Scratch

Very nice!  This should make it easy enough even for me. 

Now, we just need to come up with a good set of buzzwords to make Chirp an acronym:

Creative
     Herrenberg-based
            Interactive
                   Research
                           Project?

Heh - despite claims to the contrary, Jens once again proves that if anyone is a "pro-scratcher", it is him.

I've just fixed a couple of bugs (never trust a first release    ):

   - XML export now works with any directory you choose in the file dialog
   - reassigning a variable in an unsaved imported XML script no longer raises an error
   - the desktop shortcut created by the Windows installer now actually works

You can just download from the links in the first post again and run the Windows installer (no need to uninstall first), or replace the files-only version.

Yes, relyt12101, I've deployed this as a "real" Windows application, so you don't have to bother with Squeak. It needs Scratch to be installed and plugs into the Scratch installation, i.e. it shares Scratch's VM, the Scratchplugin.dll, its .ini and translation files. It does not change the way Scratch works, however, but sets up an additional application which is "based on Scratch" (it's essentially Scratch with some minimal additions). I've altered the logo and the script editor's texture in Chirp so you know whenever you are not using the official Scratch release.

its cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are most certainly the Scratch Master!

Jens,
Chirp is excellent.  These are great additions to Scratch.  I did notice that Chirp runs projects very slowly in "edit" mode, at least with a large project.  (I used it for some edits to "GravArena", which has lots of variables, sprites and scripts.)  It works fine in presentation mode.

I hope that after some beta testing, the MIT folks will incorporate the new functionality.  Then Scratch will be Chirp and you can get started on Chrip 2.0 !  Thanx much for your efforts.

-Mr Ed

Last edited by EdnaC (2008-03-01 09:38:15)

Hi, Jens.

Nice work! This is exactly how I hoped people would use the Scratch source code--it adds some interesting experimental features without detracting from or being incompatible the with the official version of Scratch. You used a different name (I love "Chirp"!) and logo to make it clear that this is a different program. Thanks for following both the letter and the spirit of the license.

You've long been a contributor to Scratch through posting to the Forums and by being a Forum moderator. Now you have found another way to contribute. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

  -- John

Wow, thanks everyone!

Andrés, I'll gladly accept your webspace offer as mine is indeed extremely limited. I'll have to read up on html for this, though....

John, I'm very glad you take no issue with my post. You know, I sometimes do feel a little bit like I'm "violating" Scratch and your original work with my amateurish Squeak hacks, whereas I'm really just expressing my enthusiasm about (your *real*) Scratch with this.

EdnaC, thanks for testing Chirp! I hope the Scratch Team does *not* incorporate all of Chirp's experiments into Scratch, because some of them might be very confusing for beginners (like the additional scroll bars), and others are very unprofessionally coded and far from complete (especially the XML interface - as far as variable handling and sprite references are concerned).

ScipioBellorum: Thank you so much for setting up a provisional webspace, nicely done, too!

Rukqu, I've never worked with Mac, so I don't really know how you can start Chirp on one, but my guess would be to download the files-only version, uncompress it into the Scratch directory, and then to drop the file named "Chirp.remix" onto the file named "Scratch.app". I have decided to name the chirp image "remix" instead so Scratch doesn't get mixed up and asks to specify an image file when you start it directly.

Yay!! A bigger scripting pane! If you could resize the sprites area as well, that would be amazing! I notice you metioned that you don't know html. If you want you can just download (On IE7 - Page, Save As, Type 'Webpage Complete') my page and use that as a basis for your new site. I think chirp is a great way of making those little changes that make life easier when using Scratch without burdening the Scratch Team with extra stuff.

Great Work!

SB

Question:

I am embedding a scratch project into a rails web app.  I want my website to reward the user when they finish playing the game.

My first thought was getting scratch to use hyperlinks, but I totally understand and agree that wouldn't be kid-safe.

Is there any other way I can get my website (with javascript or something) to monitor what is going on in the scratch game and respond with an action?

Or, Jens, would it be possible for you to include hyperlinking in chirp? (Maybe in such a way that the scratchr server would just ignore it, but if it was hosted independently it would work?  Is that even possible?

Last edited by the_hack (2008-03-04 07:42:04)

Some people have downloaded a demo of NetScratch from somewhere on the mit server. If I find it I can post it.