Component installation

So you've bought a new component. You want to try it out - but first you need to tell Flowcode about it.

Download the component and open the zip file.

The zip file will contain one or more file - the component and some instructions plus possibly some sample programs.

The component has the extension .fcpx (in this case it's si4703.fcpx) - this needs to be extracted to a folder - for example c:\FCComponents. Note that multiple components can exist in the same folder. However, it is best not to use the Flowcode component folder - as this may get altered during upgrades.

The instructions can be copied to the same or a different folder.

Flowcode needs a link to your component directory. This just needs to be set once - either from the 'start' page or whilst working on a project.

On the start page - click on Global Settings:

Then click on locations:

Then enter the folder location either by typing in to the 'Look for components in' or by browsing to it by clicking the '...' to the right of the box.

Then click OK.

Any components added to this folder will appear in Flowcode and can be used in your projects.

To find them - the component can either be found in the 'Component Libraries' in a dropdown (the instructions will tell you which) or by using the search icon.

Double click on the component name (here si4703 radio) and the component will then appear in the project explorer.

Here I have renamed the component as 'Radio' using the component handle.

You should now be able to add your components to Flowcode easily. Components make the task of creating embedded programs simpler - much of the coding is already done and tested - leaving you to enjoy creating the user experience or adding other features.

Note that in v8 (and v7) of Flowcode - Global Options are accessed from the View menu.