RaftWebApps

Raft Web Apps

RaftCore's GitHub Pages site hosts two apps that run in the browser, with nothing to install:

App	URL	What it's for
Device Types	https://robdobsn.github.io/RaftCore/devtypes/app/	Browse the device type catalogue, see a device's device types, and build and push its device type file
Raft Flasher	https://robdobsn.github.io/RaftCore/flash/	Flash a Raft build to an ESP32 over USB

Both are in raftjs (apps/devtypes and apps/flasher). They connect to a device over Web Bluetooth or Web Serial, so they need Chrome or Edge, on a secure page (the hosted https site, or localhost).

Device Types app

What you can do in it:

• Browse the catalogue: search RaftCore's device type records by name, manufacturer, class or I2C address, for main or any release from v1.59.0.
• Connect to a device (Bluetooth or USB serial): see the devices it has found (with catalogue records for addresses it couldn't identify), the types it knows and its device type file.
• Build a type file: from RaftCore's records, git sources on GitHub and record files on your computer, as a DeviceTypeSources.json describes them. A project's DeviceTypeSources.json and lock can be imported, and give the same file as raft devtypes typefile.
• Push it to the device: upload, the device's check, apply, restart and verify, as raft devtypes push does. You can also read the device's file back.
• Download the setup as a project: DeviceTypeSources.json, its lock, local record files and devlib.json.

The selection and any local record files are kept in the browser's local storage.

Limitations and options:

• No WiFi in the hosted app: a page on https can't open a WebSocket to a device on your network. To connect over WiFi, run the app on your computer (npm install and npm start in raftjs apps/devtypes, served on localhost).
• Another catalogue: add ?catalogue=<url of a devtypes folder> to the app's URL, for example for a catalogue built with AssembleDeviceTypes.py --pages and served locally.

The full description, including the catalogue's files, is in Selecting Device Types: in a browser.

Raft Flasher

The Flasher writes a build over USB from the browser, as raft flash does:

• What to give it: the project's build/<SysType> folder (or its flasher_args.json and .bin files), or the URL of an ESP Web Tools manifest. A manifest can also be given in the page's URL, as ?manifest=<url>.
• What it checks first: it shows the app's name, version, build date and ESP-IDF version, and the partition table. It checks each image fits its partition and the build is for the board's chip.
• What it writes: everything, the firmware only (keeping the file system, as raft flash --no-fs), or the file system image only. It can erase the flash first.
• After writing: it checks each image (MD5), then restarts the board.

Writing the file system image replaces the device's files, including its device type file and saved device settings. See also Raft CLI: flashing from a browser.

How the site is published

RaftCore's .github/workflows/pages.yml builds the whole site:

• The catalogue: the records of every release from v1.59.0, and of main.
• The two apps: built from raftjs at the tag set in the workflow (RAFTJS_REF), so the apps match the catalogue.

It runs when main changes the device type records, library.json, the Pages scripts or the workflow. A release also runs it, and it can be run by hand from the Actions tab (workflow_dispatch).