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Instructions for running BlocklyProp OFFLINE (thread obsolete 10/2019 - use solo.parallax.com) — Parallax Forums

Instructions for running BlocklyProp OFFLINE (thread obsolete 10/2019 - use solo.parallax.com)

Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,386
edited 2019-10-22 16:06 in Learn with BlocklyProp
Readers: as of October 2019, this thread and information included in it is obsolete. Rather, use solo.parallax.com

Thanks, Ken Gracey

====================

Hello,

Since a number of people are asking how to run BlocklyProp offline, I'll make a post and explain the setup. Please note that forum threads become dated (today's date is April 5, 2018). At some point we will supersede this post with more current information, like a single installer that does these little things for you. But I'll try to keep this thread current while this solution is still the only alternative.

INSTRUCTIONS TO SETUP BLOCKLYPROP TO RUN OFFLINE
Windows only, for now (Mac to follow) - unsupported!
You shouldn't install it unless you know how to remove it, because a future installer of the real thing isn't going to be smart enough to detect any of these files. Since this thread will be here, I don't think it's too complex of a process to undo these steps.

(a) Install SimpleIDE https://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/language/propeller-c/propeller-c-set-simpleide

(b) Download the following .zip:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SmWqw68fJb2EdEuC6qbreMjOmLq86W_9/view?usp=sharing

(b.1.) The zip has three folders. The Learn folder replaces your SimpleIDE Learn folder.
(b.2.) Place the NWJS folder in the root of the c:\ drive (i.e. C:\nwjs)
(b.3.) Place the BP-offline folder in the root of the c:\ drive (i.e. C:\BP-offline)

(c) Open the c:\nwjs folder, right click and copy the nw.exe application, navigate to the desktop, and paste shortcut (not a copy of the app itself). Right-click and open the Properties for the shortcut you created. Set the target of the shortcut to C:\nwjs\nw.exe c:\BP-offline\ Then, click advanced, and check "Run as administrator"

(d) Rename the shortcut to something like "BlocklyProp Offline"

(e) Open C:\Users\ and look for the name or path of your user folder (Nikos, Whit, etc.)

(f) Look for the following file and open it for editing with a text editor: C:\BP-offline\cdn\localCompile.js. Search for "Parallax" in the file, and replace it with the name of your user folder.

You are now running BlocklyProp Alpha offline. We obviously have some work to do with an installer, a user interface, etc. But you can save your files locally.

Post all feedback on this thread.

Thanks,

Ken Gracey

«1

Comments

  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    So excited to try this Ken! Will get it installed this weekend and let you know how it goes. Been too busy with the S3 Onboard OLED Ping)))Dar - which is now working! - to play with this. Thanks for all you and team Parallax do!
  • Ran it today on four machines with a few hundred students. Worked reliably! What a relief.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2018-04-07 17:49
    Tried the install.

    Delete SimpleIDE.
    Fresh install of SimpleIde.
    Install and edit file per instructions.

    Tried to run the shortcut and I get:

    f1088beb966ee807abe9d8ae823dca.jpg

    Tried three times.
    502 x 177 - 62K
  • run as admin setting definitely stuck ?
    .. or try right-clicking the shortcut, then run-as admin ?
  • Tried both. No joy
  • What OS are you on? (and what SP if < Win10) ?

    Do you have a feeling this is a permissions thing, or something else ?
    Any other machine you could try on ?

  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2018-04-07 19:17
    VonSzarvas wrote: »
    What OS are you on? (and what SP if < Win10) ?

    Do you have a feeling this is a permissions thing, or something else ?
    Any other machine you could try on ?
    First install on WIN 7 Pro SP1.

    Just tried on WIN 10. Fresh install. Same error message.

    Something to do with "manifest.json" ?

  • I used Notepad on both machines to edit "localCompile.js" I wonder if it corrupted the file?
  • GenetixGenetix Posts: 1,740
    edited 2018-04-07 22:22
    Publison,

    Try using WordPad instead.

    When I open code files from a mac they are not formatted in Notepad but they are perfect in WordPad.

    That file may have special characters that Notepad butchers.
  • Genetix wrote: »
    Publison,

    Try using WordPad instead.

    When I open code files from a mac they are not formatted in Notepad but they are perfect in WordPad.

    That file may have special characters that Notepad butchers.

    I'll give that a shot tomorrow. Thanks!

  • VonSzarvasVonSzarvas Posts: 3,273
    edited 2018-04-08 04:13
    Another possible...

    By default windows 7 hides the file extension for known files. The .xyz bit.

    After editing, maybe the file got saved as localCompile.js.txt my mistake, but you can't see it as the dir listing hides .txt.

    Checks...

    In explorer folder settings, uncheck the option for "hide file extensions for known file types". After that you will be able to rename the file from localCompile.js.txt to. localCompile.js. in explorer.

    You could also edit with something like notepad++ and save-as the file extension to .js

    In fact you could probably do that with notepad too, if you set the filetype to 'all' in the save windows, instead of 'txt'

  • VonSzarvas wrote: »
    Another possible...

    By default windows 7 hides the file extension for known files. The .xyz bit.

    After editing, maybe the file got saved as localCompile.js.txt my mistake, but you can't see it as the dir listing hides .txt.

    Checks...

    In explorer folder settings, uncheck the option for "hide file extensions for known file types". After that you will be able to rename the file from localCompile.js.txt to. localCompile.js. in explorer.

    You could also edit with something like notepad++ and save-as the file extension to .js

    In fact you could probably do that with notepad too, if you set the filetype to 'all' in the save windows, instead of 'txt'

    Got by the editing of the .js file with Wordpad. Now it can't find the compiler when trying to load a program to RAM. Will have to look at my SimpleIDE installation paths.

  • I'll ask Matt to come in for a quick look. There's something simple aloof here.
  • GenetixGenetix Posts: 1,740
    edited 2018-04-09 17:02
    Publison,

    I usually use Notepad but WordPad comes in handy, especially on non-text files.

    It sounds like the compiler doesn't know where your user files are.
    Did you set the path to them in Step F?


    Ken,

    Also ask if the compiler looks in any of the sub-folders of the user file folder.
  • Matt reports it's just a matter of having things in the right place, but I'll ask him to come back here and get a closer look.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2018-04-09 18:29
    Success! We have a heat beat on a Quickstart board. I had SimpleIDE 1-0-2 RC2 installed before. Though I had uninstalled it. Don't know if that mattered or not. Starting over with a new install and rebooting seems to have cleared it up.

    Now if the Offline shortcut would start the client automatically. :) I always forget....
  • Publison wrote: »
    Success! We have a heat beat on a Quickstart board. I had SimpleIDE 1-0-2 RC2 installed before. Though I had uninstalled it. Don't know if that mattered or not. Starting over with a new install and rebooting seems to have cleared it up.

    Now if the Offline shortcut would start the client automatically. :) I always forget....

    Yep, that'll be part of our installer - making it a one-click process.

  • I can't get the Blockly Prop to see my 32910 Rev A Propeller Activity Board
    SimpleIDE sees it? Help
  • When I pic the board it do not see it. I get an error
    The error "BlocklyProp-Client not found". is this the online client??
    if this make sense
  • You need to download and run the BlocklyProp client. A little program that helps the webpage connect with your propeller board.

    When you see the BlocklyProp client message, you should be able to click it to download the client?
  • Hello all!

    This one is an update. It's a little trickier to install, but the tradeoff is that I'll be doing a series of videos on how you can create your own blocks and develop with this one. In addition, both Mac and Windows instructions are included in the README.

    Here it is: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IXzFvKu8CQrqAS2kRV5ZOxmZMt2SopJy

    Additionally, when set up properly with git (which I hope to explain in an upcoming video), you'll be able to keep current with the BlocklyProp system as well.
  • Since I am interested in running BlocklyProp offline, has this been fixed. This thread is from a year ago, and it is unclear what the latest condition is with this software.

    Ray
  • Ray,

    You can try this http://solo.parallax.com/ which runs from within a Chrome browser window and saves files locally.

    No login or password is required.

    Ken Gracey
  • Sorry ken, I do not use Chrome browser, nor do I want to use it. Will this run on a Widows 10 Edge?

    Ray
  • Not likely, but you can try. Blockly is a Google product and therefore runs best under their own browser.

    Ken Gracey
  • You may have better success if you have the new version of Edge that runs on Google Chrome.

    Here's an older news article about the change- maybe by now it's happened?!

    https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/23/18278465/microsoft-edge-chromium-browser-screenshots-features-hands-on
  • Rsadeika wrote: »
    Sorry ken, I do not use Chrome browser, nor do I want to use it. Will this run on a Widows 10 Edge?

    Ray

    Ray, just try it and report back so others would know.
  • And for anybody else encountering this thread, these instructions are obsolete.

    Instead, just use http://solo.parallax.com

    Ken Gracey
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2019-09-30 18:39
    Just tried "SOLO" on Windows 10 Tablet (32Bit Win) and Edge, and with first impressions, seems to work fine.
  • Ken Gracey wrote: »
    And for anybody else encountering this thread, these instructions are obsolete.

    Instead, just use http://solo.parallax.com

    Ken Gracey

    Ken, are you doing away with the server/client version? That's where all the cool programs live.
This discussion has been closed.