IDE settings, Board JSON URL

Hi

my IDE has the default setting "http://www.espruino.com/json". What's the purpose of it?
I build my own firmware with graphics, telnet and ota removed, and didn't run into any issues. Shall I provide my own BOARD.json file, and what's the purpose of this setting, generally?

Sun 2019.08.04

The Ahhhha light will go on, when loading up that URL in a common browser.

Here is one file that is at that location:

http://www.espruino.com/json/PUCKJS.json­

Bulb on? . . .

It is the default path for the location of descriptive files in Json-JavaScript Object Notation for use by the WebIDE and at GitHub for absolute paths to firmware flash, libraries, images, settings etc., and content to allow web services to construct the Espruino website presented in Html.

List of officially supported Authentic Espruino Boards

http://www.espruino.com/json/boards.json­

Function Language Reference

http://www.espruino.com/json/espruino.js­on

for use by the WebIDE

What for? I looked at the files already before I asked the question.

... Moving to ESP8266... I know you've been really helpful on the forum but the forum's 'Official Board' section is there for a purpose. I provide support for users of Official Espruino boards - but I have to run a business and I can't afford to spend my time supporting users of other people's hardware.

The Web IDE uses JSON files to check if there's new firmware, for autocomplete, and when using the graphical editor to figure out which pins are available. I think there's some other stuff but on the whole you can probably live without it.

For official boards there are some tools that will turn your JS file into a hex/bin file for upload and those use addresses defined in there too.

Actually ESP8266 12-F, as it good enough run a web server with a few pages and do some limited measurements and control some stuff.

I asked the question to the official section as it's about the editor itself, and not directly related to a specific board. And since I always wondered what it's for I simply had to ask. Thanks.

@maze1980

BOARD=ESP8266_4MB BOARDNAME=1 make boardjson

will create boards/ESP8266_4MB.json

Gordon. We appreciate VERY much your boards (I have two personally and since I gave one of them to my dad I'm going to get another one)

And we appreciate VERY much your answers and you allowing this board to talk about 8266.

I think it makes a LOT of sense for the json to only have official boards.

Thanks again for your amazing work!