Odyssey State Serialization

[jaelafield]

Allow users to download and upload Odyssey state data to enable them to save analysis progress and resume. First step towards long term goal: external state (database)? Odyssey analysis sharable by link.

Feature components:

• button to dump global values into an object and copy/download JSON
• button to upload JSON file and load values, set all relevant globals

Steps (not necessarily in order):

• [ ] UI component planning & implementation (probably want button in header bar, likely to open a pop up with download/upload options similar to server pop up. Do we want something on the spec entry page also? An upload option there may make more sense.)
• [ ] Determine essential state to download, organize into JSON. (May reveal opportunities to organize state differently/remove unneeded components? Users don't need to understand JSON, but it'd be good if it is reasonably concise and organized --better look for us for sure.)
• [ ] Implement JSON download/copy
• [ ] Implement Odyssey initialization with JSON upload

[jaelafield]

Expected challenges:

• Lots of state depends on each other
• States are not plain JSON objects --> need to be able to turn JSON into (interconnected) states

First thing to try:

• Directly setting a few global variables (spec maybe to start)
• With set of expressions, JSON serializing that, try editing expression in the file, then uploading to see how that change handles it.
• Try setting spec & set of expressions
• Does react have a way to do this? Pause rendering until more states are set so it isn't temporarily broken. --> Batching updates