Whittl Docs¶
Whittl is a Python development environment with built-in AI assistance. Generate apps from natural language or screenshots, iterate on the code through chat, and build standalone executables for Windows, Linux, and Android. Your code lives on your machine as real .py files.
These docs cover installation, every feature in depth, backend-specific notes, workflow recipes, and troubleshooting. They track the latest shipped version of Whittl.
Start here¶
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New to Whittl?
Get the app installed, a backend configured, and your first project generated in about five minutes.
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Want to see the flagship feature?
Drop a screenshot into chat and Whittl rebuilds the UI as a native Python app. Here's how it works and what to expect.
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Which backend should I use?
Whittl supports Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, and Ollama. Pick based on cost, privacy, or capability.
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Something broken?
Check the common issues page before reporting a bug. Most problems have a known workaround.
What's in these docs¶
Getting Started
Installation across Windows and Linux, setting up your first API key, and generating your first project from scratch.
Features
Every major feature documented with examples: Choosing a Target (PySide6 / Flet / CustomTkinter / General Python), Screenshot to App, Agent Mode, Prompt Expansion, Think Mode, Smart File Routing, Project History & Archives, Explain Mode and inline AI help, the auto-fix system, the skills library, multi-file projects, mobile builds, code folding, per-project icons, and themes.
Backends
How each AI backend behaves in Whittl: pricing characteristics, where each one shines, which models support which features (vision, tools, long context), and how to configure it.
Workflows
Recipes for real tasks: iterating on generated code, debugging a crashed app, recovering from a bad generation, managing AI costs, managing game assets, turning a project into a reusable template, shipping a Windows installer or Linux AppImage, and upgrading Whittl itself.
Reference
Keyboard shortcuts, settings reference, project folder layout, supported file types, privacy and data flow, explicit limitations, FAQ, and glossary. For when you know what you want and just need the quickest answer.
Troubleshooting
Common issues and fixes, performance tuning, and how to report bugs that aren't already covered.
About this documentation¶
If you find something wrong, unclear, or missing, let me know through the contact page.
Not covered here: release notes (see the Whittl page for those), the dev log and roadmap (see whittl-devlog), or the comparison to other tools (whittl-compare).