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Getting Started

This guide walks you through installing the Apleno Designer extension, creating your first project, and running a preview of your app.

Prerequisites

  • Visual Studio Code 1.97.0 or newer
  • R and/or Python installed on your machine (depending on which language you plan to use)

Installation

Install the Apleno Designer extension from the VSCode marketplace or by loading the .vsix package directly:

  1. Open VSCode.
  2. Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
  3. Search for Apleno and click Install.

Once installed, VSCode will automatically associate .ppro, .pseq, and .pgui files with their respective custom editors.

Creating Your First Project

Using the Command Palette

The fastest way to start is with the built-in project initializer:

  1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P).
  2. Type and select Apleno: Create new project.
  3. Choose a folder: either your current workspace folder or a new one via the folder picker.

The command creates the following files:

your-folder/
├── project.ppro          # Project settings
├── main.pseq             # Main workflow sequence
└── .vscode/
    ├── launch.json       # Debug configuration for running the app
    └── apleno.json          # Language runtime paths (R/Python/Conda)

VSCode will open the folder as a workspace if it wasn't already.

Creating Files Manually

You can also create individual files using the Command Palette:

Command Creates
Apleno: Create new Project file A new .ppro file
Apleno: Create new Sequence file A new .pseq file
Apleno: Create new Interface file A new .pgui file

Project Structure

A typical Apleno Designer project looks like this:

my-app/
├── project.ppro              # Project configuration
├── main.pseq                 # Entry-point workflow
├── welcome.pgui              # A GUI screen
├── analysis.R                # An R script
├── processing.py             # A Python script
├── assets/
│   └── logo.png
└── .vscode/
    ├── launch.json
    └── apleno.json

There is no rigid folder layout; you can organise your .pseq, .pgui, and script files however you like.

Opening the Editors

Double-clicking any of the three file types opens the matching custom editor:

To open a file as plain text instead, right-click it in the Explorer and choose Open With... → Text Editor.

Configuring Language Runtimes

Before you can preview your app, you need to tell Apleno Designer where your R or Python interpreter lives.

Open the Command Palette and run one of:

Command Purpose
Apleno: Choose R path for preview Point to your R.exe / R binary
Apleno: Choose Python path for preview Point to your python.exe / python binary
Apleno: Choose Conda path for preview Point to a Conda environment

The chosen paths are saved in .vscode/apleno.json inside your workspace.

Running a Preview

Once your project has at least a .ppro file and a starting sequence:

  1. Open the Command Palette and run Apleno: Run preview, or
  2. Press F5 (if the apleno debug configuration is active).

What happens:

  1. The extension checks for the Apleno Runtime. If it is not installed, it offers to download it automatically.
  2. If an update is available, you will be prompted to install it.
  3. The app launches and opens your app.

Next Steps