24  Plugin Logistics

Although CODAP is pretty capable just on its own, we often wish it would do more. This is especially important in data science.

Fortunately, we have plugins. Plugins extend CODAP’s functionality. These lessons have already used plugins such as the BART data portal.

The thing is, in the lessons you’re seen, the plugins were already installed. Somebody set up a codap file with the plugin in place and shared it.

But what if you’re a teacher and you want to set up a new file for your students, one that uses a new plugin? How do you do that?

There are at least two ways.

24.1 But first…

Some basics.

A plugin occupies a rectangular area in the CODAP window. In that way it’s like a table or a graph.

But it’s more elaborate than that. It’s like its own web page, in what’s called an “iFrame.” It has a URL that’s different from the CODAP page, but it can communicate with CODAP and the data you’re using.

24.2 Method 1: Drag and Drop

If you have the plugin open in a tab of its own, it might look weird because it’s not inside CODAP yet.

No matter. Grab the URL widget next to teh URL, and drag it to the tab where you have CODAP. Do not drop yet! That CODAP tab will open, and you can now drag the plugin’s URL into the page and drop it.

This is especially useful when you’re developing a plugin, so you see it without its surrounding iFrame.

You may also use this technique if you click the links on codap.xyz; some of those links lead to “raw” plugins.

24.3 Method 2: Import the URL

You might be given the URL for a plugin. To use that,

  1. Go to the “hamburger” menu upper-left in the CODAP window, and choose Import.
  2. In the box that appears, choose URL.
  3. In the next box, paste or type the URL into the appropriate space.
  4. Click IMPORT and the plugin should appear.

Try that in the live example below. You’ll get a game about selling insurance, called genova. Try a price of, oh, 200 to start. Its URL is:

https://codap.xyz/plugins/genova/