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Microsoft TouchDevelop

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Re: Microsoft TouchDevelop

#35
Very interesting! So the language looks similar to Scratch and Blockly, but targeted to mobile web. I would like to see a comparison overview.

Anyone have a link to a published paper? This is from Microsoft Research so I would expect there to be one, eventually, relating this to similar efforts.

Re: Microsoft TouchDevelop

#36
post #35

Very interesting! So the language looks similar to Scratch and Blockly, but targeted to mobile web. I would like to see a comparison overview. Anyone have a link to a published paper? This is from Microsoft Research so I would expect there to be one, eventually, relating this to similar efforts.

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft TouchDevelop

#37
post #20

When I see tools like this, that allow children and adults to make things, using the same platform, I can only think Microsoft is it literally investing in the future. It's so easy to get wrapped up in what a tech company can produce now, or in a year that often times people forget about creating awesome tools. Tools last a lot longer than platforms or devices. While Minecraft is a slightly different example, its cor…

Seems like this was made by Microsoft Research. I'd argue Microsoft Research's very existence shows Microsoft is heavily invested in the future, more so than any other tech company as far as I know. Maybe besides IBM I dont know any other company that still funds research which isn't expected to have some relationship to the business side of things.

Any company worth its salt and isn't cash strapped would have an rnd/skunkworks arm, this has been the case since the 1900s.

Re: Microsoft TouchDevelop

#38
post #35

Very interesting! So the language looks similar to Scratch and Blockly, but targeted to mobile web. I would like to see a comparison overview. Anyone have a link to a published paper? This is from Microsoft Research so I would expect there to be one, eventually, relating this to similar efforts.

This paper describes some aspects of the system: http://research.microsoft.com/pubs/189242/pldi097-burckhardt...

Re: Microsoft TouchDevelop

#39

When I see tools like this, that allow children and adults to make things, using the same platform, I can only think Microsoft is it literally investing in the future. It's so easy to get wrapped up in what a tech company can produce now, or in a year that often times people forget about creating awesome tools. Tools last a lot longer than platforms or devices. While Minecraft is a slightly different example, its cor…

TouchDevelop has been around for quite a while; I remember first installing it on my WP7 phone back in 2012. I'm very happy to see the editor open-sourced.

I think this is a great example of Microsoft's new-found desire to promote learning and openness, rather than fight against it as they did in the past. My opinion of them over the past few years has slowly been swinging towards positive, and even though I'll likely never give up on Slackware and OpenBSD on the desktop and the server, I'm happy to see this new vision bearing fruit.

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