What does 'alpha' and 'beta' mean in programming? It appears a lot on scratch projects.

Borrego6165

My guess (please correct me):

An alpha is a program that is incomplete and needs entire features making. You cannot get from the start to the finish.
A beta (in a game for example) has enough to get you from the very start of the game to the very end, but it lacks some of the extra features, as well as it will probably be very buggy. So in a race you'd have the right gear and the complete track to make it to the end, but it lacks scenery and an audience watching, as it's just the bare track.
A complete program, like a Beta has everything to get to the end, plus the major bugs fixed and most of the minor bugs fixed too, as well as all of the extra features alongside it that were planned.

Last edited by Borrego6165 (Sept. 1, 2013 17:42:36)

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JAVAProgramming

Close enough.

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scimonster

You got it.

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Borrego6165

JAVAProgramming wrote:
Close enough.

What's closer? I think I'm ready. I can handle the truth!

Theme Park God
The isometric Rollercoaster Tycoon fan game!

JAVAProgramming

Borrego6165 wrote:
JAVAProgramming wrote:
Close enough.

What's closer? I think I'm ready. I can handle the truth!

It pretty much is what you said. Alpha is before Beta and is a less complete verison of the game.

So you are right.

My Newest Project, Come Check It Out
Dots, On Scratch
Want to change the way we count? The Dozenal System.

“The story so far:
In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.”
― Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

scimonster

Release means the program has been fully programmed and tested.
Beta means the program has been mostly programmed, but not tested well, and likely contains many bugs.
Alpha usually means the program is in the middle of major changes, and what you see now is no guarantee of what the finished product will be. It usually contains missing features and big bugs.

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418 I'm a teapot (original - to be read by bored computer geeks)
THE GAME (you just lost)
; THE SEMICOLON LIVES ON IN OUR SIGS

PhirripSyrrip

You know, this is something I've always wondered but never got down to asking… I always thought beta was before alpha, in the same way as an A grade is better than a B grade.

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JAVAProgramming

PhirripSyrrip wrote:
You know, this is something I've always wondered but never got down to asking… I always thought beta was before alpha, in the same way as an A grade is better than a B grade.

In the Greek alphabet (I'm not sure if it is still in use in present day Greece), Alpha (A) came before Beta (B). I think that's where Alpha being before Beta comes from.

My Newest Project, Come Check It Out
Dots, On Scratch
Want to change the way we count? The Dozenal System.

“The story so far:
In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.”
― Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

PhirripSyrrip

JAVAProgramming wrote:
PhirripSyrrip wrote:
You know, this is something I've always wondered but never got down to asking… I always thought beta was before alpha, in the same way as an A grade is better than a B grade.
In the Greek alphabet (I'm not sure if it is still in use in present day Greece), Alpha (A) came before Beta (B). I think that's where Alpha being before Beta comes from.

Yes, I know, I study Greek

My reasoning that I mentioned was that something marked as “Alpha” (A) would be better than something marked as “Beta” (B) like an A grade on an exam is better than a B grade, and “better” meaning more complete.

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kayybee

PhirripSyrrip wrote:
JAVAProgramming wrote:
PhirripSyrrip wrote:
You know, this is something I've always wondered but never got down to asking… I always thought beta was before alpha, in the same way as an A grade is better than a B grade.
In the Greek alphabet (I'm not sure if it is still in use in present day Greece), Alpha (A) came before Beta (B). I think that's where Alpha being before Beta comes from.
Yes, I know, I study Greek

My reasoning that I mentioned was that something marked as “Alpha” (A) would be better than something marked as “Beta” (B) like an A grade on an exam is better than a B grade, and “better” meaning more complete.

Well, A comes before B doesn't it?

I think some people also use gamma but I've never seen it on Scratch.

PhirripSyrrip

kayybee wrote:
PhirripSyrrip wrote:
JAVAProgramming wrote:
PhirripSyrrip wrote:
You know, this is something I've always wondered but never got down to asking… I always thought beta was before alpha, in the same way as an A grade is better than a B grade.
In the Greek alphabet (I'm not sure if it is still in use in present day Greece), Alpha (A) came before Beta (B). I think that's where Alpha being before Beta comes from.
Yes, I know, I study Greek

My reasoning that I mentioned was that something marked as “Alpha” (A) would be better than something marked as “Beta” (B) like an A grade on an exam is better than a B grade, and “better” meaning more complete.
Well, A comes before B doesn't it?

I think some people also use gamma but I've never seen it on Scratch.

Yes, I vaguely remember seeing a gamma project somewhere…

Last edited by PhirripSyrrip (Sept. 2, 2013 08:29:05)

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