Copasetic Flow

 Everything’s moving fast in AI again! Yesterday, OpenAI announced the ChatGPT Apps SDK, a framework that lets developers build full-featured web apps right inside ChatGPT. For Project TouCans, that’s a huge step forward. Just last month, I built two prototypes of the AI-enabled Ham Radio Practice Exam—one running Python inside GPT-5’s Code Interpreter, and another in a JavaScript canvas embedded within ChatGPT. Back then, those two couldn’t talk to each other. Now, with the new Apps SDK, they finally can—and that means real-time, interactive AI help during exams is finally within reach. You can try out the latest version of the extra class practice exam here (sans the Apps SKD so far.)

 I’ve been working through how to add a reliable help system for the ham radio practice exams, and I wanted to capture what I’ve learned before it slipped away. The process involved a mix of free attempts, some not-so-free surprises, and ultimately some promising experiments using GPT-5 and canvases. This write-up is both a set of notes for myself and a guidepost for anyone trying to do something similar. Looks like I'll be heading towards the OpenAI soon. I was hoping the help system could be free like the  exams , but perhaps, not so much. What Can Be Done For Free? As it turns out, not much that's reliable, but some things that are a bit clunky, which, when they work, work really well. The Unbeknownst to Me Not Free Options GPT Code Interpreter Running the Practice Exam This one was a bit of a no-brainer. Asl GPT-5 to convert the JavaScript exam code to Python and then run it in the code interpreter, (because Python is allowed, but JavaScript isn't.) This worked well, b...