MarketingTeam/TODO/What's New for Developers/Sugar 0.84 - Revision history

Tomeu at 16:19, 19 March 2009

2009-03-19T16:19:56Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:19, 19 March 2009
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Sugar 0.84: What's new for developers		Sugar 0.84: What's new for developers

	~~The~~ new version of Sugar ~~has~~ made a lot of progress in our goal of		With the new version of Sugar, 0.84, we have made a lot of progress in our goal to encourage Sugar users to appropriate the technology. We do not think that our users should be satisfied to be just consumers of Sugar; we would like them to understand how Sugar works and to feel
	~~encouraging~~ users to appropriate the technology. We ~~don't want~~ our users to be just consumers, we would like them to feel		empowered to make improvements. This is why we have been working towards making it as easy as possible for them to modify Sugar such that it is better suited to <em>their</em> personal and collective needs.
	empowered to ~~learn how things are done~~. ~~That's~~ why we have been
	working towards making it as easy as possible to modify Sugar ~~itself~~
	to ~~better suit~~ <em>their</em> personal and collective needs.

	There are two aspects in Sugar that ~~remove the limits from what can~~		There are two aspects of Sugar that are sympathetic to our goal of user modifications: (1) it is written in Python; and (2) it is distributed as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software">Free Software</a>. Python is an interpreted programming language that is very easy to understand and modify, and being Free Software means that users have the rights to use, modify and redistribute it.
	~~be done with~~ it~~: It's~~ written in Python, and it's distributed as <a
	href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software">Free Software</a>.
	Python is an interpreted programming language that is very easy to
	understand and modify~~. Being~~ Free Software, means that users have
	~~full~~ rights to use, modify, and redistribute it.

	~~We operate~~ under the belief that the separations between code and		Operating under the belief that the separations between code and content and between consumer and producer are artifacts of the <em>old</em> software and media industries, we have been working during the last months on three areas that lower the barriers to entry for people that wish to modify Sugar. We call the removing of limits on possibilities, removing the ceiling, and the lowering or easing of entry ramps, lowering the floor for computing success.
	content and between consumer and producer are ~~obstacles inherent in~~ the
	<em>~~now~~</em> ~~traditional~~ software and media industries~~. Our work has focused~~ on three ~~features of Sugar~~ that lower the barriers for
	people ~~who~~ wish to modify Sugar. We call the removing of limits on possibilities, ~~raising~~ the ceiling, and the lowering or easing of entry ramps, lowering the floor for computing success.

	<h2>View source</h2>		<h2>View source</h2>

	In ~~earlier~~ releases, only Etoys, and some simple activities ~~like~~ Chat		In previous releases, only Etoys and some simple activities such as Chat and Read had the capability of displaying their source code, letting the user drill deep into how the activity works. For 0.84, we have extended this ability to every activity. It works better for activities that are written in an interpreted language, e.g., Python, but if a compiled activity includes the source code, users will be able to “view” it and, since Sugar makes people smarter, they'll be able to understand how it works.
	and Read, had ~~any built-in ability for~~ displaying their source code. For ~~Sugar~~
	0.84, we have extended this ~~capability~~ to ~~all activities, so users can drill~~
	~~deeper into how things are done~~. ~~This feature~~ works better for activities that
	are written in an interpreted language ~~like~~ Python, but if a compiled
	activity ~~also ships its~~ source code, users will be able to ~~read~~ it ~~as well. Since~~ Sugar ~~users are growing smarter and~~ smarter ~~every day~~, they ~~soon~~ understand how it ~~all~~ works ~~and will make even better versions for us all~~.

	<screenshot>		[screenshot from http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/DevelopmentTeam/Release/Releases/Sucrose/0.84#View_Source]

	The authors of activities ~~like~~ Browse and TurtleArt ~~might want to give~~		The authors of some activities, for example Browse and TurtleArt,
	~~special~~ <em>~~code~~ drilling</em> ~~capabilities~~ to ~~these activities, so~~ their		provided some additional <em>drilling</em> capability to their
	users can see how programs ~~in TurtleArt would~~ look in Logo~~, or~~		activities. The users can see how their Turtle Art programs look as
	curious readers can peek into the HTML code of a web page.		Logo code; curious readers can peek into the HTML code of a web page.

	The author of an activity written in Python that wishes to handle all		The author of an activity written in Python that wishes to handle all
	the source ~~viewing~~ by herself can override the <a		the view source by herself can override the <a
	href="http://api.sugarlabs.org/sugar.activity.activity.~~Activity-class~~.html">Activity.handle_view_source</a>		href="http://api.sugarlabs.org/sugar.activity.activity.Activityclass.html">Activity.handle_view_source</a>
	method~~. This will replace~~ the standard dialog ~~that would be displayed~~ by		method, thus replacing the standard dialog by an activity-specific
	~~the default~~ implementation. And ~~if one intends only to provide~~ an		implementation. And for providing an additional <em>code representation</em> like HTML or Logo, then <a>Activity.get_document_path</a> can be overridden to provide a file path to it.
	additional ~~source file to the default dialog~~, then
	<a>Activity.get_document_path</a> can be overridden.

	~~Authors~~ of activities written in languages other than Python can		For the same effects, authors of activities written in languages other than Python can
	implement the methods <em>org.laptop.Activity.HandleViewSource()</em>		implement the methods <em>org.laptop.Activity.HandleViewSource()</em>
	and <em>org.laptop.Activity.GetDocumentPath()</em>, as kindly		and <em>org.laptop.Activity.GetDocumentPath()</em>, as kindly
Line 51:		Line 33:
	<h2>Extending the Sugar shell</h2>		<h2>Extending the Sugar shell</h2>

	Extending the shell was never that easy. For example, you can extend		Extending the shell was never that easy. For example you can extend
	the Control Panel by adding a new section, ~~add~~ a new device to the		the Control Panel by adding a new section, adding a new device to the
	Frame, or ~~define~~ a keyboard shortcut. You only need to ~~place~~ your Python		Frame, or defining a new keyboard shortcut. You only need to put your
	code, following the API guidelines, at ~~the right~~ place, and the		Python code, following the API guidelines, at a certain place and the
	extension ~~will be~~ picked up by the shell on startup, automatically. The API		extension is picked up by the shell on startup automatically. The API
	is unstable for the ~~present~~ moment, and will be reviewed in the next release		is unstable for the moment and will be reviewed in the next release
	cycle. Nevertheless, people have been writing little widgets, like a		cycle. Nevertheless, people have been writing little widgets, like a
	clock, for the Frame already. Have a look at <a>~~@@@@@@@~~</a> on how to do so.		clock, for the Frame already. Have a look <a>at</a> on how to do so.

	<h2>Using Etoys, Mozilla, Abiword, and Evince in your activity</h2>		<h2>Using Etoys, Mozilla, Abiword, and Evince in your activity</h2>

	The <a href="http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/DevelopmentTeam/SugarPlatform/0.84">Sugar		The <a href="http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/DevelopmentTeam/SugarPlatform/0.84">Sugar
	platform</a> provides several sets of ~~tools that can be used as~~ building blocks.		platform</a> provides several sets of building blocks.

	One is Etoys, ~~an advanced interactive development environment in the Smalltalk lineage. With it comes the~~ Squeak virtual machine, which ~~will run~~ your activities ~~not only on Sugar, but on Squeak versions~~ available ~~for almost any computer~~.		One of those is Etoys, you have a Squeak virtual machine on which you
			can base your activities and also the Etoys environment is available
			to give the users of your activity an advanced interactive
			environment.

	Embedding Mozilla into your activity will give it browser abilities, like		Embedding Mozilla into your activity will give it browser abilities, like
Line 85:		Line 70:
	href="http://git.sugarlabs.org/projects/read">Read's source code</a>.		href="http://git.sugarlabs.org/projects/read">Read's source code</a>.

	~~Now~~, stop reading ~~this static code,~~ and ~~get busy~~ coding ~~some live activities for all the children of the world~~! ~~[please suggest~~		And now, stop reading nonsense and start coding, you lazy potential hackers!
	~~a better final word]~~

FGrose at 07:11, 18 March 2009

2009-03-18T07:11:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:11, 18 March 2009
Line 17:		Line 17:
	content and between consumer and producer are obstacles inherent in the		content and between consumer and producer are obstacles inherent in the
	<em>now</em> traditional software and media industries. Our work has focused on three features of Sugar that lower the barriers for		<em>now</em> traditional software and media industries. Our work has focused on three features of Sugar that lower the barriers for
	people ~~that~~ wish to modify Sugar. We call the removing of limits on possibilities, raising the ceiling, and the lowering or easing of entry ramps, lowering the floor for computing success.		people who wish to modify Sugar. We call the removing of limits on possibilities, raising the ceiling, and the lowering or easing of entry ramps, lowering the floor for computing success.

	<h2>View source</h2>		<h2>View source</h2>

FGrose at 06:51, 18 March 2009

2009-03-18T06:51:57Z

Show changes

FGrose: New page: Sugar 0.84: What's new for developers The new version of Sugar has made a lot of progress in our goal to encourage the users to appropriate the technology. We don't think it's fine with o...

2009-03-18T05:39:55Z

New page: Sugar 0.84: What's new for developers The new version of Sugar has made a lot of progress in our goal to encourage the users to appropriate the technology. We don't think it's fine with o...

New page

Sugar 0.84: What's new for developers

The new version of Sugar has made a lot of progress in our goal to
encourage the users to appropriate the technology. We don't think it's
fine with our users to be just consumers so we would like them to feel
empowered to understand how things are done. That's why we have been
working towards making it as easy as possible to modify Sugar itself
to better suit <em>their</em> personal and collective needs.

There are two aspects of Sugar that remove the ceiling about what can
be done with it: it's written in Python and it's distributed as <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software">Free Software</a>.
Python is an interpreted programming language that is very easy to
understand and modify, and being Free Software means that users have
the rights to use, modify and redistribute it.

Operating under the belief that the separations between code and
content and between consumer and producer are artifacts of the
<em>now</em> traditional software and media industries, we have been
working during the last months on three areas that lower the floor for
people that wish to modify Sugar.

<h2>View source</h2>

In earlier releases, only Etoys and some simple activities like Chat
and Read had some capability of displaying their source code. For
0.84, we have extended to all of them this capability of drilling
deeper on how things are done. It will work better for activities that
are written in an interpreted language like Python, but if a compiled
activity also ships the source code, users will be able to read it
and, since Sugar users are all smart people, understand how it works.

<screenshot>

The authors of activities like Browse and TurtleArt might wish to give
some special <em>drilling</em> capability to their activity, so the
users can see how their programs in TurtleArt would look in Logo, or
curious readers can peek into the HTML code of a web page.

The author of an activity written in Python that wishes to handle all
the view source by herself can override the <a
href="http://api.sugarlabs.org/sugar.activity.activity.Activity-class.html">Activity.handle_view_source</a>
method, thus replacing the standard dialog that would be displayed by
the default implementation. And if it's only intended to provide an
additional source file to the default dialog, then
<a>Activity.get_document_path</a> can be overridden.

Authors of activities written in other languages than Python can
implement the methods <em>org.laptop.Activity.HandleViewSource()</em>
and <em>org.laptop.Activity.GetDocumentPath()</em>, as kindly
documented by Bert Freudenberg <a
href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Low-level_Activity_API#D-Bus_Methods">here</a>.

<h2>Extending the Sugar shell</h2>

Extending the shell was never that easy. For example you can extend
the Control Panel by adding a new section, add a new device to the
Frame or define a keyboard shortcut. You only need to put your python
code, following the API guidelines, at a certain place and the
extension is picked up by the shell on startup automatically. The API
is unstable for the moment and will be reviewed in the next release
cycle. Neverless, people have been writing little widgets, like a
clock, for the Frame already. Have a look <a>at</a> on how to do so.

<h2>Using Etoys, Mozilla, Abiword and Evince in your activity</h2>

The <a href="http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/DevelopmentTeam/SugarPlatform/0.84">Sugar
platform</a> provides several sets of building blocks.

One of those is Etoys, you have a Squeak virtual machine on which you
can base your activities and also the Etoys environment is available
to give the users of your activity an advanced interactive
environment.

Embedding Mozilla in your activity will give it browser abilities like
rendering html and executing javascript. For python activities, run
'pydoc hulahop' or check out the <a
href="http://git.sugarlabs.org/projects/browse">Browse sources</a>.
Watch out for better integration with the web in 0.86.

Abiword offers a powerful text widget with advanced features like
those found in word processors. But also offers collaboration so
several users of your activity can edit a text buffer simultaneously
across the network. You can base yourself on <a
href="http://git.sugarlabs.org/projects/write">Write's source code</a>
or run 'pydoc abiword'.

Evince is a document viewer that will render PDF, PostScript and other
formats in an area in your activity's window. Python coders can check
'pydoc evince' or see <a
href="http://git.sugarlabs.org/projects/read">Read's source code</a>.

Stop reading nonsense and start coding, you lazy bums! [please suggest
a better final word]