I'm 14 and I'm Building a Desktop API Client with a Built-in AI Panel — Here's Where I'm At

I'm 14 and I'm Building a Desktop API Client with a Built-in AI Panel — Here's Where I'm At

I've been coding for 8 months. Self-taught, no bootcamp, no CS degree. Just me, my laptop, and way too many late nights.

I had a simple idea: what if your API client had an AI assistant built directly into it? Not a browser extension, not a separate tab — just right there while you're testing endpoints. You send a request, something breaks, you ask the AI panel without ever leaving the app.

That's PingPaddle. And I'm currently 45% of the way through building it.

The Stack

Electron + React + Vite for the desktop app

Node.js + Express for a CORS proxy backend

Python + FastAPI for the AI backend

Groq API for the AI model

CodeMirror + Prism for syntax highlighting

What's Built So Far

The core client

Color-coded HTTP method dropdown — GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH each have their own color so you can glance and know

Full request builder with headers, body, params

Status / time / size indicators on every response

Response analytics

Live response speed chart — tracks ms across requests with a smooth curve

Response size tracker alongside it

Both visible at a glance, no digging through menus

(screenshot above — that chart is fully working)

Response viewer

Syntax-highlighted JSON and HTML responses

Large HTML responses load in a sandboxed iframe instead of nuking the viewer

Tabbed response headers viewer alongside the body

Request history

Every request logged with method, URL, and status code

Color coded — green GET, the works

Searchable and re-loadable

(screenshot above — history panel in action)

CORS proxy

Runs on localhost:3000/proxy so browser-side restrictions don't block you

Built with Express, handles the boring stuff so you don't have to

The AI panel

Groq-powered chat sidebar baked directly into the app

You're mid-request, something's off, you just ask — no context switching, no tab hopping

What's Still in Progress

Collections and saved requests

Environment variables

A scroll-driven panel transition using Framer Motion that I have fully mapped out in my head — it's going to look clean

General polish and stability