FAQ

General Questions

  • CODAP can work on a tablet/mobile device but since it is a work in progress, not all functionality is yet available in the tablet format. Two notes:

    • Dragging on an iPad: tap and hold for a bit longer than you might expect before dragging. 
    • In general, phone screens are too small to use CODAP effectively.
  • You don’t need to log in to use CODAP. However, if you want to save your CODAP documents on Google Drive, you will need to create a Google account and connect your Google account to CODAP.

  • To learn how to embed CODAP into a webpage, visit the Embed CODAP and Data Integration help resources. 

  • If you would like to provide instructions to others on how to use a CODAP document you have prepared, you can take advantage of the Guide panel, which can be found on the Tool Shelf in the Gear Menu. Creating a Guide allows you to create instructions within the platform. The Guide you create will need a website and links to those pages. Another option is to provide instructions in your CODAP file in a Text box.

  • For CODAP related news, you can follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our Help Forums.

    You can view the latest developments from the Concord Consortium from our free biannual newsletter- with articles and commentary on current research and developments in educational technology, plus technology-supported classroom lessons. You can receive @CONCORD through a free postal subscription (U.S. only) or, if you prefer, we'll send you notices by email to the online edition. You can subscribe here!

  • In order to save CODAP documents to a Google Drive account or to open CODAP documents saved in Google Drive, you must first enable permissions for CODAP to connect to your Google Drive account. When you first try to save a CODAP document to Google Drive, you will not only need to log in to your Google account, but also enable permissions in the box that appears (see screenshot below). In order for CODAP to integrate properly with Google Drive, check all the boxes and click "Continue."

  • For guidance on how to integrate a NetLogo simulation model into CODAP, please refer to the CODAP NetLogo Integration Guide.

  • Check out the CODAP Plugins page to see lots of ways to get started with CODAP. Or dive in to our Github repository.

  • There are two ways to save a CODAP Document. But note that you might get what you want by sharing your CODAP document; see this page to learn about sharing. 

    Save a CODAP Document on Google Drive

    To save your documents on Google Drive, you will need a Google account.

     

    • For more information on using Google Drive with CODAP, visit this page.

    Once you've connected your Google account and saved to Google Drive, any further updates to the CODAP file will be saved automatically to Google Drive.

    Saving a CODAP Document Locally

    To save a CODAP Document to your local hard drive, click on the File icon from the menu and click on "Save."

    Select "Local File," then click "Download."

    The document can be found in your download folder as a .codap document.

    • For more information on saving a CODAP file to your local hard drive, visit this page.
  • A plugin is a piece of software that acts as an add-on in CODAP. It gives a CODAP document additional functionality.

    Sampler

    An example of a plugin is the Sampler Plugin, which generates random samples from a dataset. You can access the Sampler in the Plugin menu while inside CODAP.

    Sampler Menu

    Some plugins can be accessed directly in CODAP by selecting them from the "Plugins" menu in the toolbar.

    To try out additional plugins, visit our CODAP Plugin webpage

    To view a plugin in CODAP, click on the top link.

    Click

    You can also drag the link into a CODAP document.

    Interested in developing a Plugin? See our Plugin development information here and visit our Help Forum to learn more.

  • You can drag a URL of a dataset over the workspace, or import it through the Import Menu, but sometimes this will fail with a mysterious "Network Error." Here are some things to check:

    • Is there a problem with your network? Check your computer or device's network settings. Perhaps you have become disconnected from your wireless network or the network is overburdened.
    • Is there a problem with the URL? If in doubt, you can try opening the link in another browser tab. If the URL is for a CSV file, the file may be downloaded to your computer, then uploaded/imported into CODAP.
    • Some websites are not configured to permit web applications from fetching data files, but do permit users to download the files. If you are able to download the file, please do so, and then drag the file into the CODAP workspace to add it to your CODAP document. See here for more info on how to upload files into CODAP.
  • To run CODAP, you will need: (1) a computer with Internet connection and (2) a relatively recent web browser. That's it!

  • CODAP has primarily been developed/tested in Chrome, but it should work in any modern browser updated within the past few years, such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. If you encounter a bug related to your browser, please let us know by posting in the help forum.

  • The Common Online Data Analysis Platform (CODAP) is a data analysis platform and community of developers where you can easily work with data, simulations, and games—and share your insights with others worldwide. In the process of working with data, young people learn to prepare their skills for the burgeoning careers and inquiry-based practices as data scientists. To learn more about CODAP, check out the About CODAP page.

  • Software glitches and bugs can sometimes make their way onto webpages. If you encounter a bug, please search the help forum to see if others have seen the same bug before and if anyone has shared suggestions for how to deal with it. If there is nothing in the help forum about the bug, or you are still unable to solve the problem, please reply to or write a new post in the help forum. Describe the problem with as much detail as possible, and attach your CODAP data file(s) (or provide a shared view link to your CODAP file(s)). Thank you for your help in CODAP’s development!

  • If you see a bunch of code when you try to open your CODAP document from Google Drive, look for the text at the top/middle that says "Open with," click on it, and select CODAP. If you do not see CODAP listed as an "Open with" option, try launching CODAP directly and then clicking on "Open Document" followed by "Google Drive." See here for more instructions on how to open a saved CODAP file.

  • When an internet connection is not always present, CODAP will function offline if loaded online beforehand. CODAP will only be able to accept local data from a computer in CSV or TXT format in this mode. Unfortunately embedded web pages, maps, and plugins will not be able to load. 

Licensing and Permissions

CODAP in Schools