InPlace release v0.3.11

Version v0.3.11 is a pre-release. The program is an Alpha version with known and unknown problems and limited functionality.

This version is build from the project perspectives-react-integrated-client, tag v0.3.11.

What are the System Requirements?

This version is known to run on macOS Catalina version 10.15.5. However, we have good reason to believe it will run equally well on a wider range of recent macOS versions. An installation of Couchdb is required; instructions of what version and on how to install it can be found below.

This version is also known to run on Ubuntu 20.04.

Where can I download InPlace v0.3.11?

Download links:

How can I install it?

For MacOS execute these steps:

  1. Open the downloaded .dmg file.
  2. In the window that opens, drag InPlace to the Applications folder.

For Linux execute these steps:

  1. Edit the properties of the downloaded AppImage file.
  2. Make it executable.

Then, for both systems:

  1. Start InPlace, e.g. by clicking on its icon in the Applications folder.
  2. Follow instructions on installing Couchdb.

Can I build it myself?

Yes. Clone the repository perspectives-react-integrated-client, point your working directory to tag v0.3.11. Execute

$ npm run build

to create a new runnable version in the public folder. Execute

$ npm run electron&

to open up the InPlace program.

What can I do with it?

To build an intuition before trying yourself, see the four minute video here.

Functionality is limited to the following:

Create a first local account

InPlace accounts are always local to the machine they run on: there is no webserver that registers accounts centrally. It is possible to run multiple accounts on a single computer.

An InPlace account is based on a Couchdb System Administrator ('admin') account. Again, this is a local account on the machine that InPlace runs on.

Create your first local InPlace account:

  1. start InPlace;
  2. follow instructions. These involve creating a fresh Couchdb Server account.

Add an 'App'

InPlace is a framework program that can be extended with many 'Apps'. Currently, two such Apps are available:

Add the SimpleChat App by executing these steps:

  1. Start InPlace and log in;
  2. Click "Mijn Systeem" in the left column;
  3. Drag the card titled 'Simple Chat' from the right column to the left.

After a few seconds, in the leftmost column the link 'Simple Chat' appears, indicating the App has been downloaded from the repository and installed.

The repository currently resides in the domain www.joopringelberg.nl. You can visit that website but cannot visit the repository: it has no browsable interface.

Create a Chat

Using the Simple Chat App, you can create multiple instances of chats (see below on how to actually connect to another InPlace user).

  1. Start InPlace and log in;
  2. Click 'Simple Chat' in the left column.
  3. Click Start a Chat in the screen that appears.
  4. Enter a name for this new chat in the Title field.
  5. As you have no connections, yet, check the box in front of 'I want to invite someone I have no contact card for.'
  6. Enter a message for someone you want to invite, e.g. "Hello, let's chat over InPlace".

Create a second local account

In order to have someone to chat with, you'll have to create a second local InPlace account, as it is not yet possible to connect two InPlace users on different machines.

  1. Visit the Fauxton Couchdb interface
  1. Click the lowest button in the leftmost column, then:
  1. Open another session with InPlace. On Linux, just click the application icon again. On MacOS:
  1. Log in with your fresh Couchdb System Admin account credentials. After a few seconds, your second account will have been set up.

Connect two InPlace users for the first time

To make the two accounts 'aware' of each other, execute these steps:

  1. Arrange both InPlace session windows conveniently.
  2. From the InPlace session that holds the prepared Chat, drag the invitation card over to the second InPlace session window and drop it over the cloud icon.
  3. After a few seconds, the link 'Simple Chat' appears in the leftmost column of the second session window.
  4. Click the link 'Simple Chat'.
  5. Open the single Chat that is available by clicking it.
  6. Drag your contact card to the left as indicated.

You can now enter text in the field preceded by "Me:" in both session windows. Notice that you must play the role of two separate users, both identified as "Me" in each session window!

Create a second Chat

As the two user accounts are now connected in InPlace, you can create more chat instances and use the available contact card to invite the other user.

  1. Create a new chat by clicking Start a chat.
  2. Drag the contact card for "Cor" from the right to the left.

Notice that in the other session window, the new chat appears in the list of chats.

Note. Currently, all InPlace users internally have the name "Cor", whatever their chosen usernames are. Thers is yet no functionality to change that name... This means that the contact cards you'll see always are titled "Cor".

What should I not do with it? (known issues)

Limitations:

  1. The dustbin icon suggests functionality to remove things and indeed is meant to unlock that functionality. However, it is not fully functional:
  1. Don't throw away the System App!
  2. It is not possible to change your name in the InPlace account (the name that represents you to others).

Known issues:

  1. In the System App, the column 'In Repository' shows two libraries as Apps. These should have been hidden. You can 'install' these Apps, but it has no meaning.
  2. The 'Perspectives System' App is installed by default and should not show up either column of the System screen.
  3. The repository resides on a server without a functioning certificate, hence models (Apps) are retrieved over http rather than https.
  4. The login screen displays a check box in front of the text Check to reset account (removes all data!):. This actually works, but after re-building your account (by logging in with the same credentials) you will find that the System App screen gives an error.