Scratch
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#1 2012-07-05 17:58:32
scratchblocks as a programming language?
Turn your back for 8 months and suddenly everything changes :-)
I like the 'scratchblocks' feature in the forums but i have a couple of questions. (And by 'couple' I mean 'two', not 'a few')
1) Is it only for display or is it an actual programming language that can be written and loaded into a scratch program?
2) Can you save scratch code from scratch in this format to avoid rekeying it with possible errors?
I did suggest some time back that dumping Scratch programs out as a logo-like text file which could be edited and reloaded would be a great leap forward; this looks like it might be it, or at least halfway there. I kind of did get the impression though that the scratchblock language may not follow a formal syntax and be ambiguous in some areas? Also things like the 'v' symbol for unselected dropdowns rather implies this is only a visual representation and not an actual programming language.
Though if not, I wonder how much work it would take to make it into one..?
Graham
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#2 2012-07-05 18:00:48
- TorbyFork234
- Scratcher
- Registered: 2012-03-01
- Posts: 1000+
Re: scratchblocks as a programming language?
1) It is only for display. Many people (including the Scratch Team) thought that the old blocks looked ugly.
2) No, but that would be an interesting feature. Maybe you could make a topic in suggestions about that.
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#3 2012-07-06 01:06:25
- jji7skyline
- Scratcher
- Registered: 2010-03-08
- Posts: 1000+
Re: scratchblocks as a programming language?
Downloading an uploading scripts to a scratch project as a readable text based file seems exciting 
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello!
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#4 2012-07-06 04:18:49
Re: scratchblocks as a programming language?
For number two: there is no way yet to export the visual scripts as scratchblocks syntax without errors. Some have tried using the "write project summary" function and correcting that with minimal error.
However, there's always a way to make it... 
I might try it
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#5 2012-07-07 01:25:35
Re: scratchblocks as a programming language?
LS97 wrote:
However, there's always a way to make it...
I might try it
What a hero! I can't help with the innards of the Scratch database but I can write parsers and hack up pretty good source to source translators with the best of them. If there's anything I can do to help in that area just ask.
G
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