a CFML IDE for kids?

[Jason Blum]

I mentioned this on an earlier thread (http://groups.google.com/group/cfml-apps/browse_thread/thread/97899fc6b7f43563?hl=en) ...but I'll start a new one to reflect a new angle:

The question was how to expand the CFML and specifically Open Source CFML community.

And I mentioned I had been taking my kids to Lego robotics classes, playing with http://scratch.mit.edu/, thinking about splurging this holiday for the Lego Mindstorms kit...

But they're getting sharp enough, I'd like to see them starting to play with CFML.  And I'm thinking the way to do it is to build a really streamlined, kid-friendly IDE - something geared towards 9-16 year olds, or so?


I'm imagining something that runs in the browser - nothing to install, host or configure; code is prettified and line-numbered as they type; and after a short delay after every keyUp, their code is cfajaxproxied to a cfc that writes it to a file, executes it and then returns the generated content to be output in the frame below.

I threw together this working poc in an hour this morning using jquery and bootstrap: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4006085/Screen%20Shot%202011-11-17%20at%2010.05.53%20AM.png


Needless to say, a lot of tags and functions will have to be disabled, but I'm thinking there's still plenty of functionality to learn about data types, loops, conditional logic, OOP, etc.


But before I go any further, I'm thinking surely someone's already tried something like this?  Any thoughts on issues, features to add?

I was thinking I'd try to code something up in time for OpenCF Summit in February.


Thanks

-Jason

[Lola J. Lee Beno]

I think this is a fabulous idea! This is something I can see my nephews
using - my sister is a CF programmer and their father is a developer as
well.

[Matthew Woodward]

On Thu, Nov 17, 2011 at 7:18 AM, Jason Blum <jason...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm imagining something that runs in the browser - nothing to install, host or configure; code is prettified and line-numbered as they type; and after a short delay after every keyUp, their code is cfajaxproxied to a cfc that writes it to a file, executes it and then returns the generated content to be output in the frame below.

Really neat idea. Would any of the browser-based IDEs help at all? I'm thinking of things like Bespin and the like (there's probably a ton of these by now), and I think even Eclipse is working on one (Orion maybe?).

Anyway just thought if there's any decent open source ones that could be leveraged it might save a lot of reinventing the wheel.

Love the idea though--this wouldn't only be great for kids but would be a great way to promote CFML and OpenBD. Lots of other technologies (Grails, Python, and Ruby come to mind) have some variation of tools that let you play with things live in a browser.

--
Matthew Woodward
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[Jason Blum]

I'll look at Bespin, but my initial thinking would be to go ahead and rebuild the IDE-in-the-browser wheel, but precisely with VERY limited functionality, only what a kid needs to play with and learn CFML, perhaps building up enough of an app to zip up and deploy to a server, or further develop in a real IDE.

I have my own kids in mind actually when I worry about them getting distracted by menus cluttered with code deployment, refactoring and testing tooling, setting breakpoints, views and perspectives, etc - all the stuff that intimidates the hell out of me :)

Yeah I feel like I've seen "live try coding in language x" websites, but I can't seem to find any.  If you can think of any, I'd love the check them out for ideas.

What I have is already kind of working - just need to pretty up the editor and install some kind of file navigation and a way to save projects under a username.  I've done a little work with http://adventureswithrobots.com/, a company that teaches computers and technology to kids and may go ahead and try to work up a curriculum based on a tool like this.

So maybe I'll go ahead and buy a domain and find someone to host it.  What's a good name?  CFMLkids.org?  CFML4kids.org?  GoCFML.org?  Isn't there someone out there who hosts cfml-advancing non-profit open source efforts like this for free?  ;)

[Steven Neiland]

I can donate some space on my railo server for you to start off with until you need a dedicate machine (or you start getting serious traffic).

[jason...@gmail.com]

Ah steven very kind of you - cool ill follow up when I get it a little further along.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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From: Steven Neiland <steven....@gmail.com>

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Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:04:00 -0800 (PST)

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Subject: Re: a CFML IDE for kids?

[Carl Von Stetten]

jsbin.com might be another example site to check out for ideas.

Carl

[jason...@gmail.com]

Carl that jsbin.com is pretty much exactly all I had in mind! That's enough to keep my kids occupied for a while anyway.

Thanks - lots of great ideas here.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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From: Carl Von Stetten <vonner...@vonner.net>

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Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:07:50 -0800

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Subject: Re: a CFML IDE for kids?

[Carl Von Stetten]

I didn't say it in my previous message, but I think your idea is fantastic.  I'd love to get my son interested in ColdFusion too.  He's a senior in high school, and his friend is doing web application development with PHP (full-body shiver while typing that!!!), so it would be cool for him to see how easy he can do the same things in CF.

Carl