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Scr0100: scratch overview

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  • Variables and literals
  • Sequence, selection, and loop structures
  • Arithmetic, relational, and logical operators

These are very important concepts but notably absent is programmer-defined functions or methods.

However, what Scratch lacks in the support of fundamental programming concepts, it makes up for in high-level multimedia functionality. Ineffect, Scratch provides just enough in the way of fundamental programming capability to form a bridge to high-level multimedia functionality.

Music, music, music

Among other things, (particularly including the availability of a quasi social-networking community) , it is probably this multimedia functionality that has attracted the large following among middle school and high schoolstudents.

There are a few projects on the website containing original music developed by the scratcher. (I recall seeing one project where the scratcher was offering to compose original music to be used by other scratchers.) However, that is the exception and not the rule. Most of the music on thewebsite appears to be copyright music for which the scratcher probably doesn't own the copyright.

That having been said, Scratch provides the capability for scratchers to compose their own music if they choose to do so.

The toolbox buttons and toolbox pane

Image 8 shows a near normal size screen shot of the leftmost portion of Image 6 .

Image 8. the toolbox buttons and toolbox pane.

Missing image.
Image 8. The toolbox buttons and toolbox pane.

The small frame at the top of Image 8 show the eight toolbox buttons that you click to expose a corresponding toolbox of blocks in the lower frame. (The Variables toolbox was selected before capturing the screenshot shown in Image 8 .)

High-level multimedia functionality

With regard to high-level multimedia functionality, Scratch makes it possible and relatively easy for scratchers to do the things they like to do such as:

  • Create animation using blocks from the Motion toolbox.
  • Deal with costumes, colors, graphics effects and sprite size using blocks from the Looks toolbox.
  • Play imported music and sound effects and create original music and sound effects using blocks from the Sound toolbox.
  • Create program-controlled line drawings using blocks from the Pen toolbox.

These capabilities, which are often difficult to access using "typical CS-approved" programming languages, provide a great deal of sensory feedback and they are a lot of fun to program. This is a largepart of what causes Scratch to engage aspiring programmers.

Program control

This high-level multimedia functionality is controlled by:

  • Programming event firing and detection, loop structures, and selection structures using blocks from the Control toolbox.
  • Obtaining a variety of different types of information to be used in decision structures using blocks from the Sensing toolbox.
  • Performing arithmetic, relational, and logical operations and accessing a variety of math functions using blocks from the Operators toolbox.
  • Creating and servicing variables using blocks from the Variables toolbox.

As a practical matter, the four buttons on the left in Image 8 are the fun buttons and the four buttons on the right are the control buttons.

Summary

In this module, I have provided a high-level overview of the Scratch programming environment. Future modules will provide more detailed information about the programmingenvironment.

Resources

Miscellaneous

This section contains a variety of miscellaneous information.

Housekeeping material
  • Module name: Scr0100: Overview
  • File: Scr0100.htm
  • Published: 03/15/13
  • Revised: 03/24/13
Disclaimers:

Financial : Although the Connexions site makes it possible for you to download a PDF file for thismodule at no charge, and also makes it possible for you to purchase a pre-printed version of the PDF file, you should beaware that some of the HTML elements in this module may not translate well into PDF.

I also want you to know that, I receive no financial compensation from the Connexions website even if you purchase the PDF version of the module.

In the past, unknown individuals have copied my modules from cnx.org, converted them to Kindle books, and placed them for sale on Amazon.com showing me as the author. Ineither receive compensation for those sales nor do I know who does receive compensation. If you purchase such a book, please beaware that it is a copy of a module that is freely available on cnx.org and that it was made and published withoutmy prior knowledge.

Affiliation : I am a professor of Computer Information Technology at Austin Community College in Austin, TX.

-end-

Questions & Answers

Three charges q_{1}=+3\mu C, q_{2}=+6\mu C and q_{3}=+8\mu C are located at (2,0)m (0,0)m and (0,3) coordinates respectively. Find the magnitude and direction acted upon q_{2} by the two other charges.Draw the correct graphical illustration of the problem above showing the direction of all forces.
Kate Reply
To solve this problem, we need to first find the net force acting on charge q_{2}. The magnitude of the force exerted by q_{1} on q_{2} is given by F=\frac{kq_{1}q_{2}}{r^{2}} where k is the Coulomb constant, q_{1} and q_{2} are the charges of the particles, and r is the distance between them.
Muhammed
What is the direction and net electric force on q_{1}= 5µC located at (0,4)r due to charges q_{2}=7mu located at (0,0)m and q_{3}=3\mu C located at (4,0)m?
Kate Reply
what is the change in momentum of a body?
Eunice Reply
what is a capacitor?
Raymond Reply
Capacitor is a separation of opposite charges using an insulator of very small dimension between them. Capacitor is used for allowing an AC (alternating current) to pass while a DC (direct current) is blocked.
Gautam
A motor travelling at 72km/m on sighting a stop sign applying the breaks such that under constant deaccelerate in the meters of 50 metres what is the magnitude of the accelerate
Maria Reply
please solve
Sharon
8m/s²
Aishat
What is Thermodynamics
Muordit
velocity can be 72 km/h in question. 72 km/h=20 m/s, v^2=2.a.x , 20^2=2.a.50, a=4 m/s^2.
Mehmet
A boat travels due east at a speed of 40meter per seconds across a river flowing due south at 30meter per seconds. what is the resultant speed of the boat
Saheed Reply
50 m/s due south east
Someone
which has a higher temperature, 1cup of boiling water or 1teapot of boiling water which can transfer more heat 1cup of boiling water or 1 teapot of boiling water explain your . answer
Ramon Reply
I believe temperature being an intensive property does not change for any amount of boiling water whereas heat being an extensive property changes with amount/size of the system.
Someone
Scratch that
Someone
temperature for any amount of water to boil at ntp is 100⁰C (it is a state function and and intensive property) and it depends both will give same amount of heat because the surface available for heat transfer is greater in case of the kettle as well as the heat stored in it but if you talk.....
Someone
about the amount of heat stored in the system then in that case since the mass of water in the kettle is greater so more energy is required to raise the temperature b/c more molecules of water are present in the kettle
Someone
definitely of physics
Haryormhidey Reply
how many start and codon
Esrael Reply
what is field
Felix Reply
physics, biology and chemistry this is my Field
ALIYU
field is a region of space under the influence of some physical properties
Collete
what is ogarnic chemistry
WISDOM Reply
determine the slope giving that 3y+ 2x-14=0
WISDOM
Another formula for Acceleration
Belty Reply
a=v/t. a=f/m a
IHUMA
innocent
Adah
pratica A on solution of hydro chloric acid,B is a solution containing 0.5000 mole ofsodium chlorid per dm³,put A in the burret and titrate 20.00 or 25.00cm³ portion of B using melting orange as the indicator. record the deside of your burret tabulate the burret reading and calculate the average volume of acid used?
Nassze Reply
how do lnternal energy measures
Esrael
Two bodies attract each other electrically. Do they both have to be charged? Answer the same question if the bodies repel one another.
JALLAH Reply
No. According to Isac Newtons law. this two bodies maybe you and the wall beside you. Attracting depends on the mass och each body and distance between them.
Dlovan
Are you really asking if two bodies have to be charged to be influenced by Coulombs Law?
Robert
like charges repel while unlike charges atttact
Raymond
What is specific heat capacity
Destiny Reply
Specific heat capacity is a measure of the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius (or Kelvin). It is measured in Joules per kilogram per degree Celsius (J/kg°C).
AI-Robot
specific heat capacity is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius or kelvin
ROKEEB
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Source:  OpenStax, Teaching beginners to code. OpenStax CNX. May 27, 2013 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11498/1.20
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