Welcome!
Get ready to learn how to build models that can be deployed as API's and used anywhere.
This isn't a book (yet), but if it were, it'd look something like this.
Welcome!
The following pages will guide you through the technical aspects of building with Summit.
While Summit has many of the features of a modern low-code, no-code development environment, the core of Summit is a small language called Summit Event Language, or SEL. For the geeks: the interpreter that runs SEL is hosted at usesummit.com (and is not [yet] open-source).
This doesn't mean other languages aren't welcome! Far from, one of SEL's features is a Code block that allows you to run Python, JavaScript, PHP, and more.
What it does mean is we've built a new way to chain together features and functions that, once learned, can make your life much more productive!
There are several ways to interact with a model written in SEL:
- Playground mode - this allows you to run a model while only changing its inputs. The results (usually HTML) are then shown to you on the same page. You can't (really) break anything -- so have fun!
- Pipeline view - this is a simplified, linear view of a Summit model that looks a lot like traditional no-code automation platforms. This view tames a lot of the complexity of the platform, making it easier to get started.
- Canvas view - once you've mastered the pipeline view, you're invited to try the canvas view. Here, almost anything is possible. Think of it as a developer's IDE (interactive development environment).
- Text view (experimental) - since SEL is a text-based language, all of the above views are powered by a few lines of text inside the actual model file, which end in
.sel. This is the fastest, most expert way to build a model in Summit because models can be imported and exported as tiny shareable (git-able) files.
Since this guide is a language reference, it will focus on teaching you the building blocks of Summit, called Events. While many (some) no-code tools have thousands of building blocks, Summit only has a few dozen. As you grow more familiar with these, you'll become increasingly capable of building automations, scripts, and tools with Summit.
For additional help, or help while in the modeling environment itself, click 'Help' in the top navigation bar. We're always happy to chat!
ChatGPT Instruction
We have a GPT assistant built for teaching both data scripting with SEL and simulations. If you'd like to have a conversation with an LLM about SEL to learn, get examples, and more:
Updated 12 days ago