Open source EEZ Studio development continues thanks to NLnet

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EEZ Studio cross-platform low-code tool for creating embedded GUIs and test scenarios for test & measurement was awarded with a continuation of the donation from NLnet. This will ensure that core functionality is significantly improved and remains open source.

Continuation of development will take place through several milestones as follows:

Milestone 6 (M6) – EEZ flow engine unification

We currently have two EEZ flow engines because we initially had an "embedded" engine, and by adding EEZ flow, another was created that allows execution on a PC ("dashboard" engine). The distinction was made because C++ is created for the former and JS code for the latter. The existence of two separate engines complicates maintenance and further development. Additionally, EEZ flow, which is intended for "embedded", cannot be simply started in the simulator, but requires build firmware and download to the MCU, which significantly complicates and prolongs the development time. This milestone should solve that.

M7 – Multilanguage in project

Adding multilingual support is a must and would provide support for fonts with an extended number of symbols (according to UTF-8) as well as bidirectionality. This will allow us to adapt the runtime EEZ flow to the end user’s language, although the EEZ Studio environment will remain in English for the time being.

M8 – Widgets advanced control

Adding the proposed controls would achieve the following: better visibility of pages with a large number of widgets, easier navigation and easier selection of widgets during editing. Auto-size features will make it easier to migrate a project to other screen sizes. Finally, animations will increase the attractiveness of the GUI.

M9 – New project wizard

By adding EEZ Flow functionality, setting up a new EEZ Studio project becomes even more complex which could discourage a new user from intending to start using EEZ Studio more seriously. The idea is to create a wizard that will simplify the definition of basic settings and create several template projects that can be used as a starting point for further development.

M10 – Gitea integration

Gitea.io integration will enable source version controls so that the EEZ flow editor can graphically display differences between versions. This will greatly simplify tracking changes between different versions, whether made by one or more developers.

M11 – New EEZ Flow extensions

These new extensions will further increase the attractiveness and usability of the EEZ flow project.

• Python extension
• Regular expression extension
• HTTP(S)/REST extension
• Plotly support (for BB3)
• QR code generator

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