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Jan Wyzula
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README.md
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README.md
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# BEC Widgets
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# BEC Widgets
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[](https://github.com/bec-project/bec_widgets/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
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[](https://pypi.org/project/bec-widgets/)
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[](https://conventionalcommits.org)
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[](https://codecov.io/gh/bec-project/bec_widgets)
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A modular PySide6(Qt6) toolkit for [BEC (Beamline Experiment Control)](https://github.com/bec-project/bec). Create
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high-performance, dockable GUIs to move devices, run scans, and stream live or disk data—powered by Redis and a modular
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plugin system.
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**⚠️ Important Notice:**
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## Highlights
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🚨 **PyQt6 is no longer supported** due to incompatibilities with Qt Designer. Please use **PySide6** instead. 🚨
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- **No-code first** — For ~90% of day-to-day workflows, you can compose, operate, and save workspaces **without writing
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a single line of code**. Just launch, drag widgets, and do your experiment.
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- **Flexible layout composition** — Build complex experiment GUIs in seconds with the `BECDockArea`: drag‑dock, tab,
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split, and export profiles/workspaces for reuse.
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- **CLI / scripting** — Control your beamline experiment from the command line a robust RPC layer using
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`BECIPythonClient`.
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- **Designer integration** — Use Qt Designer plugins to drop BEC widgets next to any Qt control, then launch the `.ui`
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with the custom BEC loader for a zero‑glue workflow.
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- **Operational integration** — Widgets stay in sync with your running BEC/Redis as the single source of truth:
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Subscribe to events from BEC and create dynamically updating UIs. BECWidgets also grants you easy access the
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acquisition history.
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- **Extensible by design** — Build new widgets with minimal boilerplate using `BECWidget` and `BECDispatcher` for BEC data and
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messaging. Use the generator command to scaffold RPC interfaces and Designer plugin stubs; beamline plugins can extend
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or override behavior as needed.
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BEC Widgets is a GUI framework designed for interaction with [BEC (Beamline Experiment Control)](https://gitlab.psi.ch/bec/bec).
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## Table of Contents
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- [Installation](#installation)
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- [Features](#features)
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- [1. Dock area interface: build GUIs in seconds](#1-dock-area-interface-build-guis-in-seconds)
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- [2. Qt Designer plugins + BEC Launcher (no glue)](#2-qt-designer-plugins--bec-launcher-no-glue)
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- [3. Robust RPC from CLI & remote scripting](#3-robust-rpc-from-cli--remote-scripting)
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- [4. Rapid development (extensible by design)](#4-rapid-development-extensible-by-design)
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- [Widget Library](#widget-library)
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- [Documentation](#documentation)
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- [License](#license)
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## Installation
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Use any of the following setups:
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### Stable release
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Use the package manager [pip](https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/) to install BEC Widgets:
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```bash
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pip install bec_widgets[pyside6]
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pip install bec_widgets
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```
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### From source (recommended for development)
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For development purposes, you can clone the repository and install the package locally in editable mode:
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```bash
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git clone https://gitlab.psi.ch/bec/bec-widgets
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git clone https://github.com/bec-project/bec_widgets.git
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cd bec_widgets
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pip install -e .[dev,pyside6]
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pip install -e .[dev]
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```
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BEC Widgets now **only supports PySide6**. Users must manually install PySide6 as no default Qt distribution is
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specified.
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## Features
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### 1. Dock area interface: build GUIs in seconds
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The fastest way to explore BEC Widgets. Launch the BEC IPython client with simply `bec` in terminal and the **BECDockArea** opens as the default UI:
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drag widgets, dock/tab/split panes, and explore. Everything is live—widgets auto-connect to BEC/Redis, so you can
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operate immediately and refine later with RPC or Designer if needed.
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### 2. Qt Designer plugins + BEC Launcher (no glue)
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All BEC Widgets ship as **Qt Designer plugins** with our custom Qt Designer launchable by `bec-designer`. Design your UI
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visually in Designer, save a `.ui`, then launch it with
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the **BEC Launcher**—no glue code. Widgets auto‑connect to BEC/Redis on startup, so your UI is operational immediately.
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### 3. Robust RPC from CLI & remote scripting
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Operate and automate BEC Widgets directly from the `BECIPythonClient`. Create or attach to GUIs, address any sub-widget
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via a simple hierarchical API with tab-completion, and script event-driven behavior that reacts to BEC (scan lifecycle,
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active devices, topics)—so your UI can be heavily automated.
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- Create & control GUIs: launch, load profiles, open/close panels, tweak properties—all from the shell.
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- Hierarchical addressing: navigate widgets and sub-widgets with discoverable paths and tab-completion.
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- Event scripting: subscribe to BEC events (e.g., scan start/finish, device readiness, topic updates) and trigger
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actions,switch profiles, open diagnostic views, or start specific scans.
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- Remote & headless: run automation on analysis nodes or from notebooks without a local GUI process.
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- Plays with no-code: Use the Dock Area / BEC Designer to set up the layout and add automation with RPC when needed.
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### 4. Rapid development (extensible by design)
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Build new widgets fast: Inherit from `BECWidget`, list your RPC methods in `USER_ACCESS`, and use `bec_dispatcher` to
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bind endpoints. Then run `bw-generate-cli --target <your-plugin-repo>`. This generates the RPC CLI bindings and a Qt
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Designer plugin that are immediately usable with your BEC setup. Widgets
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come online with live BEC/Redis wiring out of the box. 
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<details>
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<summary> View code: Example Widget </summary>
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```python
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from typing import Literal
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from qtpy.QtWidgets import QWidget, QLabel, QPushButton, QHBoxLayout, QVBoxLayout, QApplication
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from qtpy.QtCore import Slot
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from bec_lib.endpoints import MessageEndpoints
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from bec_widgets import BECWidget, SafeSlot
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class SimpleMotorWidget(BECWidget, QWidget):
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USER_ACCESS = ["move"]
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def __init__(self, parent=None, motor_name="samx", step=5.0, **kwargs):
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super().__init__(parent=parent, **kwargs)
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self.motor_name = motor_name
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self.step = float(step)
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self.get_bec_shortcuts()
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self.value_label = QLabel(f"{self.motor_name}: —")
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self.btn_left = QPushButton("◀︎ -5")
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self.btn_right = QPushButton("+5 ▶︎")
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row = QHBoxLayout()
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row.addWidget(self.btn_left)
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row.addWidget(self.btn_right)
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col = QVBoxLayout(self)
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col.addWidget(self.value_label)
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col.addLayout(row)
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self.btn_left.clicked.connect(lambda: self.move("left", self.step))
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self.btn_right.clicked.connect(lambda: self.move("right", self.step))
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self.bec_dispatcher.connect_slot(self.on_readback, MessageEndpoints.device_readback(self.motor_name))
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@SafeSlot(dict, dict)
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def on_readback(self, data: dict, meta: dict):
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current_value = data.get("signals").get(self.motor_name).get('value')
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self.value_label.setText(f"{self.motor_name}: {current_value:.3f}")
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@Slot(str, float)
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def move(self, direction: Literal["left", "right"] = "left", step: float = 5.0):
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if direction == "left":
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self.dev[self.motor_name].move(-step, relative=True)
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else:
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self.dev[self.motor_name].move(step, relative=True)
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if __name__ == "__main__":
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import sys
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app = QApplication(sys.argv)
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w = SimpleMotorWidget(motor_name="samx", step=5.0)
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w.setWindowTitle("MotorJogWidget")
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w.resize(280, 90)
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w.show()
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sys.exit(app.exec_())
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```
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</details>
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## Widget Library
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A large and growing catalog—plug, configure, run:
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### Plotting
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Waveform, MultiWaveform, and Image/Heatmap widgets deliver responsive plots with crosshairs and ROIs for live and
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history data.
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<img width="1108" height="838" alt="plotting_hr" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f50462a5-178d-44d4-aee5-d378c74b107b" />
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### Scan orchestration and motion control.
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Start and stop scans, track progress, reuse parameter presets, and browse history from a focused control surface.
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Positioner boxes and tweak controls handle precise moves, homing, and calibration for day‑to‑day alignment.
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<img width="1496" height="1388" alt="control" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d4fb2e2e-04f9-4621-8087-790680797620" />
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## Documentation
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Documentation of BEC Widgets can be found [here](https://bec-widgets.readthedocs.io/en/latest/). The documentation of the BEC can be found [here](https://bec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/).
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## Contributing
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All commits should use the Angular commit scheme:
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> #### <a name="commit-header"></a>Angular Commit Message Header
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>
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> ```
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> <type>(<scope>): <short summary>
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> │ │ │
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> │ │ └─⫸ Summary in present tense. Not capitalized. No period at the end.
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> │ │
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> │ └─⫸ Commit Scope: animations|bazel|benchpress|common|compiler|compiler-cli|core|
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> │ elements|forms|http|language-service|localize|platform-browser|
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> │ platform-browser-dynamic|platform-server|router|service-worker|
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> │ upgrade|zone.js|packaging|changelog|docs-infra|migrations|ngcc|ve|
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> │ devtools
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> │
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> └─⫸ Commit Type: build|ci|docs|feat|fix|perf|refactor|test
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> ```
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>
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> The `<type>` and `<summary>` fields are mandatory, the `(<scope>)` field is optional.
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> ##### Type
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>
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> Must be one of the following:
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>
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> * **build**: Changes that affect the build system or external dependencies (example scopes: gulp, broccoli, npm)
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> * **ci**: Changes to our CI configuration files and scripts (examples: CircleCi, SauceLabs)
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> * **docs**: Documentation only changes
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> * **feat**: A new feature
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> * **fix**: A bug fix
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> * **perf**: A code change that improves performance
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> * **refactor**: A code change that neither fixes a bug nor adds a feature
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> * **test**: Adding missing tests or correcting existing tests
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Documentation of BEC Widgets can be found [here](https://bec-widgets.readthedocs.io/en/latest/). The documentation of
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the BEC can be found [here](https://bec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/).
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## License
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[BSD-3-Clause](https://choosealicense.com/licenses/bsd-3-clause/)
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