The Future of Programming: Why Scratch Deserves Your Attention
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Chapter 1: Scratch's Rise in Popularity
The Scratch programming language has secured the 13th spot on the TIOBE Index, surpassing languages like Rust and Ruby in popularity. My journey into Scratch began, as many adults do, through my children, who were eager to explore this platform.
When my kids sought my assistance with their Scratch projects, I realized I needed to learn the basics myself. Once they completed their applications, they were excited to share their creations with others, which led me to appreciate Scratch as a powerful tool for rapid application and web development.
Section 1.1: The Origin of Scratch
Before assisting my kids, I had to familiarize myself with Scratch. Despite my 25 years of programming experience, I felt a bit intimidated, as the learning landscape has changed significantly since my early days. Remarkably, I grasped the fundamentals of Scratch in just 15 minutes without any external resources.
Subsection 1.1.1: Learning Scratch Quickly
Section 1.2: My First Project
My first project using Scratch was a game titled “Apollo 11: Landing on the Moon.” This straightforward 2D game required careful landing of a lunar module in a moon crater. The coding process took me about three hours, and I found it incredibly enjoyable. Scratch's simplicity made it easy for me to understand its block-based structure, despite my familiarity with more traditional programming languages like C, Go, or JavaScript.
Chapter 2: Scratch's Unique Features
With Scratch, you can even implement asynchronous execution using events and messaging, which is quite impressive for a programming language designed for beginners. Its strong emphasis on user interface design and graphics makes it especially appealing to young learners, providing an advantage over many traditional programming languages.
The first video titled "I tested the FUTURE of Scratch!" explores the innovative aspects of Scratch and how it can enhance learning experiences.
Section 2.1: Sharing Projects
When my children wanted to show their Scratch projects to their grandmother on her iPad, we faced the challenge of sharing the files. This is when I discovered TurboWarp, a tool that packages Scratch projects into a single HTML file, making it easy to host anywhere. Working with my kids, we were able to create an HTML version of their app to run on tablets, complete with touch buttons that functioned seamlessly.
Section 2.2: Perceptions of Scratch
I was thrilled with the possibilities Scratch offered, leading me to share our games with various people, including experienced programmers who were unfamiliar with Scratch. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many inquiring about the development process. Unless someone delves into the source code, it’s often difficult to discern that a game was built using Scratch, as it can easily be mistaken for any standard web game.
The second video, "5 Reasons why you should learn to code with Scratch," highlights the advantages of starting programming with this accessible platform.
Section 2.3: Scratch vs. Other Languages
Interestingly, many non-technical users have no knowledge of Scratch and don’t care about the underlying programming language. Users are primarily focused on the functionality and user experience of the application itself. If presented with a game or app built in Scratch, they would likely not notice any significant differences compared to those created with more conventional programming languages.
Chapter 3: The Future of Programming
Google's launch of an open-source project called "Blockly," which closely resembles Scratch but offers more features and the capability to transpile blocks into advanced languages like JavaScript or Python, reflects the growing trend towards block-oriented programming.
Blockly exemplifies the future of low-code and no-code solutions. While block-based programming might not be suitable for every task, it significantly simplifies extending applications with customizable processes.
In conclusion, Scratch exemplifies the low-code/no-code movement, making programming accessible to beginners while also being powerful enough for serious projects. As we advance, the development environments incorporating block-oriented programming will revolutionize how we approach programming and application development.
Thank you for reading. What are your thoughts on the evolution of block-oriented programming?