Computer

Programming
Lecture 4
Introduction Programming
Tools - Scratch

Mr. Abbas kh. Ibrahim

Introduction To Scratch
I love programming
Scratch
Scratch

Scratch is a programming language for all, even for kids. In fact,

Scratch, unlike all other programming languages, is designed first and
foremost for kids. Because it’s designed for kids, it’s very easy to
learn and use. They can create animations like never before.
For older kids or teens, they can create single-level or multi-levels
Scratch games.
But Scratch is not just for kids or teens. Teachers and adults can use
Scratch to create effective education tools such as math quiz, physics
simulation, and educational
videos.
Programming & Scratch
 Programming
• Learning to program is ultimately about
learning to think logically and to approach
problems methodically.
• The building blocks out of which a
programmer constructs solutions, meanwhile,
are relatively simply.
 Problem-Solving and Project-Design Skills

• logical reasoning
• breaking complex problems into simpler parts
• debugging problems
• developing ideas from initial conception to
completed project
• sustained focus and perseverence
 Fundamental Ideas about Computers and Programming

• computer programs tell the computer precisely

what to do, step-by-step
• writing computer programs doesn’t require
special expertise, just clear and careful
thinking
 Programming
• Common in programming, for instance, are
"loops" (whereby a program does something
multiple times) and "conditions" (whereby a
program only does something under certain
circumstances. Also common are "variables"
(so that a program, like a mathematician, can
remember certain values).
 Statements
• In programming, a statement is simply a
directive that tells the computer to do
something. Think of it as a command or an
instruction. In Scratch, any block whose label
reads like a command is a statement.
 Statements
• One such block instructs a sprite to say
something:
 Statements
• Another such block instructs a sprite to go to
some location:
 Sequence
• To create a program in Scratch, you need to
think systematically about the order of steps
 Boolean Expression.
• In programming, a Boolean expression is an
expression that is either true or false. In
Scratch, any block shaped like an elongated
diamond is a Boolean expression.
• One such block is:
 Boolean Expression.
• Another such block is:

• After all, it is either true that some number is

less than another number or it is false.
 Boolean Logic
• and, or, or not are examples of boolean logic.
 Conditions
• In programming, a condition is something that
must be true in order for something to
happen. A condition is thus said to "evaluate
to true" or "evaluate to false." In Scratch, any
block whose label says "if," "when," or "until"
is a sort of conditional construct.
 Conditions
• One such block is:
 Conditions
• The previous construct is generally known as
an "if construct." With it can we instruct a
sprite to say hello only if, say, the user has
depressed the mouse button:
 Conditions
• A related construct is the "if-else construct":
 Conditions
• With the previous construct can we instruct a
sprite to say hello or goodbye, depending on
whether the user has depressed the mouse
button:
 Conditions
• Realise that these constructs can be nested to allow, for example, for three
different conditions. This construct could be called an "if-else if-else construct".
 Conditions
• Another conditional block is:

• Yet another such block is:

 Conditional Statements
• if, forever-if, if-else repeat-until and
waituntil check for a condition
 Loops
• Sometimes, you want one or more statements
to be executed multiple times in a row. To
implement this behavior, we turn our
attention to loops.
 Loops
• In programming, a loop can induce multiple
executions of statements. In Scratch, any block
whose label begins with "forever" or "repeat"
is a looping construct.
 Loops
• One such block is:

• This construct allows us, for instance, to

instruct a sprite to meow every other second:
 Loops
• Another block allows you to loop a specific
number of times:

• And another block allows you to loop until

some condition is true:
 Iteration (Looping)
• forever and repeat can be used for iteration
(repeating a series of instructions)
 Variables
• Sometimes, you want execute some
statement multiple times, each time varying
your behavior ever so slightly. We thus turn
our attention to variables.
 Variables
• In programming, a variable is a placeholder for some value.
• Variables allow us, for instance, to instruct a sprite to count
up from 1:
 Variables
• A variable that only takes on a value of true
(i.e., 1) or false (i.e., 0), incidentally, is called a
Boolean variable.
 Variables
• The Variables category allows you to create a
new variable and use it in a program.
 Threads
• In programming, a thread is like a mini-
program within a program that can execute at
the same time as other threads.
• One such block is:
 Threads
• It's often helpful to use separate threads for
conceptually distinct tasks. For instance, you
might want to keep track of whether the user
ever presses some key during a program's
execution in order to, say, toggle sound on and
off:
Threads
 Threads
• Notice how, in the above, the left-hand thread
handles meowing, if appropriate, whereas the
right-hand thread constantly checks and
remembers whether the user has muted or
unmuted sound by pressing ’space'.
 Threads (Parallel Execution)

• Launching two stacks at the same time creates

two independent threads that execute in
parallel.
 Events
• In programming, multiple threads can communicate
with each other by signaling events and handling
events. An event, then, is like a message from one
thread to another.
• A block that signals an event is:
 Events
• A block that handles an event is:
 Events
• Not only can events be signaled by blocks,
they can also be signaled by a user's actions.
Clicking Scratch's green flag, for instance,
effectively signals an event that is handled by:
 Events
• In Scratch, not only do events enable threads
to communicate, they also allow sprites to
communicate with each other.
 Event Handling
• when key pressed and when sprite clicked
are examples of event handling – responding
to events triggered by the user or another part
of the program
 Synchronisation

• broadcast can coordinate the actions of

multiple sprites.
• For example, Sprite1 sends the message
winner when condition is met:
 Synchronisation

• This script in Sprite2 is triggered when the

message is received:
 Real-Time Interaction

• mouse_x, mouse_y, and loudness can be used

as dynamic input for real-time interaction
 Time Triggering
• Scratch includes an internal clock that you can
access with timer.
 Random Numbers
• The pick random block selects random
integers within a given range.
 Object-Oriented Programming
• Each sprite can have its own scripts and data.
 User Interface Design
• You can design interactive user interfaces in
Scratch – for example, using clickable sprites
to create buttons.
 Data Types
• Different data types (such as numbers and
booleans) are represented by different shapes
in Scratch