LOGO Interpreter

[James]

Cant wait.

Some of the new features will include:

• Bigger GUI
• Bigger canvas (drawing area)
• Abillity to load images as the background of the canvas
• Change the turtle image
• Export the final drawing as an image
• Limited area or turn on extended canvas
• Improved function calling
• Built in colour names (Blue, Green, Red, Yellow etc)
• Correct commands FORWARD = FD
• Turtle rotation

And probably more

[James]

Design interface:

Something along those lines, what do you think?

[Touch]

WOW!

That is amazing. I never thoguht about making something like this. You guys deserve a pat on the back

[AzKay]

IKNOWIKNOWIKNOW;

LOGO on desktop.

Edit control in the desktop too, and you just use the turtle on the desktop. xD

[James]

WTH AzKay, that would be insane.

[AzKay]

Then, for the hell of it, if theres like; a picture on the desktop, "Auto Generate" LOGO code, that copies that picture outline, and redraws it with logo.

[James]

Erm so it draws over your desktop?

[AzKay]

Erm so it draws over your desktop?

Thats what I was saying;

#638814

[James]

Alright AzKay, I shall see what I can do.

[James]

So I've taken LOGO as my main project for my course. I've found a "client", my old primary school. I need to make LOGO educational and easy for children to use. Time to buff up the design - I have some ideas for this:

• New layout
• Source code highlighting

Couple of things I need some advice about:

• How would you go about adding definitions (functions)
• Should code be highlighted to introduce syntax highlighting for future languages?
• How would a GD implementation work?
• Should the users be able to export their patterns as a file?

Cheers

[JRowe]

How about a 3D interface? Set it up to follow a 3D turtle on a flat plane.

Here's a decent free 3D Turtle

http://www.exchange3d.com/cubecart/free-3d-models/turtle-toy/prod_3676.html

AU3Irrlicht can handle it easily, all you'd need to do is whip up a few objects like colored lines(translucent, flat, stretched gif or other image) and so on.

You could even add funky fun stuff like "PLACE TREE", which would drop a palm tree at the turtle's location.

DO 50[PLACE TREE FORWARD 10 TURN 5] or something.

Anyway, neat project!

[jvanegmond]

So I've taken LOGO as my main project for my course. I've found a "client", my old primary school. I need to make LOGO educational and easy for children to use. Time to buff up the design - I have some ideas for this:

• New layout
• Source code highlighting

Couple of things I need some advice about:

• How would you go about adding definitions (functions)
• Should code be highlighted to introduce syntax highlighting for future languages?
• How would a GD implementation work?
• Should the users be able to export their patterns as a file?

Cheers

- Integrated developing environment. Make it simple, to start, to configure, to use. Minimal set of buttons. Minimal amount of text, many icons!

- A visual way of designing the LOGO application, using no code elements or any typing. Merely mouse movements (drag and drop).

- The ability to see the logo code as this (for debugging): http://img42.yfrog.com/img42/7766/logoig.png

- Each student can load their own workspace. Their workspace creates all their previously created logo patterns and assignments.

- Different levels of "strictness". Start by matching pretty much everything. In the end, require fully correct syntax and capitalization.

- A plan for teachers. What strictness to start at, what level of freedom the students should be given. Try to do this with another student that knows about pedagogy.

- Split screen between "visual LOGO" and LOGO code.

- Themes. For example: A snail walking over grass leaving a slime trail. A space ship leaving behind gasses.

- Objectives. "Go around the box". "Get through the maze".

- Themed objectives. Objectives with a theme. "Navigate around the asteroid". "Steer this robot around the bench". "Vacuum the house".

- Experiment with physics: Falling blocks that you have to avoid, maybe. A dog running around that you have to avoid with the vacuumer.

That's all I can think of now. Everything but the last one is required.

Edited September 24, 2009 by Manadar

[James]

Wow! I love those ideas guys, very creative!

I especially like the idea of 3D, however I'm no good at it, so it would be worth a try at least.

Manadar, I like the "tree" view for the code, that could be achieved quite nicely actually.

I'd quite like to load some basic "level" images onto the screen which would add visual appeal to the program.

[jvanegmond]

I was getting quite excited about them myself. Remember, even though you're writing this for kids doesn't mean they don't value a well written app. It's especially kids that will find out how to cheat or do something unexpected making your app crash.

This is going to be a tough one, because it has to be challenging, entertaining and educating at the same time. That's why I thought of the different levels of strictness and the visual programming method.

Edit: Also, consider that in 20 years or so 90% of programming could be done visually. Teaching those kids how to deal with visual programming now can benefit them later. It's not really LOGO that you're teaching them, it's handling a programming environment and making the computer do what they want. LOGO is just the tool.

Edited September 24, 2009 by Manadar

[James]

Edit: Also, consider that in 20 years or so 90% of programming could be done visually. Teaching those kids how to deal with visual programming now can benefit them later. It's not really LOGO that you're teaching them, it's handling a programming environment and making the computer do what they want. LOGO is just the tool.

Exactly! That was my reasoning behind teaching the kids LOGO, it's the idea behind a language that I'm getting at