Raspberry Pi Foundation Makes Their Code Editor Open Source: Here’s What You Need to Know

We are always on the lookout for news that revolutionizes the coding and programming sector, and the latest update from the Raspberry Pi Foundation certainly qualifies. A few months ago, the Foundation announced an online text-based Code Editor for young coders aged seven and older. Now, in an exciting development, they have made the code for the Editor open source, allowing it to be repurposed and contributed to by the global tech community.

Exploring the Raspberry Pi Code Editor

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has always been at the forefront of promoting coding skills among the younger generation. Their Code Editor is a testament to this mission, offering a robust platform for beginners to explore coding in a user-friendly environment.

Here's how you can use the Code Editor:

• Run code directly in the browser without setup.
• Enjoy a simple and intuitive interface.
• Have your code automatically saved if you're logged into your Raspberry Pi Foundation account.
• Work on your code even when you're not logged in, as the changes persist for the session.
• Download your code to your computer.
• Easily pick up your projects from where you left off, whether in the classroom, at home, or in coding clubs.

Python is the first language supported by the Editor, given its widespread popularity in educational institutions and industries alike. Plans are in place to add support for web development languages like HTML/CSS soon.

Prioritizing Ease of Use and Accessibility

Recognizing the challenges faced by beginners when getting to grips with new programming tools, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has placed simplicity and accessibility at the heart of their Editor's design. Key functions are easy to find, there's a choice between dark and light mode, and the text size in input and output can be adjusted, making it an inclusive tool for all learners.

In response to user feedback, the Foundation is also exploring ways to enhance the mobile user experience.

The Power of Open Source

In line with the Foundation's mission of empowering young people to engage effectively with digital technologies, the Code Editor has been made available as an open-source project. This means that other initiatives focused on teaching coding and digital technologies can benefit from this valuable tool.

Building the Code Editor

The Code Editor is designed to perform optimally even on constrained devices and low-bandwidth connections, with safeguarding, accessibility, and data privacy as central considerations. The Editor uses Skulpt for in-browser Python execution and CodeMirror for the text-editor interface, which comes with mobile and tablet support, syntax highlighting, and keyboard shortcuts.

Delving into the technical details:

• The UI front end is built in React and deployed using Cloudflare Pages.
• The API back end is built in Ruby on Rails.
• Python functionality is implemented using Skulpt.
• Project code is managed through a mix of REST and GraphQL endpoints in the back end API.
• Data is stored in PostgreSQL, hosted on Heroku along with the back end API.

Open Source Access and Contributions

The Editor's code, both for the UI front end and API back end, can be accessed via their GitHub readme and contributions documentation. The front end is licensed under the Apache License 2.0, while the back end falls under the copyleft AGPL V3 license.

Contributions to the project are encouraged, whether it's providing feedback on the code, reporting a bug, or submitting changes via pull request. All contributors retain the copyright for their submissions.

The development and publication of the Code Editor as an open-source project has been funded by Endless. The Raspberry Pi Foundation invites other interested parties to fund this key initiative or make use of the Code Editor for their organization.

This news marks an exciting development in the world of coding, particularly for those seeking user-friendly tools for young learners. The Raspberry Pi Foundation’s open-source Code Editor promises to play a significant role in shaping the coders of tomorrow.

Funding for the Code Editor's open-source initiative was provided by Endless, with the Foundation open to partnerships for future funding and potential use cases for the Code Editor. The community can provide support by providing feedback, raising bugs, submitting contributions, and sharing experiences with the Editor through a feedback form.