Setting Up an HTTP Server for Local Testing

Requirements:

• Node.js installed on your system
• Basic knowledge of the command line

Steps:

1. Create a Project Directory:

   • Open your terminal or command prompt.
   • Navigate to the directory where you want to create your project.

2. Initialize a Node.js Project:

   npm init -y

3. Install the http-server Package:

   npm install http-server --save-dev

4. Create Your JavaScript Files:

   • Create an extension.js file, this will be your extensions code.
   • Example of what your extenion.js might look like:

(function(Scratch) {
'use strict';
class Extension {
  getInfo() {
    return {
      id: "johnMyExtension",
      name: "My Extension",
      blocks: [
        {
          opcode: 'logToConsole',
          text: 'log to console',
          blockType: Scratch.BlockType.COMMAND
        },
        {
          opcode: 'testReporter',
          text: 'testing!',
          blockType: Scratch.BlockType.REPORTER,
          disableMonitor: true,
      allowDropAnywhere: true
        }
      ]
    };
  }

  logToConsole() {
    console.log('Hello world!');
  }
  testReporter() {
    return "Hello world!";
  }
}

Scratch.extensions.register(new Extension());
})(Scratch);

5. Start the HTTP Server:

   • In your terminal, navigate to your project directory.
   • Run the following command to start the server:

     npx http-server

   This command starts the server and serves files from the current directory.

6. Access Your Local Server:

   • Open a web browser.
   • Go to http://localhost:8080/extension.js or http://127.0.0.1:8080/extension.js in the address bar.
   • You should see your extenion.js file rendered in the browser.

7. Testing:

   • Make any changes to your JavaScript files.
   • Refresh the browser to see the changes instantly.

8. Opening in Snail IDE:

   • Load http://localhost:8080/extension.js or http://127.0.0.1:8080/extension.js in the custom extension menu,

9. Stopping the Server:

   • To stop the server, go back to the terminal where the server is running.
   • Press Ctrl + C to stop the server.

Additional Notes:

• By default, the http-server package serves files on port 8080.
• You can specify a different port using the -p or --port option followed by the desired port number when starting the server, like npx http-server -p 3000.
• Remember, this setup is intended for local testing only and should not be used for production purposes.