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Using the CodeHS Sandbox App

Teachers and students can create and share Sandbox programs in the Sandbox IDE

Zach Galant avatar
Written by Zach Galant
Updated over a month ago
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Sandbox App Overview

The CodeHS Sandbox is a place where you can write programs outside of the bounds of an exercise. In the Sandbox, you can start a program from scratch in any of our programming languages and create anything that you can imagine. 

Teachers can use the Sandbox to assign individual projects, midterms, and end-of-year assignments, or as a way to encourage students to work on their coding skills outside the classroom. Learn more about Assigning Sandbox Programs.

Using the Sandbox App Tools

The Sandbox app features three tools, which can be accessed by the tabs at the top of the page: My Sandbox, Student Sandbox, and IDE Settings.

Image of tools that are in the sandbox app: My sandbox, student sandbox, IDE settings

My Sandbox

My Sandbox is where you'll be able to create your own sandbox programs, create your own homepage, and view a list of sandbox programs you have created!

Creating a Sandbox Program

  1. Click on the Sandbox link in the top left corner of any page

  2. Type a name for your program > Create Program

  3. Select from the available programming languages

GIF demonstrating how to access sandbox from the top navigation bar and how to create a sandbox program.

Creating a Sandbox Program from a .zip file

You can also upload a multi-file program from a .zip file, which will unzip and import all files into a new program. Within the Create New Program box, give your program a name, then click the down arrow next to the Create Program button and select Upload from Zip:

animated .gif illustrates clicking the create program button, then selecting Upload from Zip from the drop-down menu

CodeHS.me Homepage

Students can also create and edit their very own website, which is hosted by CodeHS, by clicking Edit Homepage. Every student can access and share their personalized web page by going to their username followed by .codehs.me. Learn more about creating your personal homepage.

Animated gif showing how to edit CodeHS.me homepage

Create a Folder to Store Sandbox Programs

In the Sandbox app, you have the ability to create multiple folders where you can organize and store your sandbox programs. Simply click on Create Folder and name your folder.

GIF demonstrating how to create a folder in the sandbox app

Student Sandbox Tool

The Student Sandbox tool allows you to view all sandbox programs that have been created by a student in your section. Using the dropdown menus at the top of the page, you can filter by section and student and see the Sandbox programs students have created.

GIF demonstrating the student sandbox tool and how you can view student's sandbox programs

Find specific student Sandbox programs by using the program type filter or title search.

IDE Settings Tool

The IDE Settings tool gives you the ability to customize your IDE code editor to your liking. Here you can change settings such as:

  • Default editor and console font size

  • Default editor engine

  • Default editor and console themes

  • Settings for Autocomplete, block coding, and more

GIF demonstrating the different settings that you can alter in the IDE Settings tool


Viewing Student Sandbox Programs

You can also view student Sandbox programs from the Roster tool. Select the student > Student Sandbox, listed under Teacher Links on the left-hand navigation menu: 

GIF demonstrating how to view student's sandbox programs by clicking into their profile from the Roster App.

Managing Sandbox Programs

Adding a Sandbox Description

From your Sandbox program, select the More tab in the right-hand panel and select About. Here you can add a description to your Sandbox program that will show up when assigning a Sandbox program to a course. Learn more about Assigning Sandbox Programs.

Animated GIF showing the Code Editor; the pointer selects More, then About to access and edit the Sandbox program description

Sharing and Embedding Sandbox Programs

There are many ways to share a Sandbox program, including sharing a link and embedding it in another webpage. Click here to learn more about sharing and embedding Sandbox programs.

Using Real-Time Collaboration in the Sandbox

Multiple users can access and edit Sandbox programs together. This enables seamless virtual collaboration between students. Learn more about Collaborate.

Retrieving Deleted Programs

To retrieve deleted programs, navigate to your Account Settings from the dropdown menu in the upper right corner. Open the Code History tab and then open the Sandbox Trash. Lastly, click the three dots (...) next to the program and click Restore.

animated .gif showing how to retrieve deleted programs

Demo Video


Still have questions? Contact our team at hello@codehs.com to learn more!

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