Bramble is based on Brackets

Brackets is a modern open-source code editor for HTML, CSS and JavaScript that is built in HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

Brackets is at 1.0 and we're not stopping there. We have many feature ideas on our trello board that we're anxious to add and other innovative web development workflows that we're planning to build into Brackets. So take Brackets out for a spin and let us know how we can make it your favorite editor.

You can see some screenshots of Brackets on the wiki, intro videos on YouTube, and news on the Brackets blog.

The text editor inside Brackets is based on CodeMirror—thanks to Marijn for taking our pull requests, implementing feature requests and fixing bugs! See Notes on CodeMirror for info on how we're using CodeMirror.

How to setup Bramble (Brackets) in your local machine

Step 1: Make sure you clone our fork of Bramble recursively.

$ git clone https://github.com/code-dot-org/bramble.git --recursive

Step 2: Install its dependencies

Navigate to the root of the directory you cloned and run:

$ npm install

NOTE: if you are running on Windows, and experience a build error with the iltorb package, consider adding the --no-optional flag to have npm skip installing iltorb, which is optional and requires python, gyp and a working c++ build environment. See comment in https://github.com/mozilla/brackets/pull/588#issuecomment-280438175

Step 3: Run Bramble:

The easiest way to run Bramble is to simply use:

$ npm start

This will generate the strings needed for localization in your src/nls folder and allow you to access Bramble on localhost:8000 (NOTE: you need npm version 5 for the cleanup step to run properly; if it doesn't, use npm run unlocalize to restore the files in src/nls/**/*). It will also build the Bramble iframe API in dist/ if necessary. You can terminate the server with Ctrl+C which will also clean up the strings that were generated in your src/nls folder. If any changes are made in the src directory, just refresh the page hosting Bramble in your browser to reflect those changes.

If you want to simply run the server without the localized strings, run:

$ npm run server

However, if you wish to run your own static server, there are several options available:

• Apache Webserver
• Host on github pages
• Python WebServer

Assuming you have Bramble running on port 8000. Now you can visit http://localhost:8000/src.

NOTE 1: Bramble expects to be run in an iframe, which hosts its filesystem. For local development, use src/hosted.html instead of src/index.html. To see how the remote end should host Bramble's iframe, see src/hosted.js.

NOTE 2: Using npm run build will overwrite contents in the src/nls folder. These changes are necessary if you access Bramble using http://localhost:8000/src. After using Bramble, you can undo the changes by running npm run unlocalize.

NOTE 3: To use Bramble in a production setting locally, you can run npm run production and access Bramble at http://localhost:8000/dist

Extension Loading

Bramble loads a set of extensions defined in src/extensions/bramble-extensions.json. You can alter which extensions Bramble loads by adding or removing items from this list. You can also temporarily disable extensions by using ?disableExtensions. For example: to disable QuickView and CSSCodeHints, load Bramble with ?disableExtensions=QuickView,CSSCodeHints on the URL.

After installation

After you have everything setup, you can now run the server you chose in the root of your local Bramble directory and see it in action by visiting http://localhost:8000/src.

Bramble IFrame API

Bramble is designed to be run in an iframe, and the hosting web app to communicate with it via postMessage and MessageChannel. In order to simplify this, a convenience API exists for creating and managing the iframe, as well as providing JavaScript functions for interacting with the editor, preview, etc.

Loading the API

The hosting app must include the Bramble IFrame API (i.e., dist/bramble.js). Note: in development you can use src/hosted.html, which does this. This script can either be used as an AMD module, or as a browser global:

<script src="bramble.js"></script>
<script>
  // Option 1: AMD loading, assumes requirejs is loaded already
  require(["bramble"], function(Bramble) {
    ...
  });

  // Option 2: Browser global
  var Bramble = window.Bramble;
</script>

Bramble

The Bramble module has a number of methods, properties, and events. During its lifetime, Bramble goes through a number of states, including:

• Bramble.ERROR - Bramble is in an error state
• Bramble.NOT_LOADED - Initial state, Bramble.load() has not been called
• Bramble.LOADING - Bramble.load() has been called, loading resources has begun
• Bramble.MOUNTABLE - Loading is done and Bramble.mount() can be begin, or is safe to start
• Bramble.MOUNTING - Bramble.mount() is being called, mounting is in process
• Bramble.READY - Bramble.mount() has finished, Bramble is fully ready

The current state of Bramble can be obtained by calling Bramble.getReadyState(). There are also a number of events you can listen for (i.e., Bramble is an EventEmitter):

Bramble.once("ready", function(bramble) {
  // bramble is the Bramble proxy instance, see below.
});

Bramble.on("error", function(err) {
  // Bramble is in an error state, and `err` is the error.
})

Bramble.on("readyStateChange", function(previous, current) {
  // Bramble's readyState changed from `previous` to `current`
});

NOTE: in some browsers (e.g., Firefox) when the user is in "Private Browsing" mode, the filesystem (i.e., IndexedDB) will be inaccessible, and an error will be sent via the error event (i.e., err.code === "EFILESYSTEMERROR"). This is the same error that occurs when the filesystem is corrupt (see autoRecoverFileSystem below).

Bramble Offline Support

The Bramble code is offline capable, and will indicate, via events, when it is ready to be used offline, as well as when there are updates available for existing offline cached resources. These events are triggered on Bramble vs. the bramble instance. The offline related events include:

• "offlineReady" - triggered when Bramble has been fully cached for offline use. Users can safely work without network.
• "updatesAvailable" - triggered when new or updated Bramble resources have been cached and are available for use. You might use this to indicate to the user that they should refresh the page to begin using the updates.

Bramble.getFileSystem()

The FileSystem is owned by the hosting application, and can be obtained at any time by calling:

var fs = Bramble.getFileSystem();

This fs instance can be used to setup the filesystem for the Bramble editor prior to loading. You can access things like Path and Buffer via Bramble.Filer.*.

Bramble.formatFileSystem(callback)

WARNING: this will destroy data, and is meant to be used in the case that the filesystem is corrupted (err.code === "EFILESYSTEMERROR"), or for when an app wants to allow a user to wipe their disk.

Bramble.on("error", function(err) {
  if(err.code === "EFILESYSTEMERROR") {
    Bramble.formatFileSystem(function(err) {
      if(err) {
        // Unable to create filesystem, fatal (and highly unlikely) error
      } else {
        // filesystem is now clean and empty, use Bramble.getFileSystem() to obtain instance
      }
    });
  }
});

NOTE: you can turn this recovery behaviour on automatically by passing autoRecoverFileSystem: true in the options to Bramble.load().

Bramble.load(elem[, options])

Once you have a reference to the Bramble object, you use it to starting loading the editor:

// Start loading Bramble
Bramble.load("#webmaker-bramble");

Bramble.once("error", function(err) {
  console.error("Bramble error", err);
});

The elem argument specifies which element in the DOM should be used to hold the iframe. This element's contents will be replaced by the iframe. You can pass a selector, a reference to an actual DOM element, or leave it blank, and document.body will be used.

The options object allows you to configure Bramble:

• url: <String> a URL to use when loading the Bramble iframe (defaults to prod)
• locale: <String> the locale Brackets should use
• useLocationSearch: <Boolean> whether to copy the window's location.search string to the iframe's url
• extensions: <Object> with the following optional properties
  • enable: <Array(String)> a list of extensions to enable
  • disable: <Array(String)> a list of extensions to disable
• hideUntilReady: <Boolean> whether to hide Bramble until it's fully loaded.
• disableUIState: <Boolean> by default, UI state is kept between sessions. This disables it (and clears old values), and uses the defaults from Bramble.
• autoRecoverFileSystem: <Boolean> whether to try and autorecover the filesystem on failure (see Bramble.formatFileSystem above).
• debug: <Boolean> whether to log debug info.
• zipFilenamePrefix: <String> the prefix name to use for project zip files, or "thimble-project" by default.
• capacity: <Number> the number of bytes of disk space to allow for this project. Defaults to 5MB if not set.

Bramble.mount(root[, filename])

After calling Bramble.load(), you can tell Bramble which project root directory to open, and which file to load into the editor. NOTE: the optional filename argument, if provided, should be a relative path within the project root. Bramble will use this information when it is ready to mount the filesystem. Use the "ready" event to get access to the bramble instance:

// Setup the filesystem while Bramble is loading
var fs = Bramble.getFileSystem();

Bramble.once("ready", function(bramble) {
  // The bramble instance is now usable, see below.
});

fs.mkdir("/project", function(err) {
  // If we run this multiple times, the dir will already exist
  if (err && err.code !== "EEXIST") {
    throw err;
  }

  var html = ""                    +
    "<html>\n"                     +
    "  <head>\n"                   +
    "    <title>Bramble</title>\n" +
    "  </head>\n"                  +
    "  <body>\n"                   +
    "    <p>Hello World</p>\n"     +
    "  </body>\n"                  +
    "</html>";

  fs.writeFile("/project/index.html", html, function(err) {
    if (err) {
      throw err;
    }

    // Now that fs is setup, tell Bramble which root dir to mount
    // and which file within that root to open on startup.
    Bramble.mount("/project", "index.html");
  });
});

Bramble Instance Getters

Once the Bramble instance is created (e.g., via ready event or Bramble.mount() callback), a number of read-only getters are available in order to access state information in the Bramble editor:

• getID() - returns the iframe element's id in the DOM
• getIFrame() - returns a reference to the iframe that hosts Bramble
• getFullPath() - returns the absolute path of the file currently being edited
• getFilename() - returns the filename portion (i.e., no dir info) of the file currently being edited
• getPreviewMode() - returns one of "mobile" or "desktop", depending on current preview mode
• getSidebarVisible() - returns true or false depending on whether the sidebar (file tree) is visible
• getLayout() - returns an Object with three integer properties: sidebarWidth, firstPaneWidth, secondPaneWidth. The firstPaneWidth refers to the editor, where secondPaneWidth is the preview.
• getRootDir() - returns the project root directory to which Bramble is mounted
• getTheme() - returns the name of the current theme.
• getFontSize() - returns the current font size as a string (e.g., "12px").
• getWordWrap() - returns the current word wrap setting as a Boolean (i.e., enabled or disabled).
• getAllowJavaScript() - returns the current allow javascript setting as a Boolean (i.e., enabled or disabled).
• getAutocomplete() - returns the current autocomplete settings as a Boolean (i.e., enabled or disabled).
• getAutoCloseTags() - returns the current close tags setting as an Object with three properties: whenOpening a boolean that determines whether opening tags are closed upon typing ">", whenClosing a boolean that determines whether closing tags are closed upon typing "/", and an array of tags indentTags, that when opened, has a blank line. These values default to, respectively: true, true, and an empty array.
• getTutorialExists() - returns true or false depending on whether or not there is a tutorial in the project (i.e., if tutorial.html is present)
• getTutorialVisible() - returns true or false depending on whether or not the preview browser is showing a tutorial or not.
• getAutoUpdate() - returns true or false depending on whether or not the auto update preference is enabled or not.
• getTotalProjectSize() - returns the current project size in bytes.
• hasIndexFile() - returns true or false depending on whether or not there is an "index.html" file.
• getFileCount() - returns total file count.

NOTE: calling these getters before the ready() callback on the bramble instance won't do what you want.

Bramble Instance Methods

The Bramble instance has a number of methods you can call in order to interact with the Bramble editor and preview, all of which take an optional callback argument if you want to be notified when the action completes:

• undo([callback]) - undo the last operation in the editor (waits for focus)
• redo([callback]) - redo the last operation that was undone in the editor (waits for focus)
• increaseFontSize([callback]) - increases the editor's font size
• decreaseFontSize([callback]) - decreases the editor's font size
• restoreFontSize([callback]) - restores the editor's font size to normal
• save([callback]) - saves the current document
• saveAll([callback]) - saves all "dirty" documents
• useHorizontalSplitView([callback]) - splits the editor and preview horizontally
• useVerticalSplitView([callback]) - splits the editor and preview vertically (default)
• find([callback]) - opens the Find dialog to search within the current document
• findInFiles([callback]) - opens the Find in Files dialog to search in all project files
• replace([callback]) - opens the Replace dialog to replace text in the current document
• replaceInFiles([callback]) - opens the Replace in Files dialog to replace text in all project files
• useLightTheme([callback]) - sets the editor to use the light theme (default)
• useDarkTheme([callback]) - sets the editor to use the dark theme
• showSidebar([callback]) - opens the file tree sidebar
• hideSidebar([callback]) - hides the file tree sidebar
• showStatusbar([callback]) - enables and shows the statusbar
• hideStatusbar([callback]) - disables and hides the statusbar
• showPreview([callback]) - opens the preview pane
• hidePreview([callback]) - hides the preview pane
• refreshPreview([callback]) - reloads the preview with the latest content in the editor and filesystem
• useMobilePreview([callback]) - uses a Mobile view in the preview, as it would look on a smartphone
• useDesktopPreview([callback]) - uses a Desktop view in the preview, as it would look on a desktop computer (default)
• enableFullscreenPreview([callback]) - shows a fullscreen preview of the current file
• disableFullscreenPreview([callback]) - turns off the fullscreen preview of the current file
• enableAutoUpdate([callback]) - turns on auto-update for the preview (default)
• disableAutoUpdate([callback]) - turns off auto-update for the preview (manual reloads still work)
• enableJavaScript([callback]) - turns on JavaScript execution for the preview (default)
• disableJavaScript([callback]) - turns off JavaScript execution for the preview
• enableInspector([callback]) - turns on the preview inspector (shows code for hovered/clicked element)
• disableInspector([callback]) - turns off the preview inspector (default)
• enableWordWrap([callback]) - turns on word wrap for the editor (default)
• disableWordWrap([callback]) - turns off word wrap for the editor
• configureAutoCloseTags(options, [callback]) - enables/disables close tags for the editor using the provided options which consists of an Object that includes three properties: whenOpening a boolean, whenClosing a boolean, and an array indentTags.
• showTutorial([callback]) - shows tutorial (i.e., tutorial.html) vs editor contents in preview
• hideTutorial([callback]) - stops showing tutorial (i.e., tutorial.html) and uses editor contents in preview
• showUploadFilesDialog([callback]) - shows the Upload Files dialog, allowing users to drag-and-drop, upload a file, or take a selfie.
• addNewFile([options, callback]) - adds a new text file, using the provided options, which can include: filename a String with the complete filename to use; contents a String with the new text file's data; ext a String with the new file's extension; basenamePrefix a String with the basename to use when generating a new filename. NOTE: if you provide filename, basenamePrefix and ext are ignored.
• fileRefresh([callback]) - refreshes files in the project tree (custom for CDO-Bramble).
• addNewFolder([callback]) - adds a new folder.
• export([callback]) - creates an archive .zip file of the entire project's filesystem, and downloads it to the browser.
• addCodeSnippet(snippet, [callback]) - adds a new code snippet to the editor (if it is in focus) at the current cursor position. One required parameter (snippet) needs to be passed in which needs to be a String.
• openSVGasXML([callback]) - treats .svg files as XML and shows them in the text editor.
• openSVGasImage([callback]) - treats .svg files as Images and shows them in image viewer.

Bramble Instance Events

The Bramble instance is also an EventEmitter and raises the following events:

• "layout" - triggered whenever the sidebar, editor, or preview panes are changed. It includes an Object that returns the same information as the getLayout() getter: sidebarWidth, firstPaneWidth, secondPathWidth
• "activeEditorChange" - triggered whenever the editor changes from one file to another. It includes an Object with the current file's fullPath and filename.
• "previewModeChange" - triggered whenever the preview mode is changed. It includes an Object with the new mode
• "sidebarChange" - triggered whenever the sidebar is hidden or shown. It includes an Object with a visible property set to true or false
• "themeChange" - triggered whenever the theme changes. It includes an Object with a theme property that indicates the new theme
• "fontSizeChange" - triggered whenever the font size changes. It includes an Object with a fontSize property that indicates the new size (e.g., "12px").
• "wordWrapChange" - triggered whenever the word wrap value changes. It includes an Object with a wordWrap property that indicates the new value (e.g., true or false).
• "allowJavaScriptChange" - triggered whenever the allow javascript value changes. It includes an Object with a allowJavaScript property that indicates the new value (e.g., true or false).
• "autoCloseTagsChange" - triggered whenever the close tag value changes. It includes an Object with a autoCloseTags property that indicates the new value
• "tutorialAdded" - triggered when a new tutorial is added to the project
• "tutorialRemoved" - triggered when an existing tutorial for the project is removed
• "tutorialVisibilityChange" - triggered when the tutorial preview is turned on or off. It includes an Object with a visibility property that indicates whether the tutorial is visible.
• "inspectorChange" - triggered whenever the inspector changes from enabled to disabled, or vice versa. It includes an Object with an enabled property set to true or false.
• "autoUpdateChange" - triggered whenever the auto update preference changes from enabled to disabled, or vice versa. It includes an Object with a autoUpdate property set to true or false
• "projectDirty" - triggered when one of the files in the project has been edited and those changes haven't been saved yet. It includes an Object with the path to the current file.
• "projectSaved" - triggered whenever the changes are saved to the filesystem in the browser are completed.
• "dialogOpened" - triggered whenever a modal dialog opens, like when a user is deleting a file.
• "dialogClosed" - triggered whenever a modal dialog closes.
• "capacityExceeded" - triggered whenever the project's files reach or exceed the maximum allowed disk capacity. Some operations will be disallowed until sufficient space has been recovered (e.g., user deletes files). A second argument, size, indicates the number of bytes the project is over capacity.
• "capacityRestored" - triggered after a "capacityExceeded" event when sufficient space has been recovered to continue normal disk activity.
• "projectSizeChange" - triggered when the project's size on disk changes. The event includes two arguments: size, which is the new size of the project in bytes, and percentUsed which is a percentage of disk space used out of the total available capacity.

There are also high-level events for changes to files:

• "fileChange" - triggered whenever a file is created or updated within the project root. It includes the filename of the file that changed.
• "fileDelete" - triggered whenever a file is deleted within the project root. It includes the filename of the file that was deleted.
• "fileRename" - triggered whenever a file is renamed within the project root. It includes the oldFilename and the newFilename of the file that was renamed.
• "folderRename" - triggered whenever a folder is renamed within the project root. It includes an object that looks something like this:

{
  oldPath: "/path/before/rename",
  newPath: "/path/after/rename",
  // Paths to all files contained inside the folder being renamed
  children: [ "relativeFilePath1",  "relativeFilePath2", ... ]
}

NOTE: if you want to receive generic events for file system events, especially events across windows using the same file system, use fs.watch() instead.

Troubleshooting

If you forgot to add the --recursive flag while cloning this repository, you might run into a similar error:

Tracing dependencies for: main
Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '[..]/brackets/src/thirdparty/text/text.js'
In module tree:
    brackets
      language/LanguageManager
        file/FileUtils
          utils/Global

To fix it, run git submodule update --init --recursive in the main directory.