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+---
+title: Getting Started with Doenet Development
+tags: doenet development git github
+authors: 
+- clontz
+comments: true
+---
+
+So much of the open-source MathEd-tech space wouldn't exist without
+faculty who learned just enough about software engineering to create
+the next big app. One of the most exciting apps in this space (though
+disclosure: I'm a consultant on their recent NSF award) is the
+[Doenet project](https://beta.doenet.org) (which we've talked about
+[before](/tags/#doenet)).
+
+Doenet can do a lot, especially for freshman-level courses,
+but there's still so much left to do (e.g. as of writing,
+I'm craving the ability to find the RREF of a matrix to write
+activities for my linear algebra courses).
+
+So my friend [Melissa Lynn][0] and I put together a quick workshop today on
+how to get started as a contributor to the
+[Doenet codebase on GitHub](https://github.com/Doenet/DoenetML)
+using just your web browser (no installs!). The recording is included
+below, and Melissa's notes are copied below as well.
+
+[0]: https://wp.stolaf.edu/mscs/mscs-faculty-staff-listing/#:~:text=and%20Computer%20Science-,Melissa%20Lynn,-Assistant%20Professor%20of
+
+<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zUsyBq_wUvU"></iframe>
+
+If you have questions, come join a [drop-in Zoom call](/events/)
+to connect with a community member! We're always excited to get more
+people involved with all aspects of the project.
+
+---
+
+### Melissa's notes
+
+Assume have codespace setup for [DoenetML](https://github.com/Doenet/DoenetML)
+
+*   [DoenetApps](https://github.com/Doenet/DoenetApps): AWS, website, users, logging in, assignments
+    
+*   [DoenetML](https://github.com/Doenet/DoenetML): editor, formatter, converter, components
+    
+
+Testing using dev server ([Development section of Quickstart](https://github.com/Doenet/DoenetML)):
+
+*   In terminal,
+    
+    *   `npm run build`
+        
+    *   `npm run dev`
+        
+*   To change starting content in editor, edit file `/packages/doenetml/dev/testCode.doenet`
+    
+
+Components:
+
+*   [https://github.com/Eyuelwoldeh/DoenetML-documentation](https://github.com/Eyuelwoldeh/DoenetML-documentation)
+    
+*   Component definitions:
+    
+    *   `/DoenetML/packages/doenetml-worker-javascript/src/components`
+        
+*   How components render:
+    
+    *   `/DoenetML/packages/doenetml/src/Viewer/renderers` 
+        
+*   Register components (one line to say that component exists):
+    
+    *   `/DoenetML/packages/doenetml-worker-javascript/src/ComponentTypes.js`
+        
+
+Basic concepts:
+
+*   Interactivity is facilitated by a directed acyclic graph of dependencies between values connected to different components. For example,
+    ```xml
+    <mathInput name="x"/>
+    <math name="y">$x</math>
+    ```
+    The value of the math component named “y” depends on the value of the component mathInput named “x”. When x is updated, the dependencies in the directed acyclic graph signal that the value of y will also need to be updated.
+
+*   **Attribute**: attributes allow you to change the behavior of a component, for example:
+    ```xml
+    <point draggable="false"/>
+    ```
+    draggable is an attribute of the point component, that controls whether the user can drag the point or not. 
+
+*   **State variable**: state variables are stored values associated with the component. If a state variable is public, you can access its value, for example:
+    ```xml
+    <point name="P">(5,2)</point>
+    $P.x
+    ```
+    `x` is a state variable of the point, giving its x-component. When state variables are not public, they might be used to render the component or to otherwise maintain its state.
+
+*   Often, an attribute will have a corresponding state variable, and there can be significant overlap between the attributes and state variables (which can be confusing). Think of an attribute as being an input to the component, a state variable is a stored value, and a public state value is an output.
+    
+*   When defining a state variable, **returnDependencies** is used to define the dependencies needed to build the directed acyclic graph.
+    
+*   Nodes in the DAG are state variables (not components).
+    
+*   **inverseDefinition** is only used when there’s user interaction that requires “backwards” updates, for a simple example:
+    ```xml
+    <text name="t"/>
+    <textInput>$t</textInput>  
+    ```
+    (updates to text changing the value of textInput would use the forward definition, while updates to the textInput use the inverse definition)
+
+*   The forward definitions always work, but the inverse definition may not (in some situations, it may be hard to decide how to invert - for example, if the textInput had references to multiple text components, `$t $s`, which one to update?)
+    
+*   Use a desired value because the inverse definition is passing a suggestion, but it might not be possible. For example, a constraint might prevent the desired value from being valid.