Data Visualizer: should be moved from frontend to modules (was: Stories: Data Visualizer environment is shared among source blocks and drawn data persists between runs)

[keyansheng]

As seen in the screenshot, the result of draw_data() in the first block appears in the visualizer of the second block and persists between runs.

[RichDom2185]

Background

The data visualizer comes from a time that predates modules, so it uses the window. global JS variable (not even the js-slang context). Thus, even clicking reset env will not reset the data visualizer.

Proposal

After some discussions, we think it's best to simply remove the data visualizer from the frontend entirely.

Instead, we migrate the functionality to a "data visualizer" module.

Instead of having a permanent data visualizer tab, students will simply

import { draw_data } from 'data_visualizer';

if they need the feature.

Prof @martin-henz and @chownces, I recall this was the discussion outcome, right?

[martin-henz]

Background

The data visualizer comes from a time that predates modules, so it uses the window. global JS variable (not even the js-slang context). Thus, even clicking reset env will not reset the data visualizer.

Proposal

After some discussions, we think it's best to simply remove the data visualizer from the frontend entirely.

Instead, we migrate the functionality to a "data visualizer" module.

Instead of having a permanent data visualizer tab, students will simply

import { draw_data } from 'data_visualizer';

if they need the feature.

Prof @martin-henz and @chownces, I recall this was the discussion outcome, right?

Yes, data_visualizer should be a module.

[RichDom2185]

@keyansheng @woke02 are you still interested in taking this on?