1st July 2019 - Website

README.md

Today I had a look at some final localisation issues, cosmetic issues in Allspark and a website for a self-contained place to learn about Allspark and Rez.

Localisation

Here's how it works.

• mottosso/rez-localz#11

# Localise to default repository ~/.packages
$ rez env localz -- localise python-3 pyside2

# Localise to..
$ set REZ_LOCALISED_PACKAGES_PATH=~/localised_packages
$ rez env localz -- localise python-3 pyside2

# Or, localise to..
$ rez env localz -- localise python-3 pyside2 --prefix ~/localised_packages

I put this into practice with the slowest package currently used by Allspark, and here's how that went.

Before

$ rez env pyside2 allspark bleeding_rez -- python -m allspark
==============================
 allspark (1.1.79)
==============================
- Loading Rez.. ok - 0.75s
- Loading Qt.. ok - 6.14s
- Loading allspark.. ok - 0.53s
- Loading preferences.. ok - 0.00s
------------------------------

Notice how long it took to load Qt, let's localise this.

$ rez env localz -- localise PySide2

After

$ rez env pyside2 allspark bleeding_rez -- python -m allspark
rez env pyside2 allspark bleeding_rez -- python -m allspark
==============================
 allspark (1.1.79)
==============================
- Loading Rez.. ok - 0.91s
- Loading Qt.. ok - 0.36s
- Loading allspark.. ok - 0.70s
- Loading preferences.. ok - 0.00s
------------------------------

Win.

Snippet Transfer

Have been having issues with my VPN lately and been unable to populate the Snippet repository with the latest and greatest, so I've updated those with progress from the past week.

Tutorials

Got a request for a getting-started tutorial for Allspark that took about two hours. I'll reuse these for the website too, to get everyone started on the right foot.

Website

I had some ideas for what the Allspark website should look like.

1. Appeal to new users
2. Be a one-stop-shop for both Allspark and Rez learning material
3. Contain authoring reference for Rez packages
4. Contain developer reference for Allspark

Below, you'd find relevant features.

1. Dependency explorer
2. Environment editor
3. Manage running processes
4. Detailed resolve
5. Command-line interface
6. Overriding environment and packages
7. Themes

Along with Rez-related features:

1. Localisation
2. Pipz, Scoopz and Yumz

Laid out in a zig-zag kind of way, similar to https://luna-lang.org.

Then, at the top of the window, I'd like to mimic the top of Allspark itself with the icons, and use those to link to the scrollbar positions on that page, starting with the i icon, for the top of the page. Clicking on the Environment icon would then bring you down to the environment feature description.

Then, I'd like to link to additional pages.

1. Allspark learning material
2. Rez learning material
3. Rez authoring material
4. Allspark Contribution guide

Along with its own requirements/support.

• Windows, Linux and MacOS
• Python 2.7-3.7+
• PyQt4, PyQt5, PySide or PySide2

And specific features, and how to use them.

1. Application Metadata, e.g. icon, label
2. Project Metadata, e.g. backdrop and theme
3. All applications
4. Hidden applications
5. Re-arrange layout

For an initial logo, I found these really cool resources.

• https://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=606&text=allspark&fpp=100
• https://www.dafont.com/peinture-fraiche.font?fpp=100&text=allspark
• https://www.1001fonts.com/graffiti-fonts.html
• https://www.urbanfonts.com/free-fonts.htm

First Version

And viola, a framework for creating more content using Markdown, HTML and CSS.

• Desktop and Mobile friendly
• Written in Markdown (and minimal amount of HTML/CSS), no JS
• Hosted for free on GitHub Pages, custom domain
• Build-on-deployment to a gh-pages branch using gh-deploy

The real benefit of this system isn't the current look, but by the benefits reaped from the mkdocs-material project, which currently looks like this.

And is authored like this.

• docs/guides.md

And as it is a static page that we're in charge of building (as opposed to one built by e.g. ReadTheDocs) it means we're able to retain full control over individual pixels via CSS and additional HTML.

That landing page for example is still a regular mkdocs page, except with sidepanels hidden to maximise screen space. That means it'll build from Markdown and integrate with the overall style without added effort.

Tomorrow

I'll populate the site with the remainder of the landing page - we haven't got a final look of the GUI yet so it'll be a rough version. Then I'll add what tutorials I've already put together for Allspark and Rez and start building a little knowledge base with all one could want to know about both of these all from one place.