DevTools/Features/Workspaces: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:39, 26 April 2011

Feature	Status	ETA	Owner
Workspaces	Main patch landed, a bit more needed SDR: N \|\| SIR: N	2011-04-30	Kevin Dangoor

Summary

The Workspace concept began with Smalltalk environments and has been ported to a Firefox add-on. We believe that Workspaces provide a more pleasant way to experiment with code than the current tools which mimic a command line environment.

The prototype will allow us to get experience with this different work style and also give other people a chance to comment on it.

The basic idea behind creating a Workspace is that the Workspace gives you a convenient mechanism for running and rerunning snippets of code. If you're writing a new function, for example, you can keep redefining that function until you have one that works correctly. Then, you can just copy and paste it into your editor to become a part of your application.

Another example use would be to have a collection of utility functions that you use in debugging your application. Those functions aren't really a part of the application, and you don't want to deliver them to your users. You can keep them in a file that you load into the workspace whenever you're working on that particular app.

Most often, the files you save from a workspace are not complete script files and the snippets of code in a workspace may not run in all contexts (they may depend on variables that are defined on the page for which the workspace was created).

Release Requirements

Convert the add-on into a browser feature with tests
Add a pref to remove the content/chrome switch from view

Aurora backout strategy: there is a pref to turn off the feature (devtools.workspace.enabled)

Next Steps

l10n review, ux review
finish landing the tests and pref

Related Bugs & Dependencies

Workspaces Status

Team

The Workspaces idea is new, so we're happy to get more input and help. Talk to us in #devtools on irc.mozilla.org

Mihai Sucan (irc: msucan): current lead developer
Rob Campbell (irc: robcee): initial developer
Curtis Koenig: security contact
Kevin Dangoor (irc: kdangoor): PM

Goals/Use Cases

Handy snippets: When working on an application, it's not uncommon to have a collection of common bits of code that you run against the page to test things. The Workspaces feature lets you load and save JavaScript files, which is a convenient way to keep track of these snippets.

Working on new code: You can use Workspaces to work on a new function. Write a little code, execute it and repeat. Once it works, you can copy/paste that code into your main program files.

Non-Goals

For this initial step, we're leaving off some obvious features:

a better editor (Ace)
external editor integration of any sort
autocompletion

Security

Date Discussion occurred: 2011.04.14 Security Concerns:

Feature could be used run arbitrary code

Responses to concerns:

Interaction is one way and code only runs in a sandbox
Sandbox inherits from content window
Chrome settings preferences are off by default
No collaboration built-in, scripts have to be shared out of band
Scripts can not autorun
No built-in interaction with web console

Outstanding issue / Next steps:

None at this time

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+<section begin="status" />
 {| class="fullwidth-table"
 |-
 | style="font-weight: bold; background: #DDD;" | Feature
 | style="font-weight: bold; background: #DDD;" | Status
 | style="font-weight: bold; background: #DDD;" | ETA
 | style="font-weight: bold; background: #DDD;" | Owner
 |-
-<section begin="status" />
+| [[DevTools/Features/Workspaces|Workspaces]]
-| [[DevTools/Features/Workspaces|Workspaces]]
+| {{StatusHealthy|status=Main patch landed, a bit more needed}}
-| {{StatusHealthy|status=Main patch landed, a bit more needed}}
+SDR: N || SIR: N
 | 2011-04-30
 | Kevin Dangoor
 <section end="status" />
-|-
 |}
-== Summary ==
+== Summary  ==
+The Workspace concept began with Smalltalk environments and has been ported to a Firefox add-on. We believe that Workspaces provide a more pleasant way to experiment with code than the current tools which mimic a command line environment.
+The prototype will allow us to get experience with this different work style and also give other people a chance to comment on it.
+The basic idea behind creating a Workspace is that the Workspace gives you a convenient mechanism for running and rerunning snippets of code. If you're writing a new function, for example, you can keep redefining that function until you have one that works correctly. Then, you can just copy and paste it into your editor to become a part of your application.
+Another example use would be to have a collection of utility functions that you use in debugging your application. Those functions aren't really a part of the application, and you don't want to deliver them to your users. You can keep them in a file that you load into the workspace whenever you're working on that particular app.
+Most often, the files you save from a workspace are not complete script files and the snippets of code in a workspace may not run in all contexts (they may depend on variables that are defined on the page for which the workspace was created).
+== Release Requirements  ==
+*Convert the add-on into a browser feature with tests
+*Add a pref to remove the content/chrome switch from view
-The Workspace concept began with Smalltalk environments and has been ported
+Aurora backout strategy: there is a pref to turn off the feature (devtools.workspace.enabled)
-to a Firefox add-on. We believe that Workspaces provide a more pleasant way
-to experiment with code than the current tools which mimic a command line
-environment.
-The prototype will allow us to get experience with this different work style
+== Next Steps  ==
-and also give other people a chance to comment on it.
-The basic idea behind creating a Workspace is that the Workspace gives you a convenient mechanism for running and rerunning snippets of code. If you're writing a new function, for example, you can keep redefining that function until you have one that works correctly. Then, you can just copy and paste it into your editor to become a part of your application.
+*l10n review, ux review
+*finish landing the tests and pref
-Another example use would be to have a collection of utility functions that you use in debugging your application. Those functions aren't really a part of the application, and you don't want to deliver them to your users. You can keep them in a file that you load into the workspace whenever you're working on that particular app.
+== Related Bugs &amp; Dependencies  ==
-Most often, the files you save from a workspace are not complete script files and the snippets of code in a workspace may not run in all contexts (they may depend on variables that are defined on the page for which the workspace was created).
+[http://mozilla.github.com/devtools/2011/status.html#workspaces Workspaces Status]
-== Release Requirements ==
+== Team  ==
-* Convert the add-on into a browser feature with tests
+The Workspaces idea is new, so we're happy to get more input and help. Talk to us in #devtools on irc.mozilla.org
-* Add a pref to remove the content/chrome switch from view
-Aurora backout strategy: there is a pref to turn off the feature (devtools.workspace.enabled)
+*Mihai Sucan (irc: msucan): current lead developer
+*Rob Campbell (irc: robcee): initial developer
+*Curtis Koenig: security contact
+*Kevin Dangoor (irc: kdangoor): PM
-== Next Steps ==
+== Goals/Use Cases  ==
-* l10n review, ux review
+'''Handy snippets''': When working on an application, it's not uncommon to have a collection of common bits of code that you run against the page to test things. The Workspaces feature lets you load and save JavaScript files, which is a convenient way to keep track of these snippets.
-* finish landing the tests and pref
-== Related Bugs & Dependencies ==
+'''Working on new code''': You can use Workspaces to work on a new function. Write a little code, execute it and repeat. Once it works, you can copy/paste that code into your main program files.
-[http://mozilla.github.com/devtools/2011/status.html#workspaces Workspaces Status]
-== Team ==
+== Non-Goals  ==
-The Workspaces idea is new, so we're happy to get more input and help. Talk to us in #devtools on irc.mozilla.org
+For this initial step, we're leaving off some obvious features:
-* Mihai Sucan (irc: msucan): current lead developer
+*a better editor (Ace)
-* Rob Campbell (irc: robcee): initial developer
+*external editor integration of any sort
-* Curtis Koenig: security contact
+*autocompletion
-* Kevin Dangoor (irc: kdangoor): PM
-== Goals/Use Cases ==
+== Security  ==
-'''Handy snippets''': When working on an application, it's not uncommon to have a collection of common bits of code that you run against the page to test things. The Workspaces feature lets you load and save JavaScript files, which is a convenient way to keep track of these snippets.
+Date Discussion occurred: 2011.04.14 Security Concerns:
-'''Working on new code''': You can use Workspaces to work on a new function. Write a little code, execute it and repeat. Once it works, you can copy/paste that code into your main program files.
+*Feature could be used run arbitrary code
-== Non-Goals ==
+Responses to concerns:
-For this initial step, we're leaving off some obvious features:
-* a better editor (Ace)
+*Interaction is one way and code only runs in a sandbox
-* external editor integration of any sort
+*Sandbox inherits from content window
-* autocompletion
+*Chrome settings preferences are off by default
+*No collaboration built-in, scripts have to be shared out of band
+*Scripts can not autorun
+*No built-in interaction with web console
-== Security ==
+Outstanding issue / Next steps:
-Date Discussion occurred: 2011.04.14
-Security Concerns:
-* Feature could be used run arbitrary code
-Responses to concerns:
+*None at this time
-* Interaction is one way and code only runs in a sandbox
-* Sandbox inherits from content window
-* Chrome settings preferences are off by default
-* No collaboration built-in, scripts have to be shared out of band
-* Scripts can not autorun
-* No built-in interaction with web console
-Outstanding issue / Next steps:
+__NOTOC__
-* None at this time
-__NOTOC__
-[[Category:Feature]]
+[[Category:Feature]] [[Category:Firefox]] [[Category:DevTools]] [[Category:Priority_1]]
-[[Category:Firefox]]
-[[Category:DevTools]]
-[[Category:Priority 1]]