Hi there,
does anybody know the current status of the API Guide?
In special I am interested in the extension compiling feature: http://docs.blocsapp.com/api-guide.html#compiling
Cheers, Jannis
It’s no longer in development. A lot of what it did back then can now be done in app. Blocs version 3 will fill in the last of the gaps regarding adding and storing custom Blocs.
But I have been thinking…
I’m hoping to open Blocs up to custom Brics in the future. So you could create your own brics for things Blocs currently doesn’t have and then share them with each other. Its early days now but maybe we spark up a conversation on what you would like to see as a 3rd party developer?
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Yes, I am thinking of custom Brics, which you are then able to drop into the page.
They should be able to contain HTML/JS/CSS code, either in one file or (better) separated in asset files.
In addition, a way to add setting parameters to these custom Brics, which will be generated/templated into the HTML/JS/CSS code.
Yeah sounds good. The only thing I wouldn’t allow is for the JS to be executed in app as it could cause crashes, but would be allowed to work on preview in browser and export naturally.
The way a custom bric would work is, all of it’s visual data would be nested within a selectable wrapper on the design canvas, a bric wouldn’t be allowed to contain sub items that are selectable as it start’s to get more complex. They could exist but not be directly selected, kinda like how the HTML widget works at the moment.
Because the sidebar in 2.4 is now native I could allow input fields and drop downs etc for the custom bric so you could implement data attribute values etc for the object and it’s sub objects.
Ideally I would want to make this process as simple as possible, I don’t expect folks to learn Cocoa or Swift to create them. Maybe a developer tool that lets you create them, like a little Bric factory 
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I wanted to build something new during WWDC week just for fun and this may be what I do. Maybe you should get involved and help/guide me. I know you guys do a lot for RapidWeaver.
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Perfect. That all sounds great. I would be happy to contribute to that 
We have to tell you which settings we want to have available inside the sidebar. We could give you that with a plist or other xml / json file.
Of course we need to find a file format, ideal if this does not have to be pre-compiled (so just a Mac Package with a content directory)
Im thinking even more user friendly. This little Bric factory should let you visually select what options you need and then set what html attribute it alters on which item within the Bric, I could also bundle in some standard ones.
I’ll DM you and we can chat over email 
Anyone else interested in this, feel free to jump in with ideas and what you would like.
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Hi I’m interested in this too - from a user perspective though. I’m a developer, but am interested in blocs as a quick way to pull sites together - either as complete static sites or just to quickly create repsonsive front ends that I can then take over into laravel etc.
The main concern I have with purchasing a tool like blocs is as soon as I want a page feature that isn’t available in the predefined blocs/brics then I’m stuck trying to hack it in outside of the tool (correct me if I’m wrong please), which defeats the whole point of the tool for me - it’s not that I can’t code it, just want the time savings, the ability to prototype/build in front of a client etc.
Where if I could create my own bric/blocs (and very importantly tweak the pre-defined ones), and save them in my own ‘custom’ section of the library then I can just drag them into any page I want in future - ie I’m back to being able to use the blocs editor… maybe there’s something like that I’ve missed, it’s only early in my evaluation. i was looking at the API as a solution but if that doesn’t work any more that will probably stop me buying the software at this point…
The custom Bric Dev API is currently being worked on, it’s not due to be released until later this year.
In the meantime you have the HTML widget which can be used to input custom code, you can also attach additional style sheets to pages via page settings.
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Interesting, maybe Ill do some copy and paste custom widgets…
Hello,
I am also interested in the Dev API.
Any further news until now?
Still in the works more news before end of year.
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