The Problem
ObservableHQ offers a beautiful interface for JavaScript computational notebooks. Although its lock-in approach is likely to change, notebooks can’t be saved locally for future use and the interface can’t be used offline. There is a need for a simple JavaScript notebooks for data exploration, scientific computing, algorithmic development, and arts.
The Approach
A tangent notebook is a browser-based notebook environment that executes JavaScript code locally using WebAssembly. It provides:
- Zero-installation computational environment
- Local execution (no server required)
- Familiar notebook interface
- Lightweight and fast
- Integration with modern JavaScript scientific computing libraries
Originally developed for algorithmic music composition (JMON-algo framework), the tool demonstrates broader potential for accessible scientific computing and interactive programming education.
Current Status
tangent-notebook is usable online at notebook.tangent.to and can be installed locally following the procedure explained on github.com/tangent-studio/tangent-notebook. A local-first version is in the toaster.