microsoft / microsoft/pxt-microbit

Simulator fails to load when clicking Run on Declaring variables Help documentation page (Python example)

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P2 sidedocs
Dominant language
TypeScript
Stars
804
Forks
721
Avg merge
2d 9h
Merged PRs (30d)
2

Description

Describe the bug
On the Declaring variables Help documentation page, navigating to a Python variable example under The variable (var) statement section and clicking Run causes the simulator to fail to initialize.

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

  1. Navigate to https://makecode.microbit.org/beta.
  2. Open any existing tutorial with the Blocks editor.
  3. In the Toolbox, open the Variables drawer.
  4. Right click the first item and click the "Help" button.
  5. Click any variable inline link in the description.
  6. Open the Declaring variables Help documentation page.
  7. Scroll down to The variable (var) statement section, click the second Run button.
  8. Obverse the simulator behavior.

Actual behavior
The simulator area displays a white box with “loading…” indefinitely after clicking run.

Expected behavior
The simulator should load successfully and display the example animation, consistent with other examples in this help documentation.

Screenshots
Image

Additional context
1.OS: Windows 11 25H2 & Mac Mini M2 macOS Tahoe 26.4.1
2.Browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari
3.Makecode.microbit.org version: 8.1.10
4.Microsoft MakeCode version: 12.3.5

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by opening the Declaring variables Help documentation page and reproducing the second Run button failure in the “The variable (var) statement” section. Compare this Python example with the other examples that load successfully, then trace the embedded simulator setup. Done means the example simulator loads and displays its animation consistently with the other help examples.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python, typescript
Domain
documentation, tooling
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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