Scratch

Jonathanpb wrote:

In Maki-Tak's Scratch Weekly, Issue 2, there's an article where J0j2 is interviewing andresmh. Here's an excerpt...

andresmh wrote:

J0j2 wrote:

Any new updates on what may be on Scratch 1.5? Do you know when it might be out?

I think 1.4 is going to be here for a while. We are starting to explore some ideas for 2.0 which we think should be all web based. Probably it will not be ready for at least a year, so supporting 1.4 is our main priority.

So:
•The next version of Scratch is 2.0.
•1.4 will be out for at least a year.

Now, that means we won't be getting a new version of Scratch for at least a year. That's a year without all the suggestions we all want!
For at least a year, we won't have:
•Show and hide list blocks
•The bug about the variable display resetting its position fixed
•The previous costume block
•etc.

This is quite horrifying. For example: I want to update my Code Messenger project. However, I'll either need a list (preferred) or a variable to show and hide. But the lists can't show and hide, and the variable will reset its position. I can't use a sprite to cover the list in this situation. What I'm upset about is this: Does this mean I can't implement what I want for over a year? That's just stupid, and I'm sure that the people out there who have the same problem agree with me.

So... my suggestion: Give us a small update to Scratch, with the few items we all want. Okay, I just want to point out one thing here: We don't need any fancy things... just the few items we want.
Hmmm... what things do we want? We should start discussing, but the first two ideas (mentioned earlier) are a must; everyone wants them.

I will bump this up until I get a satisfying reply from the Scratch Team. Plenty of other Scratch users are surely having a similar problem to what I have. I don't like the prospect of having us all being blocked in our project for that long. Anyone would agree with me.

i understand you but it was a hecka hard to understand since you were redundant in many places 

I'm not crazy about them too... but I can't work on my favorite project! I even made two updates to it and made it as great as possible, and then... 

Last edited by Jonathanpb (2010-01-07 03:26:02)

Any ways jonathan by using a trick u can but u will lose the stage due to this have u seen the layer display counts arrays and variables so to hide just place a sprite ahead of it and to show hide the sprite of send it back but u will have to make a new stage sprite for this but thats all we can do now

Jonathanpb wrote:

I want to update my Code Messenger project. However, I'll either need a list (preferred) or a variable to show and hide. But the lists can't show and hide, and the variable will reset its position. I can't use a sprite to cover the list in this situation. What I'm upset about is this: Does this mean I can't implement what I want for over a year? That's just stupid, and I'm sure that the people out there who have the same problem agree with me.

Go for the hard way. You can program a sprite or several sprites to act as a variable or list, such as the score here: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/LeBurt/36470

I know it's hard and time-consuming and stupid, but hey, you've got a whole year. 

Jonathanpb wrote:

MyRedNeptune wrote:

Jonathanpb wrote:

I want to update my Code Messenger project. However, I'll either need a list (preferred) or a variable to show and hide. But the lists can't show and hide, and the variable will reset its position. I can't use a sprite to cover the list in this situation. What I'm upset about is this: Does this mean I can't implement what I want for over a year? That's just stupid, and I'm sure that the people out there who have the same problem agree with me.

Go for the hard way. You can program a sprite or several sprites to act as a variable or list, such as the score here: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/LeBurt/36470

I know it's hard and time-consuming and stupid, but hey, you've got a whole year. 

The hard way? That'd be pathetic what what I want to do - wait... I do have a whole year... oh, I'll just try it. 

Heh! xD Yep, you gotta deal with he patheticness and do it. Otherwise wait one year. >:3

I just want to point something out: I can work on my project, but that doesn't really affect the situation. The important part is that there are some things we all want (and are common sense to add), and we don't want to have to wait over a year for those things. And some people may not be able to work on their project until those things are added.

Jonathanpb wrote:

Hmmm... apparently they didn't see this topic... I'm rather surprised, considering the topic name. And they say they read the suggestions? 

Well, as I said, I will bump this up until I get a satisfying reply from the Scratch Team. I don't like the idea of waiting at least a year for the things we all want. You know, those things should have been added by now... 

I know it's a disappointment to hear that new features aren't planned for 1.4.  There's a lot I'd like to see too...starting with a fix to the Disappearing Text problem. 

Your idea of lobbying for a small update to 1.4 in the interim period is unlikely to be approved, I suspect.  Resources devoted to your proposed upgrade would take away from completion of the next major release, 2.0.   You might be surprised how much work it takes to make even simple changes to a project ...even small changes can cause problems in unexpected areas and you really have to rigorously test any changes.

You might do better to try and convince some skilled Squeak developers to download the source code and make an offshoot version of Scratch.  Like the BYOB version. Or, try it yourself...it would be a good learning experience.

My answer here, though, is speculative - I don't make those kind of decisions.  If you would like I will forward your request to the project leaders for a definitive answer.

Paddle2See wrote:

Jonathanpb wrote:

Hmmm... apparently they didn't see this topic... I'm rather surprised, considering the topic name. And they say they read the suggestions? 

Well, as I said, I will bump this up until I get a satisfying reply from the Scratch Team. I don't like the idea of waiting at least a year for the things we all want. You know, those things should have been added by now... 

I know it's a disappointment to hear that new features aren't planned for 1.4.  There's a lot I'd like to see too...starting with a fix to the Disappearing Text problem. 

Your idea of lobbying for a small update to 1.4 in the interim period is unlikely to be approved, I suspect.  Resources devoted to your proposed upgrade would take away from completion of the next major release, 2.0.   You might be surprised how much work it takes to make even simple changes to a project ...even small changes can cause problems in unexpected areas and you really have to rigorously test any changes.

You might do better to try and convince some skilled Squeak developers to download the source code and make an offshoot version of Scratch.  Like the BYOB version. Or, try it yourself...it would be a good learning experience.

My answer here, though, is speculative - I don't make those kind of decisions.  If you would like I will forward your request to the project leaders for a definitive answer.

(I can't think of anything to reply to for most of your post.  )

Well, I don't think editing the source code would be a good answer... it won't be the official version of Scratch, and you wouldn't download the edit from the official download point (most likely).

What do you mean by "forwarding a request"? You mean that people like you check the suggestions for anything good, and then you tell those people about those good suggestions? If that's correct, then things aren't what I thought... you can decide if that's the case. If I'm wrong... I can't answer. 

Last edited by Jonathanpb (2010-01-08 19:40:43)

Jonathanpb wrote:

hmnwilson wrote:

That really is surprising, considering the missing features and bugs in 1.4. And a year? What kind of features are they planning that will take that long to build? 

Oh...

andresmh wrote:

We are starting to explore some ideas for 2.0 which we think should be all web based.

A web-based editor would be nice, but I don't think that's the way to go. How will the projects save? What if the internet connection cuts out? What if we want to program when you don't have a connection? There's some problems with the idea.

Yay, someone thinks like me! 

Hmmm... Scratch 2.0 should be interesting.

I tend to agree with you...I have misgivings about an entirely web-based version of Scratch as well.  There are many times when I enjoy working in Scratch when my computer is nowhere near an internet connection. 

But a more connected version of Scratch does have promise, particularly in the area of collaboration.  If the project is created on the internet, it should be possible to have many people involved in that creation simultaneously - which would be really cool.  I do hope that the off-line developer is not completely overlooked though.

MyRedNeptune wrote:

Jonathanpb wrote:

MyRedNeptune wrote:

Go for the hard way. You can program a sprite or several sprites to act as a variable or list, such as the score here: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/LeBurt/36470

I know it's hard and time-consuming and stupid, but hey, you've got a whole year. 

The hard way? That'd be pathetic what what I want to do - wait... I do have a whole year... oh, I'll just try it. 

Heh! xD Yep, you gotta deal with he patheticness and do it. Otherwise wait one year. >:3

Make Scratch 1.4.1, (or if that is still called Scratch 2.0!)...
...and add in the code ('hide list %L' #- #hideList:)
('show list %L' #- #showList:)

Paddle2See wrote:

Jonathanpb wrote:

hmnwilson wrote:

That really is surprising, considering the missing features and bugs in 1.4. And a year? What kind of features are they planning that will take that long to build? 

Oh...

A web-based editor would be nice, but I don't think that's the way to go. How will the projects save? What if the internet connection cuts out? What if we want to program when you don't have a connection? There's some problems with the idea.

Yay, someone thinks like me! 

Hmmm... Scratch 2.0 should be interesting.

I tend to agree with you...I have misgivings about an entirely web-based version of Scratch as well.  There are many times when I enjoy working in Scratch when my computer is nowhere near an internet connection. 

But a more connected version of Scratch does have promise, particularly in the area of collaboration.  If the project is created on the internet, it should be possible to have many people involved in that creation simultaneously - which would be really cool.  I do hope that the off-line developer is not completely overlooked though.

True.
Even mine.
What about a 'random [] or []' reporter operators block?
It reports the first string or the second string.

TheGameMaster1231 wrote:

The Previeous Costume Block Is Actually Easy. All You Do Is, "Switch To Costume Costume Number Minus One. It Works Perfectly. Hope Dis Helps.

I know that... but since there's [next costume], it makes sense to have a [previous costume]. And there are uses for using [previous costume] (eg. animations, health displays, picture galleries).