Scratch in the Browser • Hacker News Board

Re: Scratch in the Browser

#11

Post by layer8 » Wed, Dec 27, 2023, 8:36 PM UTC

VonGuard wrote: post #6

The exciting thing here is that this runs on Squeak in JavaScript. Squeak is a modern Smalltalk, and now it can obviously be run on top of JavaScript. That's dynamic languages all the way down!

JavaScript is usually implemented in a statically-typed language like C++, so not all the way down.

Re: Scratch in the Browser

#12

Post by CDSlice » Wed, Dec 27, 2023, 8:42 PM UTC

pzel_ wrote: post #10

Also see Snap!, a fork of scratch3 (the js-only version, not the squeakvm-in-the-browser versrion from TFA). https://snap.berkeley.edu/ Snap! is made by folks previously involved in Berkeley Logo, and has a lot of "missing pieces" that make organizing programs easier: lambdas, cc, and binding functions to definitions (aka build-your-own-blocks).

It actually isn't a fork of Scratch3 but was started way back in Scratch1.4 as a JS implementation using Morphic which was inspired by Squeak. It is really good software and IMO is better than Scratch since it provides the tools to scale up from the toy programs Scratch is optimized for.

Re: Scratch in the Browser

#13

Post by schappim » Wed, Dec 27, 2023, 10:49 PM UTC

For those keen on exploring visual programming with children, I recommend visiting the following websites:

  - MakeCode for micro:bit [1]
  - MakeCode Arcade[2]

  [1] https://makecode.microbit.org
  [2] https://arcade.makecode.com

Re: Scratch in the Browser

#14

Post by Wowfunhappy » Thu, Dec 28, 2023, 12:02 AM UTC

schappim wrote: post #13

For those keen on exploring visual programming with children, I recommend visiting the following websites: - MakeCode for micro:bit [1] - MakeCode Arcade[2] [1] https://makecode.microbit.org [2] https://arcade.makecode.com

May I ask why you prefer MakeCode over (modern) Scratch?

Re: Scratch in the Browser

#15

Post by Qem » Thu, Dec 28, 2023, 1:02 AM UTC

Can this browser virtual machine be used with Pharo images as well? I enjoy it, but my time programming in Pharo took a hit in the past months, because my workplace tightened the restrictions on software allowed on workstations, so I don't have it installed at my work machine anymore. Currently only Python, R, PowerShell, spreadsheets and the browser JavaScript are available, leaving me the weekends to play with everything else.

Re: Scratch in the Browser

#16

Post by schappim » Thu, Dec 28, 2023, 5:33 AM UTC

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #14

schappim wrote: post #13

For those keen on exploring visual programming with children, I recommend visiting the following websites: - MakeCode for micro:bit [1] - MakeCode Arcade[2] [1] https://makecode.microbit.org [2] https://arcade.makecode.com

May I ask why you prefer MakeCode over (modern) Scratch?

As someone who's dabbled in both MakeCode and Scratch, I think there are a few solid reasons to lean towards MakeCode, especially in an educational context:

- Hardware Integration: MakeCode shines with its support for various microcontrollers like the BBC micro:bit and Adafruit Circuit Playground. It’s a game-changer for classes focusing on electronics or physical computing.

- Ease of Transition to Text Coding: Unlike Scratch, MakeCode lets you flip between block-based and JavaScript code. It’s a neat feature for students transitioning to text-based languages.

- Curriculum Tailoring: MakeCode often comes with tailored projects and curricula, especially useful when you have specific learning goals around hardware.

- Practical Applications: The ability to create physical devices or interactive projects with MakeCode can be really engaging for students, showing them the real-world impact of their coding.

- Community and Resources: Depending on where you are and what you need, the MakeCode community and resources might just align better with your teaching needs.

That said, it really boils down to what you're trying to achieve. Scratch is still king for introducing the very basics of programming and fostering creativity, especially for younger or less experienced coders.

Re: Scratch in the Browser

#17

Post by subtra3t » Thu, Dec 28, 2023, 7:14 AM UTC

Turing_Machine wrote: post #7

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be clear, the current version of Scratch (version 3) is written in Javascript and other web technologies. TFA isn't the current version of Scratch. It's Scratch 1.4—which was written in Smalltalk—running in a browser via Squeak. If you've used modern Scratch, it's interesting to see what has changed (and what hasn't).

Ah, thanks. I must've missed a version or two somewhere along the way.

Scratch 2.0 did use flash. The version this site uses was based on smalltalk.

Re: Scratch in the Browser

#18

Post by alan_russell » Thu, Dec 28, 2023, 8:38 AM UTC

schappim wrote: post #16

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

May I ask why you prefer MakeCode over (modern) Scratch?

As someone who's dabbled in both MakeCode and Scratch, I think there are a few solid reasons to lean towards MakeCode, especially in an educational context: - Hardware Integration: MakeCode shines with its support for various microcontrollers like the BBC micro:bit and Adafruit Circuit Playground. It’s a game-changer for classes focusing on electronics or physical computing. - Ease of Transition to Text Coding: Unlik…

MakeCode falls short in many aspects compared to Scratch, lacking features like broadcasting and real-time block execution support. MicroBlocks (https://microblocks.fun) might be a better alternative as it offers the same ease of use as Scratch but for hardware. MicroBlocks was created by John Maloney, who was also the primary implementer of the original Scratch.