PEBL 2.2 is Here! The Biggest Update Ever

After more than 5 years since our last release, we're excited to announce PEBL 2.2 - the most substantial update in PEBL's history. This release represents a massive leap forward with hundreds of improvements, bug fixes, and entirely new capabilities.

What's New in PEBL 2.2?

RUN PEBL EXPERIMENTS IN YOUR WEB BROWSER
For the first time ever, PEBL experiments can now run directly in web browsers thanks to full WebAssembly support. No installation required - just open a URL and go. We're rolling out PEBL Hub (https://peblhub.online) where you can run the entire test battery online for free, with optional tiers for automatic data collection from both web and native experiments.  We have about 40 tests available online with the exact same code that runs on the native PEBL executable. Currently, you can include PEBL tests in other systems (SONA, qualtrics, etc.) or email links directly participants, with instructions to save and return their data files to you directly.  But the peblhub.online supports having tests upload to the hub directly--this is currently in beta phase with limited users as we build this capability and improve stability, but if you are interested in a trial account to help us test, let me know. In the coming months, we will be working to migrate more tasks online, and explore different account tiers at different price points. The upload capability is also embedded in many of the native tests, so you will be able to upload data from your lab computers to the PEBL hub or run your own local data server with code available at the PEBL github.  

COMPREHENSIVE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE SUPPORT
PEBL 2.2 includes full support for right-to-left scripts (Arabic, Hebrew), automatic font selection for international text, and AI-generated translations of common battery tests into dozens of languages. We've modernized the entire font system with DejaVu and Noto fonts for comprehensive character coverage worldwide.  We've integrated many user-contributed translations, and augmented these with AI-generated translations so that non-English researchers have access to the battery.

COMPLETE ONLINE DOCUMENTATION
Every PEBL function is now fully documented online with searchable reference documentation. No more hunting through old manuals - everything you need is at your fingertips at https://pebl.sourceforge.net/documentation.html

AUDIO INPUT AND VOICE KEY
Collect vocal response times with the new SDL2-based audio input system. Record responses, monitor audio in real-time, and use voice key capabilities for response time experiments.

EXPANDED TEST BATTERY - 10 NEW TESTS
The PEBL Test Battery now includes over 120 distinct psychological tests with 10 new additions in version 2.2:
- Inspection Time Task: A visual search task
- Sound Localization (Left-Right Sound)
- Line Judgment task: how many lines are there?
- Maze Navigation: a spatial planning task
- Multiple Object Tracking (MOT)
- PEBL Cognitive Screening Test (PCST): an automated screening test similar to the MOCA.
- Shape Memory
- Toulouse N-back Test (TNT)
- FASCW Scale: measure of fatigue
- Sleepiness and Tiredness Scales (KSS and others)

We've also reorganized the battery structure, moving scales to individual directories and separating Stroop task variants for easier access and to better support the online test battery. Existing tests have been updated with better translations, improved data collection, and enhanced flexibility.

Important Notes:

Since this is such a massive update, there may be some bugs we haven't caught yet. Please report any issues you encounter at https://github.com/stmueller/pebl/issues


Under the Hood:

- Source repository has been migrated to github (from sourceforge svn) at  https://github.com/stmueller/pebl/
- Full Emscripten/WebAssembly support with proper async/await handling
- Token-based authentication for secure data uploads
- AppImage support for portable Linux distribution
- Hundreds of compiler warnings eliminated for modern C++ standards
- Complete Sphinx-based documentation system
- SDL2 migration for better cross-platform support
- Comprehensive Windows compilation via MSYS2/MinGW
- Installable and portable packages for Windows, source and appImage packages for linux.

Get PEBL 2.2:

Download: https://pebl.sourceforge.net/download.html
Documentation: https://pebl.sourceforge.net/documentation.html
Test Library: https://peblhub.online/public/tests/browse.php
GitHub: https://github.com/stmueller/pebl

Join the Community:

Mailing List: http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/pebl-list
Report Issues: https://github.com/stmueller/pebl/issues
PEBL Hub: https://peblhub.online

This release represents years of work making PEBL more accessible, more powerful, and ready for the future of online research. We hope you find it as exciting as we do!

Shane T. Mueller
November 2025
