Python + AI
Not another chatbot
A self-taught PHP developer's hands-on journey into Python, FastAPI, LLMs, and shipping a real AI character chat app — from blank terminal to live deployment.
01 - Why I Built "Not Another Chatbot"
A self-taught PHP web developer's journey into AI engineering. Why I built an AI character chat app with 29 unique personas instead of another generic chatbot.
02 - Learning Python & FastAPI in a Week
What happens when a PHP developer with zero Python experience tries to learn FastAPI in seven days. Environment setup chaos, namespace pain, and missing curly braces.
03 - Streaming AI Responses with Server-Sent Events
How I implemented real-time streaming for an AI chat app using SSE in FastAPI and OpenRouter free models. Why streaming matters and why PHP can't do it.
04 - Creating AI Characters with LLM-Generated Prompts
How I used ChatGPT to write detailed system prompts for 29 AI characters — from Yoda to the Terminator. Prompt engineering workflow, personality fade bugs, and lessons learned.
05 - The Frontend: React, Tailwind, and Not Looking Like ChatGPT
How I built the frontend for an AI character chat app with React 19, Tailwind CSS v4, shadcn/ui, and Framer Motion. Design decisions for a unique chat experience.
06 - Deployment: The Hardest Part
The unglamorous reality of deploying a FastAPI + React app on a VPS. Reverse proxies, SSL, CORS, pm2, and why deployment took as long as building the backend.
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