pxt-calliope/docs/packages.md

Packages

You can publish libraries (also known as packages or extensions) that users can then add to their scripts. These typically provide a driver for a particular hardware device you can connect to a microbit.

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All packages need to be approved by the Micro:bit Foundation before being available in the web editor. See Approval section below.

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• pxt-neopixel -- TypeScript + ARM Thumb assembly package

• pxt-max6675 -- TypeScript

• pxt-sonar -- TypeScript

• pxt-i2c-fram -- TypeScript

• Sample C++ extension

Finding packages

From the block editor, the user clicks on Add Package and searches for the package. Otherwise, the Add Package is also available from the gearwheel menu.

To see the list of packages, switch to JavaScript and use the Explorer view to find them.

To remove a package, click on the garbage button in the Explorer view next to the package.

Publishing and Approving packages

Once your package is ready, follow these steps to get it approved and listed in the pxt.microbit.org web site:

1. setup a public GitHub repository with your package sources
2. ensure that the license is Apache2 or MIT
3. fill test.ts with a test scenario
4. ensure that the package builds by running pxt from the package folder. Read more....
5. fill up the README.md file with documentation. See markdown docs for syntax.
6. publish a release by running pxt bump from the package folder.
7. open a support ticket at https://support.microbit.org, add package approval in the subject line.

Package approval request

github repo: .....

Localizing packages

It is possible to package localization strings for the jsDoc description associated to the API in the package.

When compiling a package, the PXT compiler generates a strings.json file under the _locales/ folder. This file contains a map from the symbol name to the en

{
  ...
  "basic": "Provides access to common functionality.",
   ...
}

{
  "basic.clearScreen": "Eteint toutes les diodes."
}

_locales/
_locales/fr/strings.json
_locales/pt-BR/strings.json