PeerCode

PeerCode is a real-time collaborative extension for the ExCo editor, built with PyQt6 and QScintilla.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8+
• See the dependencies listed in requirements.txt

Installation

1. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

Run the application from the project root:

python main.py

Features

1. Session Host: Start a server to share your editor with other users
2. Session Client: Join an existing PeerCode session via IP address and port
3. Live Chat: Communicate with other participants through the integrated chat
4. Participants List: View users currently connected to the session
5. Text Synchronization: Real-time updates of the editor content
6. C++ Bridge (streaming): Skeleton for future video streaming integration (stream_bridge.cpp)

Application Details

• Host a session:

  • Use the PeerCode panel inside ExCo to start a hosting session and share your editor with others.

• Join a session:

  • Use the PeerCode panel to join by entering the host's IP address and port.

• User interface:

  • PeerCode adds a side panel containing the participant list, chat window, and synchronization controls.
  • The editor content is synchronized in real-time between connected participants.

• Configuration & development notes:

  • Project dependencies are listed in requirements.txt (PyQt6, QScintilla, and others).
  • The networking logic is implemented in peercode/network.py; adjust defaults there if needed.
  • The C++ streaming bridge is a skeleton (stream_bridge.cpp) and is optional; the Python wrapper lives at peercode/stream_bridge.py.

• Logs & debugging:

  • Runtime messages are printed to the console when running main.py from the project root.

Quick Start

• From the project root, install dependencies and run PeerCode inside ExCo (or run the standalone demo):

pip install -r requirements.txt
python main.py

• By default the application prints status and debug logs to the console. Use the ExCo UI to open the PeerCode panel.

Running as Host

• Start a host session from the PeerCode panel in ExCo. The panel exposes a "Host" button and optional port field.

• Example (if you run headless or via script):

# pseudo-code: start host via programmatic API (see peercode/integration.py)
from peercode import network
server = network.start_host(port=5000)

Running as Client

• Use the PeerCode panel to enter the host IP and port and click "Join".

• Example (programmatic):

from peercode import network
client = network.connect_to_host('192.168.1.10', 5000)

Configuration

• Default networking options and ports live in peercode/network.py. To change behavior, edit the default constants or expose them in a config file.

Example minimal config (optional peercode/config.py):

# example settings
HOST_PORT = 5000
MAX_CLIENTS = 8
SYNC_INTERVAL_MS = 100

Building the C++ Bridge (optional)

• The stream_bridge.cpp file is a skeleton for a native module. To build a shared library on Windows (MSVC) or Linux (g++), adapt the headers and compile with your toolchain.

Example (Linux):

g++ -O2 -shared -fPIC stream_bridge.cpp -o libstream_bridge.so

Example (Windows, MSVC):

# compile with cl.exe and create DLL (example; adapt paths)
cl /LD /O2 stream_bridge.cpp /Fe:stream_bridge.dll

• The Python wrapper at peercode/stream_bridge.py expects a simple C ABI and uses ctypes to load the shared library.

Development & Testing

• Run main.py to perform manual tests. Unit tests are not included in the repository; add tests under tests/ and use pytest.

• Recommended workflow for contributing changes:

  1. Create a feature branch.
  2. Run the application and verify the PeerCode panel shows up in ExCo.
  3. Add tests where applicable and run them locally.

Contributing

• Contributions are welcome. Please follow these guidelines:
  • Open an issue describing the feature or bug.
  • Create a branch named feature/<short-description> or fix/<short-description>.
  • Submit a pull request with a clear description and small, focused changes.

Troubleshooting

• Cannot start host: check that the chosen port is free and not blocked by firewall.
• Clients cannot connect: confirm host IP is reachable and the host allowed incoming connections.
• Slow sync: reduce SYNC_INTERVAL_MS or increase network buffer sizes.

FAQ

• Q: Does PeerCode modify ExCo core files?
  • A: No — PeerCode integrates with ExCo via the provided integration points and should not alter the ExCo source tree.

Contact

• For issues and questions, open an issue in this repository or contact the maintainer listed in the project metadata.

Project Structure

PeerCode/
├── ExCo-master/          # Original ExCo source (unchanged)
├── peercode/             # PeerCode module
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── integration.py    # Integration with ExCo
│   ├── network.py        # Network handling (host/client)
│   ├── ui.py             # User interface (side panel)
│   └── stream_bridge.py  # Python/C++ bridge for streaming
├── main.py               # Main entry point for PeerCode
├── requirements.txt      # Project dependencies
├── stream_bridge.cpp     # C++ skeleton module for streaming
└── README.md             # This file

C++ Bridge (streaming)

The file stream_bridge.cpp contains a skeleton for a high-performance C++ module intended for video capture and streaming. It is expected to be compiled as a DLL/SO and used from Python via ctypes in the wrapper at peercode/stream_bridge.py.

License

This project is based on ExCo, which is licensed under the GNU GPLv3. See ExCo-master/LICENSE.txt for details.