Build scripts from puzzle pieces

Use Blockly to get started quickly with scripting in Web Port. Use the puzzle pieces to create control logic or presentations with custom reports and automated background processing.
  • Sara Hampf

    Product Marketing

published

updated

Web Port's scripting engine can be used to solve special requirements that can't be handled using standard process pictures. Blockly also supports pre-made blocks that interact with Kiona APIs like spot electricity prices.

Not everyone is familiar with programming and scripting, making it challenging to get started. As a solution, we have included support for Blockly in the scripting editor, allowing users to create scripts using puzzle pieces.

How does it work?

Blockly uses visual blocks, or puzzle pieces if you wish, that link together to make writing code more manageable and visually more apparent. It can also be customized to generate code in any textual programming language.

The scripts are created by connecting blocks, each representing logic or a more extensive functionality. The editor works by dragging and dropping an interface from a block library to a workspace, which is then saved and used to generate the actual code. Blockly is currently available for Call, Looped, and Triggered scripts. This means you can customize your project design directly in the web interface to create toolbars, popups, text, graphics, and image buttons.

A clear vision

When working with Blockly, having a clear vision or goal of what you want the system to do and what result you want to get from the code, is essential. 

A perfect example of when to use Blockly is for spot prices. You can program the system so that when the spot price reaches a specific limit, the system will turn off a pump to reduce the costs. You can decide if the code should run temporarily, or you can make it repeatable daily, weekly, or monthly. 

This video shows how to use Blockly for spot prices

Simplified scripting with Blockly

Use Blockly to get started quickly with scripting in Web Port. Use the puzzle pieces to create control logic or presentations with custom reports. Blockly also supports readymade blocks for interacting with Kiona APIs, such as spot electricity prices. With scripts, you can also take advantage of the tag standard to filter out tags that match your needs. You can then use the tags for exports or presentations without connecting every tag manually. 

Scripting can be used both for reporting and to create automated background processing. Since not everyone knows programming and scripting, it might be a bit of a challenge to get started. For that reason, Web Port has implemented support for Blockly as part of the scripting editor, which gives the option to build scripts using puzzle pieces.

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