[Squeakland] getting code from a .txt file into a script

[Gary Frederick]

Howdy,

Alan Kay wrote:

> Hi Gary --
> 
> You are between two different worlds. The etoys part of Squeak has been 
> artificially restricted and carefully designed to make it easier for 
> children to make *etoys* using various kinds of media. There is a fair 
> amount of design thought and testing in those decisions, and some of 
> these are reflected in Kim's and BJ's book "Powerful Ideas in the 
> Classroom". My strongest advice is to work through these projects.

Yes. I am 5 weeks into a 10 week class and do not want to give the kids 
a big shift in what they are doing. We are learning programming with 
robots. They are about to program some robots to travel around the room, 
both LEGO robots and robots in a simulation of the room.

I had looked at Squeak on and off and was looking again last week when I 
realized that I can use it for a simulator. I want the kids to be able 
to draw the room and the robots they will use in the simulator. The 
simulator I was using did not make it easy for the kids to come up with 
that part of their project.

The programs the kids use are saved in XML files and can target the 
simulator and LEGO robots. I can easily target Squeak with the info Ned 
gave me. This lets me move forward with the class.

When the class is over I will look into doing it 'right' like the eToys.

> 
> (For example, you say "This is an etoy. How do I point it at the car 
> object?" But it isn't an etoy. In an etoy you get an object by drawing 
> or from one of the parts bins, get its halo, and click on the light blue 
> "viewer" button, to open its viewer on the right hand side of the 
> screen. This viewer holds all the phrases that have meaning to your 
> object, and these phrases are already "pointed to the object". If you 
> make scripts from these phrases, they will work. This is how etoys are 
> programmed in the world of the child.)
> 
> Trying to do "other things" is quite possible, but I wouldn't advise 
> trying to do it in etoys. The full blown Squeak can run the gamut from 
> the very simple to writing its own OS, so it ranges from about 5 years 
> old to Computer Science PhD projects. For example, it is quite easy to 
> implement LOGO or any other language system in Squeak -- but there is 
> still a fair amount of work and thought involved.
> 
> For most users, including many experts, it is the UI that determines in 
> their minds just what they think they can do and whether they think they 
> will like the experience. The UI in the full blown Squeak is *not* set 
> up for children, and the first thing to do here if you wish to go your 
> own way, is to make a suitable UI environment for children that gives 
> them access to your ideas in a way that works for them. This is quite a 
> design and testing task, but is definitely doable. However, if this is 
> not done, then the children wind up with the worst of both worlds.
> 
> BTW, the best way to get children attracted to any of this stuff is to 
> first get them to make a project of their own -- such as the "Drive a 
> Car" project in etoys. There is a certain kinesthetic and visceral 
> satisfaction to making things on the computer, especially things that 
> involve programming. This is what the kids need to experience first and 
> foremost. Showing them what other children have done should come later.

Good input.

> 
> Best wishes,
> 
> Alan
> 

Thanks,

Gary

> 
> 
> At 10:34 AM -0600 3/23/04, Gary Frederick wrote:
> 
>> Howdy,
>>
>> Mitchell, David [CC] wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> The Squeakland image hides the File List (or it seems that way to 
>>> me). So, I have to do a little trick to reveal it:
>>>
>>> Middle-click on the desktop to show the halos.
>>> Click the menu halo (red) to show the world menu.
>>> Click "desktop menu..." to show (another, different) world menu.
>>> Click "open..." to show the open... menu.
>>> Click "file list" to open the file list.
>>> Use the tree to navigate to the directory containing the .txt file.
>>> Select the file in the top-right pane.
>>> In the lower pane, select the code (probably all of it).
>>> Right-click and choose "do it" (or press Alt+d or Command+d or...).
>>
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>>
>>> All text in squeak is do-able. When I give Squeak presentations, I 
>>> often select my presentation text and do-it (even TrueType text, 
>>> which doesn't have "do it" on its menu supports alt+d). Also, you can 
>>> browse Smalltalk web sites in Scamper and evaluate expressions right 
>>> out of the browser pane.
>>
>>
>> This will do it. And it's agreat suggestion I will follow up with.
>>
>> Now all I have to do is find out how to "do it". ;-) When I tried it, 
>> Squeak told me it did not understand what I wanted it to do.
>>
>> This is an etoy. How do I point at the car object?
>>
>> I had
>>   self forward: 100
>> I did it and it did not know what self was (I think)
>>
>> I then tried putting in the car
>>   Car forward: 100
>> and it did not know how to #forward
>>
>> How do I reference an object in an etoy?
>>
>> Sorry for the basic questions. I have no time to look today and want 
>> to show the kids tomorrow.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Gary
>>
>>>
>>> You could also write a script to read the file and then evaluate its 
>>> contents.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From:   squeakland-bounces at squeakland.org on behalf of Gary Frederick
>>> Sent:   Tue 3/23/2004 6:13 AM
>>> To:     squeakland at squeakland.org
>>> Cc:   Subject:        [Squeakland] getting code from a .txt file into 
>>> a script
>>> Howdy,
>>>
>>> I am about ready to show the kids Squeak tomorrow. One thing I would
>>> like to know how to do is how to read a .txt file that has code into a
>>> project (is that how to 'say' what I want to do?)
>>>
>>> I will have some examples I will want the kids to have as scripts. Say I
>>> have a text file that has this in it.
>>>
>>> box
>>>    self forward: 100.
>>>    self turn: 90.
>>>    self forward: 100.
>>>    self turn: 90.
>>>    self forward: 100.
>>>    self turn: 90.
>>>    self forward: 100.
>>>    self turn: 90
>>>
>>> I want to be able to read it into a script in a project like the script
>>> project in the Worlds of Squeak.
>>>
>>> This is a class of kids that are playing with robots. They have been
>>> working with programming LEGO robots and with a simulator. I am
>>> interested in taking their programs and translating them into a script
>>> they can use in Squeak... if I can get the .txt files into scripts.
>>>
>>> I'll put some scripts into an image and let them each have a copy of the
>>> image if I don't find out how to go from a .txt file to a script. That
>>> solution is better than nothing and I can do it by tomorrow :-)
>>>
>>> Gary
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Squeakland mailing list
>>> Squeakland at squeakland.org
>>> http://squeakland.org/mailman/listinfo/squeakland
>>>
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> 
>