Desktop Automation and Developer Tooling Updates
The open source community has been busy shipping major releases across desktop automation, developer tooling, and web applications. Here are the standout projects from the past month.
nut.js 2.0: Desktop Automation for Node.js
nut.js, a cross-platform desktop automation framework for Node.js, has reached version 2.0. The framework works across Windows, macOS, and Linux and now supports Apple Silicon chips. The update introduces a more powerful plugin system for users who want to customize their automation workflows. Breaking changes are documented in the release notes.
Front Matter 6.0: A CMS Inside VS Code
Front Matter brings content management capabilities directly into Visual Studio Code, combining CMS functionality with the flexibility of static site generators. The latest release adds support for data file editing and multi-dimensional content type fields. A refreshed dashboard provides a cleaner interface for managing content.
tfsec 1.0: Static Security Scanning for Terraform
tfsec has reached its first official release as a static security scanner for Terraform code. The tool runs locally within CI pipelines and offers developer-friendly output plus documentation checks, taking a developer-first approach to scanning cloud templates.
Finally, it's here! Version 1.0.0 of tfsec is now available!
Release Notes: https://t.co/9jmwg69a6u
Docs: https://t.co/7JSyI2DBC3As always, please raise issues on GitHub and ask any questions on Slack/GitHub discussions. pic.twitter.com/WOlJd7FK0F
— tfsec (@tfsec_dev) January 28, 2022
HTTPie 3.0: A Modern Command-Line HTTP Client
HTTPie brings a user-friendly command-line HTTP client with support for JSON, colors, sessions, downloads, and plug-ins. The 3.0 release introduces nested JSON support, a plugin manager, response metadata, performance improvements, and an enhanced user interface.
🥳 HTTPie for Terminal 3.0 is out!
HTTPie is a command-line HTTP client for the API era, and this release brings:
🌲 Nested JSON
🔌 Plugin manager
⏱️ Response metadata
🚀 Speed-ups
🎨 Improved UI/UX
✨ Other features👇 Take a tour of the new featureshttps://t.co/08h0q2289M
— HTTPie (@httpie) January 24, 2022
Big Book of R 2.0: A Curated R Resource Collection
The Big Book of R maintains a collection of nearly 300 R programming books and resources. Version 2.0 brings automation improvements for maintainers, including automatic resource additions and alphabetization per chapter. New backend automations help with discoverability, and contributors can submit resources via a Google Form.
Minimal Theme for Twitter 4.0: A Cleaner Twitter Experience
Minimal Twitter, a browser extension for taming Twitter's interface, has updated with a new popup UI, expanded controls, and a "zen mode" for filtering out noise. The extension works for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, giving users more personalization options for their Twitter experience.
Database and Visualization Library Releases
RxDB 11.0: Real-Time Database for JavaScript
RxDB, a NoSQL database for JavaScript applications, works with websites, Node.js, and progressive web apps. It supports real-time replication with any CouchDB-compliant endpoint or custom GraphQL endpoints. The latest release focuses on improving application performance, particularly when handling large document collections. Detailed updates are in the changelog.
d3-graph-controller 2.0: Interactive Graph Visualization
d3-graph-controller, a TypeScript library for visualizing and simulating interactive graphs, has a refined API and new configuration options in its latest version. Full change details are available in the changelog.
Science, Productivity, and Entertainment Apps
PyBaMM 21.12: Date-Based Versioning for Battery Modeling
PyBaMM (Python Battery Mathematical Modelling) follows a date-based version release schedule rather than semantic versioning. Version 21.12, built in December 2021 and released January 1st, helps solve physics-based electrochemical DAE models using automatic differentiation and numerical solvers. New features include voltage termination criteria for experiments, reaction kinetics, and cylindrical geometry support.
AnotherPomodoro 1.0: Productivity Timer in the Browser
AnotherPomodoro brings the Pomodoro technique to your browser with integrated TODO lists, customizable timer lengths, multiple color schemes, and three language options. The first official release comes after over 430 commits and includes a full range of display features to help you stay on task.
Hello Wordl 1.0: An Unlimited Word Game Variant
For those who can't get enough of Wordle, Hello Wordl offers an unbounded version of the word game. Players can choose between 4 and 11 letter words and adjust difficulty settings to their preference. The browser-based game is available at the Hello Wordl website.
Where to Follow Future Releases
The Release Radar repository tracks these monthly picks, and projects can be submitted for future features. Previous coverage from December highlights additional community projects worth checking out.
