Frothy
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Editor

VS Code and browser editor support for running forms and files, inspecting live words, and interrupting the board.

You do not need a special editor to use Frothy. Any editor plus frothy send file.fr works.

The VS Code extension is a convenience layer over frothy session. It sends source, asks the device for inspection data, and leaves the live image on the board.

Install VS Code Support

In VS Code, open Extensions, search for Frothy, and install the extension published by NikolaiKozak. It updates through VS Code.

For extension development, build and install the current VSIX directly:

make vsix
code --install-extension editors/vscode/frothy-0.4.0.vsix

The extension handles .fr and .frothy files and requires the frothy CLI on your PATH (or at frothy.binaryPath).

Useful Commands

  • Frothy: Connect
  • Frothy: Disconnect
  • Frothy: Run Form
  • Frothy: Run File
  • Frothy: Rerun
  • Frothy: Open Example
  • Frothy: Browse Words
  • Frothy: Inspect Word
  • Frothy: Show Status
  • Frothy: Memory
  • Frothy: Save Overlay
  • Frothy: Restore Overlay
  • Frothy: Interrupt
  • Frothy: Show Output

Shortcuts

Cmd/Ctrl+Enter          Run Form
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Enter    Run File
Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+R          Rerun
Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+.          Interrupt while running

Save to Device uses Frothy: Save Overlay to persist the device’s current definitions. Frothy: Restore Overlay reloads that saved state.

Settings

frothy.binaryPath is an optional absolute path to the frothy binary.

frothy.port is an optional preferred serial port.

frothy.baud is the serial baud rate.

frothy.autoConnect controls automatic connection.

Browser Editor

The browser editor uses WebSerial and runs Frothy straight from the page. Use Chrome or Edge on desktop.

  • Examples — the picker in the header loads any of the bundled examples into the buffer. The same set is available in VS Code via Frothy: Open Example.
  • Connect / Run — Connect opens the WebSerial picker and visibly confirms the live profile. Run Form sends one selected complete form or the form around the cursor. Run File sends every complete form in order and stops at the first device error.
  • Indent — Tab and Shift-Tab indent inside the source editor instead of moving focus away.
  • Browse Words — asks the connected device for its current vocabulary, then runs see for the word you choose.
  • Interrupt — sends a Ctrl-C to stop a running program (a forever loop), without disconnecting.
  • Split — toggles the MCU output between sitting below the editor and beside it; the choice is remembered.
  • Autosaved locally — edits are saved in this browser automatically. If storage fails, the editor says so and keeps Download .fr available.
  • Open / Download — Open .fr replaces the scratchpad and preserves its filename for the next download.
  • Errors — Run File stops at the first device error, and diagnostic detail stays grouped with the error.

Recovery

If Connect fails, close other applications using the serial port, press the board’s EN button (or unplug and reconnect it), and try again. If a program runs away, use Interrupt or press Ctrl-C in a terminal session. If saved state is bad after reboot, use the CLI recovery commands from the CLI reference .