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https://github.com/SimonBiggs/scriptedforms

Quickly create live-update GUIs for Python packages using Markdown and simple HTML elements.
https://github.com/SimonBiggs/scriptedforms

angular-material jupyter jupyterlab-extension markdown

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Quickly create live-update GUIs for Python packages using Markdown and simple HTML elements.

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README

        

# Scripted Forms [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/SimonBiggs/scriptedforms.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/SimonBiggs/scriptedforms) [![Sauce Test Status](https://saucelabs.com/buildstatus/ScriptedForms)](https://saucelabs.com/u/ScriptedForms) [![Binder](https://mybinder.org/badge.svg)](https://mybinder.org/v2/gh/SimonBiggs/scriptedforms-examples/master?urlpath=scriptedforms/use/detailed-example.md)

## Project Archived

This project has been archived. This was created back in Febuary 2018. Since then
[Streamlit](https://github.com/streamlit/streamlit/blob/develop/README.md) has
been created and has built a brilliant library, company and community
and is going on to success upon success.

Please use Streamlit as a replacement for ScriptedForms.

## Overview

Making GUIs easy for everyone on your team.

The primary benefit is that front ends for Python code become easily accessible
to everyone on your team. Easy to use, easy to update, easy to extend, and easy
to understand.

* Quickly create live-update GUIs for Python packages using Markdown and a few custom HTML elements.
* Just write in markdown + variables / UI types
* Based on Jupyter

## Development stage

This is currently in alpha stage development. Expect bugs, expect the experience to be rough around the edges at times. There are still significant changes in store for this library before it is ready to be classified as beta. However, I do encourage you to take it for a spin and journey with me, influencing what this will become.

## Quick start

To use ScriptedForms you will need Python (>=3.5) on your computer. A platform independent way to install Python is to [download and install the Anaconda Python distribution](https://www.anaconda.com/download).

Once you have Python on your computer installing
ScriptedForms is as simple as typing the following into a terminal (or command prompt):

```bash
pip install scriptedforms
```

Then to use it create a markdown file within your current directory called `quick-start.md` with any plaintext editor (such as
[Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/)).
Make the contents be the following:

~~~markdown
# An example

your_name

```python
print('Hello {}!'.format(your_name))
```

~~~

Then run the following in your terminal

```bash
scriptedforms quick-start.md
```

If everything worked, a Scripted Form should open within your default browser.
You should be able to type your name into the form and see the code field live
update with each key stroke:



Now within `quick-start.md` edit the markdown file by changing

```markdown
# An example
```

to

```markdown
# The form updates when I change it
```

and then press save. The form in the browser should then update to match what
you just wrote.

### Plotting and slider example

If you want to be a bit more adventurous see what happens if you add the
following to the end of the your `quick-start.md` file (or any other
ScriptedForm):

~~~markdown
#### Example slider use case

Using the slider and live sections combined with matplotlib plots you can
produce utilities like the following:

```python
t = np.linspace(-2*np.pi, 2*np.pi, 500)
omega = np.ones(2)
```

Angular frequencies ($\omega$):

omega[0]
omega[1]

```python
plt.figure(figsize=(5*1.618,5))

oscillation = np.sin(t[:, np.newaxis] * omega[np.newaxis, :])
summation = np.sum(oscillation, axis=1)

plt.plot(t, oscillation)
plt.plot(t, summation)

plt.xlim([-2*np.pi, 2*np.pi])
plt.ylim([-2.4, 2.4])
plt.title('Two sin curves and their summation')
plt.legend([
r'$\omega [0] = {0:0.1f}$'.format(omega[0]),
r'$\omega [1] = {0:0.1f}$'.format(omega[1]),
'Summation'], loc='upper right')
plt.xlabel('time (seconds)')
plt.ylabel(r'$sin(\omega \times t)$');
```

~~~

This should produce what is seen in the following screenshot:





[Click here](https://mybinder.org/v2/gh/SimonBiggs/scriptedforms-examples/master?urlpath=scriptedforms/use/plotting-example.md) to see a live version of this example on mybinder.org. This will run slower online on that server than when you are using it locally.

### More features

For a markdown file that presents the majority of the features of scriptedforms
see
[detailed.form.md](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SimonBiggs/scriptedforms/master/detailed.form.md).
Try writing some of the contents of that file into a ScriptedForm to see how
they work.

## Platform/browser testing matrix

The following OS Browser combinations are explicitly tested using [Sauce Labs](https://saucelabs.com):

[![Sauce Test Status](https://saucelabs.com/browser-matrix/ScriptedForms.svg)](https://saucelabs.com/u/ScriptedForms)

## Security notice

Be aware that ScriptedForms uses the [Jupyter Notebook Server security model](http://jupyter-notebook.readthedocs.io/en/stable/security.html#security-in-the-jupyter-notebook-server). When a user has access to the forms via the localhost web interface, should they have sufficient know how, they also have the ability to run arbitrary Python code without limitations.

By default only users on the local machine will be able to access the Jupyter Notebook Server which means if you trust a user to run code on their own machine then allowing them to use ScriptedForms will not cause issue. Only override these default settings if you understand and accept the security implications.

Furthermore do not run a scripted form unless you trust its origin. Given the reactive nature of ScriptedForms, code within the markdown template can run on form opening, as well as during usage.

## [Advanced users only] Installing scriptedforms from the GitHub source

The majority of users will not need to pay attention to this section.

For those who wish to build scriptedforms from the source provided within this
repository, instead of using pypi, the javascript bundle will need to be built.
To do this you will need to
[install `yarn`](https://yarnpkg.com/lang/en/docs/install/) and then run the
following in the
[directory containing the `package.json` file](./scriptedforms):

```bash
yarn
yarn build
yarn pip:install
```

This will install the node packages, build the javascript files and then run
`pip install -e .` to install the python package.

### License Change

I have re-released this code base under the Apache-2.0 license so that it may
be freely used within other projects without needing to adhere to the copyleft
requirements of the AGPL. The comments below regarding the previous choice of
license will be left unchanged.

### Justification for using a copyleft license

I desire to seed a Medical Physics open source community within Australia.
Medical Physicists have been repeatedly blocked from giving code to the
community. There may be an opportunity for sharing however if there is an
existing IP agreement that distributed code or modifications will be
provided under the same license.

As such, to be able to seed a Medical Physics open source community within
Australia I need to create something that helps Medical Physicists write their
code and have it licensed under a copyleft license.

I hope this is that package.

For more information on why you as a Medical Physicist might want to use the
AGPL-3.0+ license read the [benefits of AGPL-3.0+ for Medical Physics](./Benefits-of-AGPL-3.0+-for-Medical-Physics.md).

### Justification for the inclusion of additional terms

A significant and justifiable fear within the Medical Physics community is that
should code be shared the author of the code may be liable for negligence. As
such specifically addressing negligence within the additional terms is a must
if this code base will become a seed to create a Medical Physics open source
community in Australia.

Within Australian courts if there is any ambiguity in liability exclusion
clauses they will be interpreted narrowly. If liability for negligence is not
expressly excluded it may not be read as excluded within an Australian court
( page 80).
The same is true for clauses which seek to exclude liability for consequential
loss.

The AGPL-3.0+ does not explicitly mention negligence anywhere within its
license text. The Apache-2.0 does. The AGPL-3.0+ in Section 7 does define
allowable additional terms. The negligence clauses within the Apache-2.0 fall
under these allowable additional terms so, as such, they have been included.

There are also other desirable features of the Apache-2.0 license such as
contribution, trademark, and warranty requirements. These were also included.

### A note about the code sharing license requirement

If you only ever use this code internally within your company to create GUIs
the only people who need to have access to the source code are those users
whom you distribute the program to. Therefore you do not need to share your
code outside of your company if your only users are within your company.

However there are significant benefits from sharing your code with the
community. Please read the [benefits of AGPL-3.0+ for Medical Physics](./Benefits-of-AGPL-3.0+-for-Medical-Physics.md).