The Seasoned Scratcher: What to learn after Scratch (a guide)

Jonathan50

IMPULSS wrote:
If you're on windows, try learning batch. It's easy to learn and can control many parts of the windows OS. It's not really that great for graphics but if you want to make a tbg then this is the language to use

Ok, so long as you don't use it for anything serious (it's not a real programming language)

Znapi

I thought the article was very good. I like the idea of collecting paradigms over languages, and that it doesn't force anything on you. Next on my list of languages to learn is Haskell now.

I'm wondering though, why does it say Java is a good language to learn if you want to take the AP CS exam? Or is the “Are you sure? You won't learn as much as you think you will.” pointing out that it really isn't?

Hardmath123

Znapi wrote:
I'm wondering though, why does it say Java is a good language to learn if you want to take the AP CS exam? Or is the “Are you sure? You won't learn as much as you think you will.” pointing out that it really isn't?

Java is a good language to learn if you want to take the AP CS exam because the AP CS exam is in Java. I guess it's in the same spirit as “learn French if you want to take the AP French exam”.

Besides the exam, though, Java won't help you with very much. It'll teach you some concepts about object-oriented programming, but that's about it. Java isn't being used for “new exciting projects”, whatever that's supposed to mean*. Java was big when applets were a thing; now JavaScript has taken that over. Android people still kind of care.

(*Compare to, say, Scala: Scala compiles to the same thing that Java does, but is supposed to be a better language. It's hot in the Silicon Valley right now, and start-ups all over the place are using it.)

You'll learn a lot from Haskell. Good choice.

liam48D

IMPULSS wrote:
If you're on windows, try learning batch. It's easy to learn and can control many parts of the windows OS. It's not really that great for graphics but if you want to make a tbg then this is the language to use

IMPULSS' signature wrote:
My operating system: MacOS Macintosh X 10.8.5

iamunknown2

Firedrake969 wrote:
downloading a bunch of DLLs

Isn't that already endangering your system?

iamunknown2

Firedrake969 wrote:
Just use common sense and don't download anything fishy - I haven't gotten a virus on any of my computers in like 4 or 5 years, and this is on Windows and downloading a bunch of DLLs and stuff to hack around with the terminal

Say that to my classmates which use freeware A LOT, and still don't know how the adware got on to their PCs

Once, a classmate thought that “rebooting” meant 'reset".

iamunknown2

IMPULSS wrote:
If you're on windows, try learning batch. It's easy to learn and can control many parts of the windows OS. It's not really that great for graphics but if you want to make a tbg then this is the language to use

No.

The “goto” system Batch uses is outdated, and is rarely used in programming nowadays. Instead, just learn JS.

liam48D

iamunknown2 wrote:
IMPULSS wrote:
If you're on windows, try learning batch. It's easy to learn and can control many parts of the windows OS. It's not really that great for graphics but if you want to make a tbg then this is the language to use
No.

The “goto” system Batch uses is outdated, and is rarely used in programming nowadays. Instead, just learn JS.

Node.js for console-wise operations.

Vetpetmon

IronBit_Studios wrote:
ChocolatePi wrote:
PullJosh wrote:
WooHooBoy wrote:
PullJosh wrote:
Thanks for the responses everyone! I think I'll take a few days to start really figuring out python's syntax. I've already written a few ultra-simple things with it, but I'll probably have to get a little deeper in to it…
You haven't learned Python yet?
Not really; I have a pretty decent idea of what the syntax is like (tabs, no whatchamacallems: {}, lots of readable text rather than symbols - not, for loops, etc.)

And I know processing, js, and scratch. It can't be that different, right?
i believe those are called “squirrelly braces”
Wik Eye Pedy Uh wrote:
braces are “two connecting marks used in printing”; and in music “to connect staves to be performed at the same time” (UK and US), flower brackets (India), French brackets, curly brackets, definite brackets, swirly brackets, curly braces, birdie brackets, Scottish brackets, squirrelly brackets, gullwings, seagulls, squiggly brackets, twirly brackets, Tuborg brackets (DK), accolades (NL), pointy brackets, or fancy brackets

I likey. :3

Yeah I'm weird. whenever I writing in CSS, I like to say that {} powers CSS and “” powers HTML.

It's weird. Helpmehelpmehelpme.

Oh yeah don't trust Wik Eye Pedy Uh, anyone can edit it.

nathanprocks

iamunknown2 wrote:
IMPULSS wrote:
If you're on windows, try learning batch. It's easy to learn and can control many parts of the windows OS. It's not really that great for graphics but if you want to make a tbg then this is the language to use
No.

The “goto” system Batch uses is outdated, and is rarely used in programming nowadays. Instead, just learn JS.

The only thing it is used for is:

:lulz
start %0
goto lulz

Znapi

I was so confused when it said that AP CS would look good on college apps, but now I just found out it is a high school course. Sadly, my high school doesn't offer any computer science courses. Is it common for there to be no AP CS courses though? There are many things online talking about how there aren't enough AP CS courses being offered.

Hardmath123

Yeah, unfortunately, CS education in high schools leaves a lot to be desired. You can self-study the course very easily, though, and take the test yourself. It's not hard at all.

IronBit_Studios

Hardmath123 wrote:
Yeah, unfortunately, CS education in high schools leaves a lot to be desired. You can self-study the course very easily, though, and take the test yourself. It's not hard at all.

I wouldn't really count that towards a résumé je parle Français if you just do it at home though.

IMPULSS

iamunknown2 wrote:
IMPULSS wrote:
If you're on windows, try learning batch. It's easy to learn and can control many parts of the windows OS. It's not really that great for graphics but if you want to make a tbg then this is the language to use
No.

The “goto” system Batch uses is outdated, and is rarely used in programming nowadays. Instead, just learn JS.

Couldn't you use it for managing windows stuff

IMPULSS

liam48D wrote:
IMPULSS wrote:
If you're on windows, try learning batch. It's easy to learn and can control many parts of the windows OS. It's not really that great for graphics but if you want to make a tbg then this is the language to use
IMPULSS' signature wrote:
My operating system: MacOS Macintosh X 10.8.5

I have an alternative windows 10. However I don't use it a lot because it lags more advanced scratch games to death

Firedrake969

IMPULSS wrote:
iamunknown2 wrote:
IMPULSS wrote:
If you're on windows, try learning batch. It's easy to learn and can control many parts of the windows OS. It's not really that great for graphics but if you want to make a tbg then this is the language to use
No.

The “goto” system Batch uses is outdated, and is rarely used in programming nowadays. Instead, just learn JS.
Couldn't you use it for managing windows stuff

No. Bash, Python, something related to C, but not batch

Hardmath123

IronBit_Studios wrote:
Hardmath123 wrote:
Yeah, unfortunately, CS education in high schools leaves a lot to be desired. You can self-study the course very easily, though, and take the test yourself. It's not hard at all.
I wouldn't really count that towards a résumé je parle Français if you just do it at home though.

Yeah, I think so too, but a lot of moi aussi things-to-apply-to want to know how many dozens of AP tests you've taken to make sure you're a gifted/talented/brilliant/genius/prodigy worthy of their fine institution.

thejerwin

IMPULSS wrote:
liam48D wrote:
IMPULSS wrote:
If you're on windows, try learning batch. It's easy to learn and can control many parts of the windows OS. It's not really that great for graphics but if you want to make a tbg then this is the language to use
IMPULSS' signature wrote:
My operating system: MacOS Macintosh X 10.8.5
I have an alternative windows 10. However I don't use it a lot because it lags more advanced scratch games to death

If you really need to play it, use .SB2 to .SWF, and then .SWF to .EXE. It runs like a charm. (Sent from my upgraded Windows 10 laptop)

blob8108

I turned the diagram into a project, just for funsies.

Jonathan50

A lot of people think functional programming is impractical when they first get started–they don’t think you can get useful things done, or they think functional languages are too slow. Paul Graham, founder of Y Combinator (a Silicon Valley start-up which has more money than you want to know about) wrote this piece on how his company very successfully used a functional language called Scheme to “beat the averages”.

He said he used Lisp. I don't think he used Scheme.

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