Xircuits 1.16: Let There Be Light

We’re excited to announce the release of Xircuits 1.16, bringing a much-requested feature to our visual programming platform: Light Mode. This update not only brightens up your workspace but also introduces several quality-of-life improvements that make Xircuits more accessible, versatile, and user-friendly than ever before.

Illuminating Your Workflow

For years, developers have become accustomed to the dark interfaces of coding environments – easy on the eyes during late-night sessions and undeniably sleek. However, we’ve consistently received requests for a lighter alternative.

We’ve listened. Xircuits 1.16 introduces a light theme that transforms the entire interface while maintaining the visual clarity and hierarchy that makes Xircuits workflows intuitive. The new theme isn’t simply an inverted color scheme – we’ve ensured that the palette enhances readability in well-lit environments while reducing eye strain during daytime use.

Set the visibility of one image over the other. 0 is full visibility of the second image and 100 is full visibility of the first image. Any amount in-between is a left/right cutoff at the percentage of the slider.

Along with light mode, we’ve also improved the power-saving mode indicator, making it more visible and adding an icon that changes when the mode is active. The background dots that give depth to the canvas now properly scale and move with other interface elements, creating a more cohesive visual experience regardless of your chosen theme.

Enhanced Workflow Creation and Execution

Light mode isn’t the only star of this release. We’ve improved how you interact with Xircuits files:

• Create from Context: You can now create new Xircuits workflows directly from the JupyterLab file browser context menu – no more navigating through launcher tabs when you’re already in your project directory.

• Terminal Execution: For workflows that benefit from full terminal capabilities or can’t run properly in a single-threaded Python kernel, you can now execute compiled workflows directly in a terminal with a single click. The system automatically handles directory navigation and Python path configuration.

Smoother User Experience

We’ve also addressed several UI/UX issues that improve the overall flow when working with Xircuits:

• Component Panel Improvements: The component panel now properly handles deletion of search text, prevents spawning from Literals nodes, and most importantly, stays within the visible viewport to avoid being clipped off-screen.

• Keyboard Navigation: You can now dismiss component panels and context menus with the Escape key – a small but significant improvement for keyboard-centric users.

• Type Compatibility: We’ve expanded type compatibility between secrets and standard types (strings, integers, floats), making it easier to create flexible workflows that handle both secure and standard inputs.

• Recursive Compilation: Fixed an issue where recursive compilation wasn’t correctly handling output file paths, ensuring that your specified output locations are respected consistently.

Synchronized Component Libraries

One of the most significant under-the-hood improvements in 1.16 is the locked package versions for component libraries. We’ve solved a persistent pain point for users working with multiple Xircuits component libraries in the same project.

When you run xircuits install for a component library, our system now pulls versions that are specifically compatible with all other Xircuits component libraries that we support in your environment. This lock system ensures that every package you add works harmoniously with your existing components without version conflicts or compatibility issues.

This means you can confidently mix and match components from various libraries - whether you’re combining our ML extensions with database connectors or custom components - without worrying about dependency clashes or compatibility issues.

Looking Forward

This release continues our commitment to making Xircuits both powerful and accessible. The addition of light mode particularly reflects our recognition that Xircuits users work in diverse environments and have different visual preferences.

Whether you’re a night owl who sticks with dark mode or someone who prefers the clarity of light mode in bright workspaces, Xircuits 1.16 ensures you can build your workflows in comfort. And with the terminal execution feature, you now have more flexibility in how your workflows run, opening the door to more complex applications with interactive components.

As always, we’re eager to hear your feedback as you explore these new features. The Xircuits journey continues to be shaped by our community, and we’re grateful for every suggestion that helps us improve.