LOT VSCode Notebooks Extension (v0.2.5)

LOT Notebooks is a Visual Studio Code extension that provides:

• A notebook interface for the LOT (Language of Things) DSL
• Integration with MQTT for live data and real-time updates
• A built-in chatbot command so you can easily open your external or custom chatbot (under dev)

Features

1. LOT Language Notebook

   • Create or open .lotnb notebooks recognized by this extension
   • Edit LOT code (DEFINE MODEL, DEFINE ACTION, etc.) in notebook cells
   • Execute your cells to run remove→add→subscribe logic with MQTT

2. MQTT Integration

   • Connect to an MQTT broker (credentials can be configured)
   • Subscribe/publish to topics
   • Listen for real-time messages from the broker, displayed in your LOT cells

3. Live Data Views

   • Renders numeric payloads in real-time with a custom JSON-based approach
   • Possibly provides charting if the JSON output references numeric data

4. Anselmo ChatBot (beta preview)

   • Access an integrated ChatBot knowledgeable about Language Of Things (LOT) via the Notebook toolbar icon (🤖).
   • Ask questions about LOT syntax, concepts, or request code examples.
   • Includes Markdown rendering, diagram rendering (Mermaid), and code block copying.

5. “Explain Language Of Things Cell with Anselmo” (Button per LOT cell)

   • Click the comment icon (💬) on any LOT code cell toolbar (or use context menu).
   • Sends the cell's code to the Anselmo ChatBot for a detailed explanation.

6. Add VISU Button (Experimental)

   • Able to create a Visualization on the fly for realtime monitoring. (experimental)

Installation

1. From VSIX
   • Download the .vsix file for LOT Notebooks vx.x.x.
   • In VS Code, press Ctrl+Shift+X (Extensions panel) → click the ... menu → Install from VSIX... → select the .vsix.
2. Reload VS Code.
3. Verify installation by searching "LOT" in the Extensions panel or checking the extension in the list.

Usage

1. Create a new .lotnb Notebook

   • Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) → LOT Notebook: Create New Notebook
   • A new untitled .lotnb file opens with the LOT notebook UI.

2. Add Cells

   • Each cell can contain LOT code, e.g.

     DEFINE MODEL MyModel WITH TOPIC "XPTO" ...
     

   • The extension recognizes the lot language within .lnt notebooks.

3. Run Cells

   • Press the run icon on a cell or the top Notebook Run button
   • The extension executes remove→add→subscribe logic for the code

4. Configure MQTT

   • Use the command LOT Notebook: Change Credentials to set broker URL, username, password
   • The extension automatically connects when running a cell if not already connected

5. Open Chatbot

   • In the cell toolbar (the inline buttons), click Open Chatbot (it appears if the cell's language is lot)
   • The extension runs lot.openChatbot, which can open your external chatbot in a webview or external browser
   • Adjust this logic in your extension code if you want a different chatbot approach

Commands Overview

Command	Description
LOT Notebook: Create	Creates an untitled .lotnb notebook.
LOT Notebook: Change Credentials	Prompts for broker URL, username, password for MQTT connectivity.
lot.openTopicPayload	Opens a prompt to view/edit payload for an MQTT topic in the TreeView.

Known Issues / Troubleshooting

• Cannot find module 'mqtt': Ensure mqtt is listed under "dependencies" in package.json and no .vscodeignore is excluding node_modules.
• No cell output: Double-check you used DEFINE MODEL|ACTION|RULE, so the extension's logic can parse your code.
• Chatbot not opening? By default, the command just shows an info message. Modify lot.openChatbot in extension.ts to open your actual webview or external URL.

Further Documentation and Links

• Coreflux.org: Coreflux is more than just a self-hosted MQTT broker; it also offers a cloud MQTT broker solution. The company's focus is on describing data-driven systems and connecting OT devices or events with IT systems via LOT Routes.
• Docs: Language of Things (LOT): Overview of what LOT is.
• Docs: LOT Syntax Reference: Detailed overview of LOT syntax categories, keywords, and operators.
• Docs: LOT Actions: Explains how to define and use LOT actions.
• Docs: LOT Models: Explains how models are set up and used in LOT.
• Docs: LOT Rules: Explains how to write and apply rules in LOT.

Release Notes

v0.3.0

• Added Coreflux Entities view:
  • Tree view displays Models, Actions, Rules, and Routes currently active on the connected MQTT broker.
  • Status icons indicate if an entity definition exists in the open workspace notebooks and if it's synchronized with the broker.
• Added Entity synchronization commands (available from context menu in Coreflux Entities view):
  • Update Broker from Cell: Pushes the code from the corresponding notebook cell to the broker.
  • Update Cell from Coreflux: Pulls the code from the broker into the corresponding notebook cell.
  • Create Definition in Notebook: Inserts a DEFINE statement for the entity at the cursor in the active notebook.
  • Remove Entity from Coreflux: Sends a command to remove the entity from the broker.
• Added Go To Definition for entities: Clicking an entity in the tree view navigates to its DEFINE statement in the corresponding notebook cell.
• Added Anselmo ChatBot (beta preview):
  • Integrated webview chatbot accessible from the notebook toolbar.
  • Provides explanations and assistance for Language Of Things (LOT).
  • Added Explain LOT Cell command to send cell content directly to the chatbot.

v0.2.5

• Added the Visu add/ remove commands for broker version >1.6

v0.2.1

• Polished MQTT credential handling
• Basic chart display for numeric data in cells

---

Thank You for Using LOT Notebooks!

Made by the Coreflux team with a LOT of love ❤️