NOTE

This article is up to date with the current website; however, due to changes to google policy, I am currently building a full backend written in go and will update this article when that becomes the live version.

What Is Skewax?

Skewax is a web based IDE designed to write and compile code to then flash onto Parallax Inc.'s Basic 2 Stamp.

Why I Started the Project

In January of 2022, I took an introduction to robotics class at my high school. This class used Parallax's own Parallax IDE to program the robots, which the students nearly universally found buggy and difficult to use. Because of this, I started the side project of Perpendicullax: a pun on the name, and a fork of the original publicly available source code. This fixed visual errors and added quality of life features, and was a fun side project for a few weeks. In February of that year, however, I learnt that the Parallax IDE, along with all other "Chrome Apps" were being deprecated that summer, and that there was nothing on Parallax's site to indicate an upcoming replacement. Without this app, my school would be unable to continue using our already purchased hardware, so I decided to create a replacement. Its name, Skewax, is a continuation of the puns on the original application name, and was created to extend the life of this hardware used by schools across the country.

The Tech Stack

React

Skewax is built entirely on the react javascript framework. All API calls are made directly client side so there is no additional backend created by me.

TailwindCSS

All formatting on the website is done through TailwindCSS. This library uses premade classes which are stacked on top of each other to make styling simple and clear.

Google API

User data is entirely stored in their own Google Drive, and authentication is handled through Google's own authentication platform. Skewax is only given access to the files it creates itself, so this model is safe for the user and makes security much simpler. This also removes the need for a backend, reducing costs and complexity.

Netlify

Finally, the website itself, along with its counterpart created for Lexington High School, are both hosted through Netlify.