Bundle example files with ParallaxIDE

[PropGit]

From the user's perspective, the app needs to include one or more projects (folders) that includes some ready-made example source programs.

This means that the app needs to look for the existence of the folder on start up, and create it and it's contents if it doesn't exist.

See this post for content

[urbantumbleweed]

I am wondering if there is a design element to this? For example, are the files going to structured as a type of tutorial? If so, are we going to introduce application functionality or will the emphasis be on PBASIC and programming. It seems like final collection of files will be the result of some user testing.

[PropGit]

These are BASIC Stamp source code files with various file extensions (.BS2, .BSE, .BSX, .BSP, and .BPE) that need to be stored in a group which is accessible via the Project/File view. At the most, we may ask for an "Examples" menu item to be added for quick access, but I'm not doing so right now.

We do have tutorials in the form of .PDF and possibly .HTM files that we'd like to include in the future, but this will be handled as a separate issue that will likely have some kind of a UX/UI element to it.

[urbantumbleweed]

@PropGit: There are a number of decisions that must be made before development can begin. You can use the checkboxs to indicate what tasks/questions are completed/resolved.

• Step 1: Answer discovery questions and define specifications.
  • The actual content to be contained in the examples folder has been created.
  • What interaction (in regards to the example folder) is expected the first time the application is run?
  • What information (if any) about the examples will be available in the help view?
  • What should happen when a user alters an example file and attempts to save?
  • How should a user revert to the original state of the entire example folder?
  • How should a user revert to the original state of an individual example file?
  • Will is be possible for user to delete or override the example folder?
  • If applicable, how should a deleted examples folder be restored?
  • Will it be possible for the contents change overtime, possibly by an educational administrator or course instructor?
• Step 2: Create Github issues that are related to this issue.

[PropGit]

@urbantumbleweed - great idea with the checkboxes!
I can answer some of these now; others need more work on my part.

What information (if any) about the examples will be available in the help view?

You mean in the on-line help link? Likely none (or very little) initially. We will probably just mention the examples and how to get to them. In later revisions of the on-line help, we'll likely more directly refer to certain examples (which we might expand on later) that naturally go with certain tutorial information contained in the help system.

What should happen when a user alters an example file and attempts to save?

Ideally, we'd like it to be read-only and instead the app could automatically recognize this is the examples project and can suggest to the user that they save their modification to another place. However, in previous discussion you said that "read-only" was very hard to do.

So, it should just let them save over the example file as normal (no code changes needed in Parallax IDE).

How should a user revert to the original state of the entire example folder?

If the app can recognize and treat the example folder as something special; we could provide a UI/UX feature to restore the examples.

Regardless, if the user deletes the example folder, or otherwise renames it, upon next session, the app should see that it is missing and recreate the entire thing as it did on the very first session after install. This is described in Issue #295.

[PropGit]

What interaction (in regards to the example folder) is expected the first time the application is run?

The first time the application is run, after the "updated" prompt that already appears, the app will notify the user via overlay that an examples project has been provided for them. This is described in Issue #295.