Transformers

Transformers is a plugin for CODAP which allows you to transform datasets to produce new, distinct output datasets or values, instead of modifying the original input dataset itself.

Individual transformers can be composed, and updates made to the input(s) of a transformer will flow through to its outputs accordingly. Transformers can also be saved and reused on several datasets.

For more information on the plugin and the available transformers themselves, see the documentation.

Working on Transformers

Project Structure

• src/
  • components/
    • info-components/: Components that provide overall plugin info and inline documentation for a transformer.
    • transformer-template/: Houses TransformerTemplate (and related components), the main component for rendering a transformer's UI given a description of its inputs.
    • ui-components/: Generic components for UI elements.
  • lib/
    • codapPhone/: A wrapper around iframe-phone for communicating with CODAP.
    • utils/: Small, widely-used utility functions.
  • strings/: Isolated strings (currently error messages only) for internationalization.
  • transformers/: Core implementations of the actual transformers. Each has an external implementation (responsible for consuming UI inputs and checking them) and an inner, unchecked implementation which performs the actual transformer's functionality.
  • transformerStore/: Keeps track of which transformers were used to produce which datasets, and uses this info to propagate updates through transformers.
  • views/: The two main views of the plugin:
    • The REPLView is the main UI through which you can choose a transformer, select its inputs, and create saved transformers.
    • The SavedDefinitionView is what you see for a saved transformer (including name, purpose statement, inputs, editing UI).
  • transformerList.ts: A list of all transformers and their corresponding data, including group, inputs, underlying implementation function, and documentation info.

Running locally with CODAP

After cloning the repository, run

npm install

to install dependencies.

To launch the plugin in a local instance of CODAP, start both the plugin and CODAP and navigate in a browser to

http://localhost:4020/dg?di=http://localhost:3000

Available Scripts

In the project directory, the following commands are available:

# Runs the app in the development mode. See above section for opening the plugin inside CODAP.
npm start

# Launches the test runner.
npm test

# Formats all ts/tsx files.
npm run format

# Runs the linter.
npm run lint

# Creates a production build
npm run build

Authors

This plugin is brought to you by Paul Biberstein, Thomas Castleman, and Jason Chen of the Brown University PLT, in collaboration with The Concord Consortium and Bootstrap.