Singular Blockly

A Visual Studio Code extension that provides a visual programming interface using Blockly for Arduino development, with multi-board support and internationalization.

Features

• 🎯 Multi-Board Support

  • Arduino Uno
  • Arduino Nano
  • Arduino Mega
  • ESP32
  • Super Mini (Lolin C3 Mini)

• 🌐 Internationalization Support

  • Multiple language support
  • Automatic language detection based on VS Code settings
  • Supports the following languages:
    • English (en)
    • Spanish (es)
    • Portuguese (pt-br)
    • French (fr)
    • German (de)
    • Italian (it)
    • Russian (ru)
    • Japanese (ja)
    • Korean (ko)
    • Traditional Chinese (zh-hant)
    • Polish (pl)
    • Hungarian (hu)
    • Turkish (tr)
    • Bulgarian (bg)
    • Czech (cs)

• 🧩 Rich Block Categories

  • Arduino I/O Operations
    • Smart pin options with automatic PWM pin detection
    • Optimized analog write functionality for PWM pins
  • Servo Motor Control
    • Configurable servo setup and angle control
    • Smart dropdown menu with automatic servo name detection
    • Board-specific servo library support (ESP32/Arduino)
  • Encoder Motor Support
    • Setup, read, reset and PID control functionality
    • Automatic pin management for encoder motors
  • Sensor Blocks
    • Ultrasonic Sensor with hardware interrupt support
    • Seven-segment Display with common cathode/anode modes
    • Threshold function blocks for analog input monitoring
  • Functions with parameter support
    • Custom threshold functions with analog input support
    • Configurable sensor pins and threshold values
    • Multiple output types (numeric, boolean, string)
    • Support for converting Chinese function names to valid C++ code
  • Variables with rename/delete capabilities
  • Lists and Arrays
  • Logic Operations
  • Loops
  • Math Operations
  • Text Operations
  • Value Mapping (Arduino map function)

• 💾 Workspace Management

  • Automatic state saving
  • Project persistence
  • Board configuration management
  • Code generation to Arduino (.cpp) files
  • Automatic PlatformIO configuration generation
  • Automatic platformio.ini preview mode management
  • Comprehensive backup system
    • Backup creation with timestamps
    • Backup preview without restoration
    • Safe restoration with automatic temporary backups
    • Auto-backup with configurable time intervals
    • Modern UI with responsive design for backup management
  • Seven-segment display support with common cathode/anode modes

• 🛠 Development Features

  • Real-time code generation
  • Integrated board configuration
  • Visual block programming interface
  • Drag-and-drop block management
  • Automatic block code generation system for critical blocks
  • Standardized logging service for code generation
  • Code comments generation system for improved readability
  • Experimental blocks tracking system
    • Visual indication with yellow dashed borders
    • Notification system for experimental features
    • Automatic detection and marking of experimental blocks
  • Zoom controls and trashcan
  • Light and dark theme support with theme toggle
  • Touch device support with pinch-to-zoom functionality
  • PlatformIO integration for hardware upload
  • Pin mode tracking and conflict detection
    • Automatically tracks pin modes (INPUT, OUTPUT, INPUT_PULLUP)
    • Detects pin mode conflicts and displays warnings
    • Automatically adds necessary pinMode configurations
  • Value mapping (Arduino map function)

Requirements

• Visual Studio Code 1.96.0 or higher
• Basic understanding of Arduino programming concepts
• Required Extensions:
  • PlatformIO IDE Extension
  • C/C++ Extension (ms-vscode.cpptools)

Usage

1. Open or create a folder in VS Code:

   • This extension requires a workspace folder to store its files
   • Use File > Open Folder... or File > New Folder
   • Make sure you have write permissions in the folder

2. Open the extension using:

   • Click the wand icon (🪄) in the status bar
   • Click the Singular Blockly icon in the activity bar

3. Select your target board from the dropdown menu:

   • The extension will automatically create and configure platformio.ini
   • First-time board selection requires a workspace reload

4. Create your program using the visual blocks:

   • Drag blocks from the toolbox categories
   • Configure block parameters
   • Connect blocks to build your logic
   • Changes are auto-saved and persist between sessions

5. The extension will automatically:

   • Generate Arduino code in src/main.cpp
   • Save workspace state in blockly/main.json
   • Update PlatformIO configuration
   • Provide real-time code(.cpp) generation

Supported Boards and Platforms

Each board is configured with specific PlatformIO settings for optimal compatibility:

AVR Based

• Arduino Uno
  • Platform: atmelavr
  • Board: uno
• Arduino Nano
  • Platform: atmelavr
  • Board: nanoatmega328
• Arduino Mega
  • Platform: atmelavr
  • Board: megaatmega2560

ESP32 Based

• ESP32 Dev Module
  • Platform: espressif32
  • Board: esp32dev
• Super Mini (Lolin C3 Mini)
  • Platform: espressif32
  • Board: lolin_c3_mini

Note: The extension will automatically generate the appropriate platformio.ini configuration when you select a board, ensuring the correct platform settings for hardware upload.

Known Issues

Please report any issues on our GitHub repository.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Third-Party Licenses

This project incorporates the following third-party components:

• Blockly - Licensed under the Apache License 2.0
• PlatformIO - Licensed under the Apache License 2.0
• Arduino Core Libraries - Licensed under the LGPL

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.