Scratch Basic Introduction

01/04/13

Basic Introduction to Scratch

     After I wrote the post about my calculator, I decided to create a basic tutorial on Scratch. For anyone who would lie to download Scratch, the link is here. If you don't want to use Scratch, than this entry may help you understand any other Scratch related posts.

Scratch is a basic programming language, but does not involve typing code like classic computer programming. In Scratch, the computer screen looks like this.(1)

(1)

The user uses the computer mouse to drag and drop blocks. Each of these blocks has a different use, and are stored in the library on the far left. The tabs in the top-right corner give you access to all of the blocks in the library. There are over 100 blocks available.  Blocks can be dragged into a sprite's workspace, the large area in the middle of the screen (2). In each sprite's workspace (more on sprites later), the blocks can be added together to create a program (3).

(2)                                  (3)

     In the top right corner of the screen, there is a preview of your project. Because I'm am using my calculator project as the example, there is a picture of my calculator in the top-right corner. In the bottom-right corner, all of the sprites in your program are displayed (4).                                 (4)

     Sprites are the graphic objects involved in the program. For my calculator, I needed each of the buttons on the calculator and the calculator body. You can draw the sprite your self, or use a picture from your computer or the Scratch picture library. When you click one of the pictures of the sprites, the sprite's workspace pops up. Each sprite has its own workspace, and the programming there impacts that sprite. There can't be directions for multiple sprites in the same workspace, because each sprite sprite is only directed by programs in it's workplace. I may have another post later with more detailed descriptions of blocks, but until then I would right-click on whatever block you need to know about, then go to "help". See you later!