Understand projects

A project is a folder you work in, like plantpal or bakery-website. Connecting it to your account lets Code Config remember things about it: which toolkit it uses by default, which computers have it, and how to open it from the web app.

You don’t have to connect a folder to work in it. Connect it when you want Code Config to do the remembering for you.

Example: Plantpal on two computers

Say you work on Plantpal on a laptop and a desktop. You connect the project on each one. Your account now knows Plantpal exists, that its default toolkit is Plantpal: build, and that both computers have it. The folder paths and your keys stay on each computer.

One project, two computers

Web app

Code Config web app

• Project: Plantpal
• Default toolkit: Plantpal: build
• Connected on: Laptop, Desktop

• Computer

  Laptop

  • Folder: ~/code/plantpal
  • Keys stay on this computer
  • Coding app runs here

• Computer

  Desktop

  • Folder: D:\projects\plantpal
  • Keys stay on this computer
  • Coding app runs here

Your account knows the project and its toolkit. Each computer keeps its own folder and keys.

Why connect a project

Connecting a project gives you three things:

• A default toolkit. Set it once and every session in that project starts with the right tools. See Give each project its own toolkit.
• Quick access in the Code Config app. The project is ready to pick when you start a session.
• Launching from the web app. The browser can ask one of your computers to open the project, because it knows which computers have it.

You can still start a session in a folder that isn’t connected. It uses your workspace default toolkit.

A project is not a tool source

These two are easy to mix up, because both can be GitHub repositories:

• A project is where you use tools. In the web app, connecting one is called Map project.
• A tool source is a repository you add in Tool Builder so you can pick tools from it.

Adding a tool source does not tell Code Config where your project lives, and connecting a project does not scan it for tools.

What stays on your computer

Your account keeps track of the project, the repository linked to it, and which computers have it connected. The folder’s location on each computer and the project’s files stay on that computer. Connecting a project never uploads your code.

A repository you add as a tool source is different: Code Config reads it, through the access you approve, to find the tools inside.

When you launch, Code Config writes your toolkit’s configuration for the coding app you chose. The coding-app guide explains where it goes for each app.

Next

Connect a project and choose defaults.