: string }`).
* Use `generateObject` to pass a natural language prompt to the local model and receive a structured JSON object that matches your schema.
* Run the script using `bun` to see the local model successfully infer the "concatenate" command from a full sentence.

This foundational lesson unlocks the ability to build sophisticated, automated workflows by translating human language into machine-readable commands, all running entirely on your local machine.

Scripting Local Language Models with Ollama and the Vercel AI SDK

### **Build Powerful, Local AI-Driven Command-Line Scripts**

Go beyond simple AI chats and unlock the true potential of local language models by learning to script them. This course will guide you step-by-step through the process of building a flexible and intelligent command-line tool that can understand natural language, interact with your file system, and automate complex tasks—all running entirely on your local machine.

Starting with a blank TypeScript file, you'll learn how to combine the power of **Ollama**, the **Vercel AI SDK**, and **Zod** to create a script that's not just functional, but smart. We'll begin by teaching the AI to parse a simple command from a sentence. From there, we'll progressively add layers of sophistication: processing dynamic user input, making the script aware of your project's files, and generating meaningful text-based output.

You'll also learn critical patterns for building robust and extensible tools. We'll cover how to handle invalid commands and unexpected AI responses gracefully. Then, you'll refactor the script to use a modular, file-based system for its commands, allowing you to easily add new functionality without touching the core logic. Finally, we'll add a layer of intelligence that allows your script to infer exactly what you mean, right down to the type of file you want it to process.

By the end of this course, you will have built a powerful, personalized AI assistant and gained the foundational skills to create sophisticated local automations for any task you can imagine.

**What You'll Learn:**

* How to script local language models using Ollama and the Vercel AI SDK.
* To parse and process dynamic user input from the command line.
* To use Zod schemas, including `enums`, to validate and structure AI model output.
* Techniques for providing file-system context to your scripts with `globby`.
* How to generate context-aware text based on file content.
* Robust error handling for invalid user commands and unexpected AI responses.
* To build a modular and extensible tool by defining commands in separate files.
* To intelligently infer user intent, such as dynamically determining file types from a prompt.

Build a local AI-powered command-line assistant from scratch. Learn to use Ollama, Vercel AI SDK & Zod to parse input, automate tasks, and run scripts offline.

This lesson demonstrates how to give Cursor direct access to your terminal output using the [Nx MCP extension](https://nx.dev/getting-started/ai-integration?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=videos&utm_campaign=Nx-AI&utm_id=Nx-AI), enabling automatic error detection and fixing in monorepo projects.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

- Encounter a runtime error when serving a Vite application in an Nx monorepo
- Install and configure the Nx Console extension with MCP integration
- Ask Cursor to check your terminal for errors and fix the underlying issues
- Watch as the AI accesses running task details and terminal output through Nx MCP tools
- Observe how it analyzes workspace relationships to identify incorrect imports and missing dependencies

**Key benefits:**

- Seamless Error Handling: AI gains direct access to terminal output and running task information
- Automatic Diagnosis: Accurately identify the root cause of errors without manual copying
- Context-Aware Fixes: Leverage workspace knowledge to implement proper solutions
- Reduced Context Switching: Eliminate the need to manually relay information between terminal and AI



Juri Strumpflohner

Enable Cursor to directly access the terminal to read the output and fix issues

See how Nx MCP gives AI coding assistants direct access to terminal output and running tasks, enabling automatic error detection and fixing.

This lesson demonstrates how to solve the predictability problem when using AI to generate code in monorepos by combining Cursor with Nx generators.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

- Explore how Nx generators provide predictable scaffolding for new libraries
- Set up [Nx Console with MCP](https://nx.dev/features/enhance-AI?utm_source=egghead&utm_medium=videos&utm_campaign=Nx-AI&utm_id=Nx-AI) integration to expose generator capabilities to Cursor
- Use the AI assistant to brainstorm a new feature with the help of the Nx MCP tools
- Have Cursor leverage the Nx MCP tools to trigger the appropriate Nx generator for creating a React-based feature library
- Observe how the AI assistant takes the generated library and further integrates it into the codebase

**Key benefits:**

- **Predictable Code Structure**: Ensure generated libraries follow your project's and organization's conventions
- **Consistent Setup**: Maintain uniform configuration across TypeScript projects and package.json files
- **Guided Implementation**: Combine AI instructions with structured, predictable code generation

Enable Cursor to generate predictable project setups

Learn how to combine Cursor AI with Nx generators for predictable library creation in monorepos, ensuring consistent structure across your codebase.

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