BlocklyProp - How to post sample program?

John Kauffman

What is best way to include in a message on this forum a BlocklyProp program? The problem is that the "code" is the image of the workspace.

You can do a snip or screen shot but that does not paste into the forum text. You can snip then save as file then attach file but that is time consuming.

You can switch to code view but then there is ambiguity about what blocks created the code.

Plus, if a response on this code wants to circle a problem or otherwise respond in a visual way it will be difficult.

To be honest, there probably is not a good way on this brand of forum. But I'm hoping someone more clever can figure it out. Maybe have another kind of doc to deposit a code image with a link here? In that case might as well just link to the project. But if it is private (which could be important) then won't work.

I'm sure the practice that is set will have some compromises, but we can at least make the practice consistent so we all use the same work-around

- John

Courtney Jacobs

Current options are, as you mentioned:

• Posting an image of the workspace/blocks
• Linking to a publicly shared program

In the near future, we will be allowing "share with link" for private programs, but posting this link in a public forum such as this one will allow the direct link to be reachable by anyone viewing your post.

At this time, we are not considering making forum changes to accommodate special means of code/program sharing specifically for BlocklyProp.

John Kauffman

OK, I guess uploading then attaching screen shots saved as image files is what we will be dong.
Thanks.

Whit

I have even pieced together multiple screenshots for my own use (and to record complex programs).

Using the clean-up blocks right-click options might help here too for programs with multiple sections.

John Kauffman

Students have to turn in drawings on paper 1 x 0.5 m. I'm trying this week to tape on print-outs of their code in block and text forms. These are then hung around the lab.

Heater.

I guess this is why we moved from pictures to text some thousands of years ago.

Ever noticed how any instructions offered on the net of how to configure or fix his and that in Windows invariably ends up as endless screen shots of dialog boxes showing how things should look and where to click?

I guess that is how any discussion of these "draw boxes" languages will go.

All seems a step backwards to me.

Whit

@All,

Just discovered that by using the Customize and control Google Chrome (three vertical bullets) at the upper right hand corner of the browser window, I can zoom the view of the entire window (even expanding it to full screen) I can then screen capture the whole program - even on complex multi-page code in blockly - it is can then be saved (all together) of printed - This gives us another option!

See the following example - Drive to Farthest Object with Ping))) - this is at 50% zoom and captured - Works pretty well - IMHO. This is about 1 and 1/2 screens wide and 2 screens tall in normal view on my laptop.



This also works well when writing BlocklyProp code to get a look at the whole program on a single screen!

Comments? Other ideas? I think this may work...

Dave Hein

Ideally, the best way to post a BlocklyProp program would be to attach the file that is saved by BlocklyProp. However, there doesn't seem to be a way to export or import a BlocklyProp file. Maybe this feature could be added in the future.

John Kauffman

Thanks for ideas, I'll get used to the keystrokes to snip, save and insert.

Whit: I think the zoom might be the same as holding Ctrl while strike + or - key.

Hermit

Hi Whit, thank you for posting the Ping Program. I printed it and now have a picture to study. I gave up on Arduino because I could not deal with the syntax writing/remembering challenges for my 80 year old brain. Now I need more examples of programs using variables & functions to use to further my understanding of using BlockyProp to build programs. Will be watching for some in the community projects. Thanks Again, Have Fun, Bill Eckert

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

This conundrum is the main reason I resorted to XML in the Scribbler/S2/S3 GUI as the file-save format. It's hierarchical, human-readable, and a good match for block-structured visual programming schemas. Also, the hash in the header prevents text edits to the XML file from being accepted by the GUI upon reloading.

-Phil

Whit

Welcome Hermit (Bill) - Sorry for the slow reply - been away for a bit. Glad you like it. Look around the Community project section of BlocklyProp and just play a bit. Fun stuff.

See you around the forums!