[squeakland] What is a parameter in etoys?

[Ricardo Moran]

On Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 9:00 AM, Ricardo Moran <richi.moran at gmail.com>wrote:

>
>
> On Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 7:46 AM, Bert Freudenberg <bert at freudenbergs.de>wrote:
>
>> Great, thank you!
>>
>> Btw, everyone can contribute to the manual just like Richo did! Just go
>> here and create an account:
>>
>> http://booki.flossmanuals.net/etoys-reference-manual/edit/
>>
>> For example, the "add parameter" section now would benefit from some
>> editing to better fit in a manual, and it's missing the images.
>>
>
>  Wait, I added the images... did they miss somehow?
>

Rita showed me my error: I just stupidly copied/pasted the images from my
mail, so the links were pointing to something like
https://mail.google.com/mail/?etc... which is my mail, of course. That's why
I was the only one able to see them! :P

Richo


> Richo
>
>
>>
>> As a reward your name will be listed in the book's authors section :)
>>
>> - Bert -
>>
>> On 30.03.2011, at 01:51, Ricardo Moran wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I modified the "User interface" chapter of the FLOSS manual to add Bert's
>> explanation about parameters. I replaced the first paragraph of the old text
>> with Bert's version. I just wanted to check with you to see if you approve
>> this change. FYI, the old version was:
>>
>> -----------------------
>> *add parameter*
>>
>> This option adds a parameter to the script. The parameter is passed into
>> the script when it is called from another script. For example if you can
>> create a script that will move an object forward based upon the number, you
>> can add a parameter of type number. Then call that script from one or more
>> other scripts passing in a specific value as the number. To use the
>> parameter in the script simply drag the parameter from the Script Editor's
>> in the top line to the right of the scripts name into your script where any
>> number data type can be used.
>>
>> The following are the data types that can be used as parameters:
>>
>>
>>    - Boolean (true or false)
>>    - BorderStyle
>>    - ButtonPhase
>>    - Color
>>    - Graphic
>>    - ImageResolution
>>    - Number
>>    - Patch
>>    - Point
>>    - ScriptName
>>    - Sound
>>    - String
>>    - TrailStyle
>>
>> -----------------------
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 29, 2011 at 4:12 PM, Ricardo Moran <richi.moran at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> Ok, I'll do it tonight :)
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 1:51 PM, Bert Freudenberg <bert at freudenbergs.de>wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 28.03.2011, at 15:58, Ricardo Moran wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Great explanation! I didn't know the difference between "arguments" and
>>>> "parameters" :)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parameter_(computer_programming)#Parameters_and_arguments
>>>>
>>>> BTW, is this written somewhere? It would be cool to add it to the
>>>> manual...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Go ahead and add it :)
>>>>
>>>> - Bert -
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 10:02 AM, Bert Freudenberg <
>>>> bert at freudenbergs.de> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On 28.03.2011, at 14:17, Christine Murakami wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Do you have some documentation on how parameters work in Etoys and what
>>>>> they can accomplish? I looked it up in your Floss manual but it was unclear
>>>>> to me where to find that information.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Many tiles in Etoys have a parameter. It is a value that influences the
>>>>> behavior of that tile.
>>>>>
>>>>> For example, the "forward by" tile has a parameter that specifies how
>>>>> far the object should move. The "make sound" parameter specifies which sound
>>>>> to make. Etc.
>>>>>
>>>>> You can also make your own tiles. When you create a new script, a tile
>>>>> for it is placed in an object's "scripts" viewer category. That tile can be
>>>>> used in another script.
>>>>>
>>>>> The "add parameter" menu entry lets you add a parameter to your own
>>>>> tile. If you use that new tile in another script, you can set a specific
>>>>> value for the parameter just like with any other tile.
>>>>>
>>>>> Inside the script for your tile, that parameter is shown in the title
>>>>> bar. It is called "number" (unless you change the parameter type). You drag
>>>>> this "number" tile and use it like any variable tile in that script.
>>>>>
>>>>> E.g. in this script, I used the "number" tile four times:
>>>>>
>>>>> <PastedGraphic-1.png>
>>>>>
>>>>> Every time you use your new tile, you can give it another "concrete"
>>>>> value. That's why in the script itself, you only have the "abstract" value
>>>>> called "number". (Computer scientists call the concrete values "arguments"
>>>>> and the abstract values "parameters", but even programmers get confused
>>>>> about the distinction)
>>>>>
>>>>> <PastedGraphic-3.png>
>>>>>
>>>>> Note that after adding a parameter, you can not set your script to
>>>>> "ticking" anymore, because it now needs a parameter. It only gets a concrete
>>>>> value for the parameter from another script where your tile is used.
>>>>> Additionally, you can set a value in the viewer, and hit the yellow button
>>>>> to run your script with that value:
>>>>>
>>>>> <PastedGraphic-6.png>
>>>>>
>>>>> - Bert -
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> squeakland mailing list
>>>>> squeakland at squeakland.org
>>>>> http://lists.squeakland.org/mailman/listinfo/squeakland
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>
>> - Bert -
>>
>>
>>
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>
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