Sharpee
Chord Writer / Getting Started / Download

Download

Two downloads: the app you write in, and a finished story to open in it.

Chord Writer

Chord Writer drives the Sharpee command-line toolchain rather than carrying its own, so install that before the first build — Node.js 18 or newer, then:

npm install -g @sharpee/devkit

Download Chord Writer 1.0.0 (.dmg)

Installing it:

  1. Open the downloaded .dmg.
  2. Drag Chord Writer onto the Applications folder shown beside it.
  3. Eject the disk image, and launch Chord Writer from Applications.

If macOS refuses to open it

macOS checks downloaded apps with Apple before running them the first time. If you see "Apple could not verify Chord Writer is free of malware", the check has not completed for this build — the app is signed, but not yet stapled. Open it once by hand:

  1. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security.
  2. Scroll to the bottom. There is a line about Chord Writer being blocked, and an Open Anyway button beside it.
  3. Click it, then confirm.

You only do this once. Every later launch is normal.

The Folly at Fernhill

The sample story: complete, playable, and small enough to read in a sitting. It is the same story the Fernhill tutorial builds chapter by chapter, so you can read the finished source alongside the explanation.

Download The Folly at Fernhill (.zip, 58 KB)

Opening it:

  1. Unzip it. You get a folder called The Folly at Fernhill.
  2. Move that folder wherever you keep your work — your Documents folder is a fine choice.
  3. In Chord Writer, choose Open… and select the folder.
  4. Press ⌘B. The story builds and starts in the Play tab.

Inside the folder:

FileWhat it is
fernhill.storyThe whole story. The only file you write.
fernhill.tests.jsonIts tests, recorded by playing in the Testing tab.
fernhill.config.jsonThe story's identity. The tool maintains it; keep it in version control and never edit it by hand.
assets/Audio and images the story plays.
browser/index.htmlA custom page for the browser build.

From the terminal instead

Fernhill is an ordinary Sharpee project, so the CLI you already installed above works on it directly. From inside the story folder:

sharpee build          # compile, and build the browser app
sharpee play           # play it in the terminal
sharpee test           # replay the recorded tests

Same toolchain either way — the app drives these commands for you, and reports the version it resolved in its status bar.

Next

Your first story walks through making one of your own, and Building, playing, and testing covers the loop you will spend your time in.