Install Pluto
Installing Pluto is easy! Start Julia, and run:
import Pluto
Pluto.run()
See plutojl.org/#install for a complete guide to install Julia and Pluto!
Writing a notebook is not just about writing the final document — Pluto empowers the experiments and discoveries that are essential to getting there.
Explore models and share results in a notebook that is
- reactive - when changing a function or variable, Pluto automatically updates all affected cells.
- lightweight - Pluto is written in pure Julia and is easy to install.
- simple - no hidden workspace state; friendly UI.
Input
A Pluto notebook is made up of small blocks of Julia code (cells) and together they form a reactive notebook.
When you change a variable, Pluto automatically re-runs the cells that refer to it. Cells can even be placed in arbitrary order - intelligent syntax analysis figures out the dependencies between them and takes care of execution.
Cells can contain arbitrary Julia code, and you can use external libraries. There are no code rewrites or wrappers, Pluto just looks at your code once before evaluation.
Output
Your notebooks are saved as pure Julia files (sample), which you can then import as if you had been programming in a regular editor all along. You can also export your notebook with cell outputs as attractive HTML and PDF documents. By reordering cells and hiding code, you have full control over how you tell your story.
Dynamic environment
Pluto offers an environment where changed code takes effect instantly and where deleted code leaves no trace.
Unlike Jupyter or Matlab, there is no mutable workspace, but rather, an important guarantee:
Interactivity
Your programming environment becomes interactive by splitting your code into multiple cells! Changing one cell instantly shows effects on all other cells, giving you a fast and fun way to experiment with your model.
In the example below, changing the parameter A and running the first cell will directly re-evaluate the second cell and display the new plot.
Built-in package manager
Pluto uses syntax analysis to understand which packages are being used in a notebook, and it automatically manages a package environment for your notebook. You no longer need to install packages, you can directly import any registered package like Plots or DataFrames and use it.
To ensure reproducibility, the information to exactly reproduce the package environment is stored in your notebook file. When someone else opens your notebook with Pluto, the exact same package environment will be used, and packages will work on their computer, automatically! more info
Interactivity with @bind
Lastly, here's one more feature: Pluto notebooks have a @bind macro to create a live bond between an browser widget and a Julia variable. Combined with reactivity, this is a very powerful tool!
The PlutoUI package contains basic inputs like sliders, buttons, and much more! Read the docs →
For those who want to dive deeper - you can use Julia, HTML, JavaScript and CSS to write your own widgets! Learn more →
Pluto for teaching
Pluto was developed alongside the free online course Introduction to Computational Thinking at MIT, with the goal of creating a programming environment that is powerful, helpful and interactive, without being too intimidating for students and teachers.
Are you interested in using Pluto for your class? Here are some presentations by people who are using it already: the MIT team, Gerhard Dorn, Daniel Molina, Henki W. Ashadi and Max Köhler.
Learn more →
https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/6933510/134824521-7cefa38a-7102-4767-bee4-777caf30ba47.mp4
(video) Grant Sanderson (3Blue1Brown) using Pluto's interactivity to teach Computational Thinking at MIT!
Let's do it!
See plutojl.org/#install for an easy guide to install Pluto!
Questions and Help
Questions? Have a look at the FAQ and the documentation.
Contribute to Pluto
Follow these instructions to start working on the package.
License
Pluto.jl is open source! Specifically, it is MIT Licensed. Pluto.jl is built by gluing together open source software:
This is the beginning of the README. Read the rest at the original. Read the full README ↗
