Collaborative Quarto projects using repl.it

[dmisdm]

Hi there!

I spent some time tinkering, and thought it might be worth noting what I've discovered regarding a tool available that allows you to author, develop, and collaborate with others on Quarto projects.

Note: I haven't yet cracked the perfect experience, but, I believe this might be one of the current best. If theres something I've missed please tell me!

How to use repl.it for collaborative Quarto

https://replit.com/

Create a python repl:

Show hidden files:

Set your .replit file to look like:

entrypoint = "test.qmd"
modules = ["python-3.10:v18-20230807-322e88b"]
run = "poetry run quarto preview test.qmd --host 0.0.0.0 --port 3000"
[nix]
channel = "stable-23_05"

[unitTest]
language = "python3"

[gitHubImport]
requiredFiles = [".replit", "replit.nix"]

[deployment]
deploymentTarget = "cloudrun"

[[ports]]
localPort = 3000
externalPort = 80

Add quarto to the environment by simply just running it once in the shell (powered by nix). Hitting Y will add it to the replit.nix file; installation is one-time:

Create a test.qmd file, and hit Run!

You can share the repl with others and discuss:

And also use their AI for explanations/completions:

Notes/Downsides

• Poetry is used for virtual envs and package management, hence why the run command is prefixed with poetry run ... so that code evaluation works and knows about my declared dependencies.
• Change test.qmd to whatever you like
• Worked for me on the free tier repl
• Know that you can't just use any port: https://docs.replit.com/programming-ide/workspace-features/ports#supported-ports
• Haven't yet worked out syntax highlighting. It's partially doable by authoring the content in a .md file, but the Quarto CLI doesn't like anything other than .qmd, and creating a symlink in repl.it gave me very strange behaviour (the link, or the original file, disappears randomly). I've tried a few things, e.g. using a custom python script for running the repl, to copy contents into a new qmd file upon source changes, and run the quarto preview simultaneously.

All of this could be bundled into a repl.it template, or, a repl.it extension could be made to solve some of the issues i've mentioned