# Aesthetic Computer

> An open creative computing platform for making art, games, and tools in the browser using JavaScript and KidLisp.

Aesthetic Computer is a browser-based creative coding environment. Users write programs called "pieces" in JavaScript (.mjs) or KidLisp (.lisp) that run in a custom runtime with a pixel-art canvas, audio engine, and networking layer.

The main interface is a command prompt. Type a piece name and press Enter to load it. Pieces can also be accessed directly via URL: https://aesthetic.computer/{piece-name}

User-created pieces are stored under handles: https://aesthetic.computer/@{handle}/{piece-name}

KidLisp pieces use short codes: https://aesthetic.computer/${code}

## Core Features

- [Prompt](https://aesthetic.computer/prompt): Command-line interface for navigating pieces, with LLM fallback for natural language
- [Painting](https://aesthetic.computer/painting): Digital painting viewer and tool
- [List](https://aesthetic.computer/list): Browse published pieces and commands
- [About](https://aesthetic.computer/about): Interactive guide explaining the platform

## Creative Tools

- [Line](https://aesthetic.computer/line): Simple line drawing brush
- [Wand](https://aesthetic.computer/wand): Geometric visualization with VR support
- [Camera](https://aesthetic.computer/camera): Capture a still from the camera into the current painting
- [Whistlegraph](https://aesthetic.computer/whistlegraph): 2D recording tool for whistlegraphs

## KidLisp

- [KidLisp Reference](https://learn.kidlisp.com/): Programming language reference and examples
- [KidLisp Default](https://aesthetic.computer/kidlisp): Default KidLisp piece with checkerboard pattern

## Source Code

- [Repository](https://tangled.org/aesthetic.computer/core): Canonical source repository. GitHub links below are the mirror.
- [Pieces (disks/)](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/tree/main/system/public/aesthetic.computer/disks): Shared public piece source files (.mjs and .lisp)
- [Runtime Library (lib/)](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/tree/main/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib): Core runtime modules (parse, graph, num, geo, text, pen, disk, help)
- [Boot Loader (boot.mjs)](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/blob/main/system/public/aesthetic.computer/boot.mjs): Application entry point
- [BIOS (bios.mjs)](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/blob/main/system/public/aesthetic.computer/bios.mjs): Hardware abstraction layer
- [Backend handlers](https://github.com/whistlegraph/aesthetic-computer/tree/main/system/netlify/functions): Shared server-side source. Only endpoints documented in the Public HTTP API are supported integrations.

Product implementations are maintained separately. Discover MIME, Sotce Net,
Choir and oskiewar through their public sites and the network directory below.

## Machine access

- [Public HTTP API](https://aesthetic.computer/api?format=json): Supported endpoints, schemas, authentication and limits as JSON.
- [Piece runtime API](https://aesthetic.computer/docs.json): JavaScript lifecycle, drawing, audio, input and published piece metadata.
- [Remote MCP](https://aesthetic.computer/mcp): Existing JSON-RPC endpoint with validation, documentation resources and publishing tools. Publishing requires user intent; follow the API's authentication requirements.
- [Full piece catalog](https://aesthetic.computer/llms-full.txt): Generated names, source links and advertised controls.
- [Public network directory](https://aesthetic.computer/network.json): Product-specific machine entry points, including KidLisp, Aesel, papers, music releases and linked data.

Read only the resources needed for the task. Public discovery does not grant
account access or a license to reuse artworks. Operational MCP tools, private
notebooks, account telemetry and authenticated pages are not public resources.

## How to Interact

To use Aesthetic Computer via a browser:
1. Navigate to https://aesthetic.computer (loads the prompt piece by default)
2. Type a piece name (e.g. "painting", "line", "wand") and press Enter
3. Or visit https://aesthetic.computer/{piece-name} directly
4. User pieces: https://aesthetic.computer/@{handle}/{piece}
5. KidLisp codes: https://aesthetic.computer/${nanoid-code}

Pieces may advertise their input model via a `meta()` export. Where present,
indented fields below a piece (`controls`, `keys`, `params`, `example`)
describe how to drive it without loading the runtime first. `controls`
documents pointer/touch behavior (drag, tap, etc.); `keys` lists keyboard
bindings; `params` describes URL/colon parameters; `example` is a ready-to-run
prompt invocation.