Scratch
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#1 2011-03-05 05:12:52
Java, Squeak and Flash part of CLR?
Are Java (whatever type is used in the old scratch player), Squeak 2.0, and Flash part of the common language runtime?
Just wondering, because if they do this means that custom blocks would (in theory and with a lot of caffeine) be possible in the online player without editing Scratch 1.4
Woops... test account. 
Last edited by LS97-Test (2011-03-05 05:18:05)
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#2 2011-03-05 05:13:47
Re: Java, Squeak and Flash part of CLR?
*groans*
I posted with my test account...
well... 1300 posts! 
Last edited by LS97 (2011-03-05 05:14:13)
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#3 2011-03-05 07:51:04
- TheSuccessor
- Scratcher
- Registered: 2010-04-23
- Posts: 1000+
Re: Java, Squeak and Flash part of CLR?
Java isn't part of the CLR but J# is.
The other two, as far as I know, don't have a Microsoft CLR equivalent.
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#5 2011-03-05 08:11:26
Re: Java, Squeak and Flash part of CLR?
fullmoon wrote:
The other two aren't part of the CLR but I'd be interested In hearing your ideas for custom blocks in 2.0...they could probably be implemented in Flash with or without CLR.
Yes, they could. But that would probably require a specific added feature to both the player and Scratch 1.4, then have the blocks keep the code as a hidden argument.
If flash was part of the CLR, the blocks could be easily transported as objects themselves to the flash player (as bytes in the sb file) and interpreted by a similar class in the player. Of course, it's doubtlessly easier to implement the feature from scratch. But it would require an update to the offline version.
Unless the way scratch objects are written is so easy you can interpret it without CLR facilities...
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#6 2011-03-05 08:41:53
Re: Java, Squeak and Flash part of CLR?
LS97 wrote:
fullmoon wrote:
The other two aren't part of the CLR but I'd be interested In hearing your ideas for custom blocks in 2.0...they could probably be implemented in Flash with or without CLR.
Yes, they could. But that would probably require a specific added feature to both the player and Scratch 1.4, then have the blocks keep the code as a hidden argument.
If flash was part of the CLR, the blocks could be easily transported as objects themselves to the flash player (as bytes in the sb file) and interpreted by a similar class in the player. Of course, it's doubtlessly easier to implement the feature from scratch. But it would require an update to the offline version.
Unless the way scratch objects are written is so easy you can interpret it without CLR facilities...
Interesting! BYOB-like custom blocks are probably going to be built into Scratch 2.0, so that solves half the problem right there. But if you want to expand Scratch's functionality...it should be possible by creating a common interface for custom blocks in Actionscript and then bundling these custom block classes into a compiled .swf (just a Flash movie, really) that could be loaded by the player anywhere and have its custom block classes extracted. The question isn't really whether it's possible, but how willing the Scratch Team is to implement it. I think they'd probably be wary of letting people include anything they want in their projects. On the flip side, anyone who builds a mod of Scratch 2.0 will have the capability to release an online player nearly identical to the official one, only with capabilities like these!
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#7 2011-03-05 09:04:45
Re: Java, Squeak and Flash part of CLR?
fullmoon wrote:
LS97 wrote:
fullmoon wrote:
The other two aren't part of the CLR but I'd be interested In hearing your ideas for custom blocks in 2.0...they could probably be implemented in Flash with or without CLR.
Yes, they could. But that would probably require a specific added feature to both the player and Scratch 1.4, then have the blocks keep the code as a hidden argument.
If flash was part of the CLR, the blocks could be easily transported as objects themselves to the flash player (as bytes in the sb file) and interpreted by a similar class in the player. Of course, it's doubtlessly easier to implement the feature from scratch. But it would require an update to the offline version.
Unless the way scratch objects are written is so easy you can interpret it without CLR facilities...Interesting! BYOB-like custom blocks are probably going to be built into Scratch 2.0, so that solves half the problem right there. But if you want to expand Scratch's functionality...it should be possible by creating a common interface for custom blocks in Actionscript and then bundling these custom block classes into a compiled .swf (just a Flash movie, really) that could be loaded by the player anywhere and have its custom block classes extracted. The question isn't really whether it's possible, but how willing the Scratch Team is to implement it. I think they'd probably be wary of letting people include anything they want in their projects. On the flip side, anyone who builds a mod of Scratch 2.0 will have the capability to release an online player nearly identical to the official one, only with capabilities like these!
Then maybe the usual 'mod boom' will solve the point in question.
So, from what you're saying, 2.0 will definitely be open source?
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#8 2011-03-05 14:59:41
Re: Java, Squeak and Flash part of CLR?
LS97 wrote:
Then maybe the usual 'mod boom' will solve the point in question.
So, from what you're saying, 2.0 will definitely be open source?
Unless something prevents the Scratch team from doing so, I don't see why the wouldn't release the source code. When they release the source, I plan on building my own version of Scratch 2.0 with BYOB-like first-class blocks, lists, and sprites, as well as the block-loading capability I mentioned earlier.
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#9 2011-03-05 16:11:29
Re: Java, Squeak and Flash part of CLR?
fullmoon wrote:
When they release the source, I plan on building my own version of Scratch 2.0 with BYOB-like first-class blocks, lists, and sprites, as well as the block-loading capability I mentioned earlier.
Cool! I really should be taking on some Flash, but I don't know where to start.
And I even have Flash CS4 
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