---
title: FAQ
layout: default
permalink: "faq.html"
parent: Overview
---

#### Q: How do I start a new Amber project?

A: You can see the steps [described here](/getting-started.html) which are basically:

1. `npm install -g amber-cli`
2. `mkdir newProjectDir`
3. `cd newProjectDir`
4. `amber init`
5. `amber serve`

And visit [http://localhost:4000](http://localhost:4000)

Here is also a terminal screencast doing just that:

<iframe src="http://showterm.io/457dc8b24df38d67e421d#fast" width="640" height="480"></iframe>


#### Q: How do I get back the Helios IDE after I have closed it?

Press this sequence of keys: Shift, Shift, Ctrl, Shift.
A dialog should appear with "Legacy IDE" and "Helios IDE" buttons. 

In case the above did not work, evaluate the following in the JavaScript console:

    `require('amber/helpers').popupHelios()`

    
#### Q: What version is the amber website running?

1.    Open IDE at [http://amber-lang.net/](http://amber-lang.net/).
2.    Go to Workspace tab.
3.    Print-it ``Smalltalk version``.

#### How do I install the latest Amber version?

'Latest' often means the 'latest stable'. If this is the case go for

`npm -g install amber-cli`

If you mean really the prereleases, 

`npm -g install amber-cli@bleedingedge`

should install the last prerelease (but not the stable version even if it is newer).

If you want to be sure which version is latest and which one is bleedingedge use:
`npm info amber-cli`

#### How do I update Amber?

1. ``npm install -g amber-cli``  will get it fixed for all new projects and 

2.  ``npm update amber-dev`` in every project dir will fix it for current projects

3. `bower install` in every project dir will fix it for current projects


#### How do I get the text value of an input field?

Assuming I have a field with an id of #field1, how do I get the text value of it?

Answer:

   '#field1' asJQuery val

Note:

All Javascript methods in jQuery are available to you this way.

Multi parameter functions are then mapped like:

    aQuery.sampleFunc (a,b,c);

    aQuery sampleFunc: a and: b and: c.

The ``and:`` can be whatever. The only thing that matters is the first part of the keyword selector which has to match the function name.



#### More questions and answers 

On the [wiki](https://github.com/amber-smalltalk/amber/wiki/FAQ)