The Official Guide to the Scratchblocks Plugin

Please test out your new scratchblocks skills here, not on this topic.

Note: If you're new to the scratchblocks plugin, I highly recommend you read all of Section 1 first so you do not get confused.

Table of Contents

• Section 1 - How They Work + Tips
  
• Section 2 - Basic Scratchblocks Syntax
  2.1 - Basic Blocks
  2.2 - Inputs
  2.3 - Other Basic Features
  2.4 - Aliases/Subsitutes
  
• Section 3 - Advanced Scatchblocks Syntax
  3.1 - Developing New Blocks
  3.2 - Insertable Images
  3.3 - Other Syntax
  
• Section 4 - Built-In Blocks
  

Other/Older Topics

• A guide to [Scratchblocks] and other BBCode help by @Techno-CAT (Oct 1, 2014)
  
• ITopic: Everything you never knew about [scratchblocks]! by @theonlygusti (Oct 5, 2014)
  
• The Official BBCode Guide 2.0 by @Create-Scratch101
  
• CURRENT: The Official Guide to the Scratchblocks Plugin by @han614698 (May 15, 2024)

Credits
@Paddle2See for giving me permission here.
@Zydrolic for an image.
@Techno-CAT for a lot of the content (completely rewritten by me).
@theonlygusti for some ideas.
@Create-Scratch101 for inspiration.
@Maximouse for working with me and several others on my main source I used.

Section 1 - How They Work + Tips

SUBSECTION ONE - BASIC IIDEAS

What are scratchblocks?
Scratchblocks are a plugin on the forums (and on the wiki) where users can embed Scratch blocks into their text using a text based language. This topic will teach you how to write just normal scripts, and even by the end, make super cool custom blocks to show off your skills.

Shortcut
When creating a forum post, there is a toolbar at the top of the text box. You can hover over the button to find a list of built in blocks. You will learn about how to write these without the dropdown, as well as your own custom blocks.

How to Make Scratchblocks Appear
Just like any other BBCode tag, you can use scratchblocks the same - just put a [scratchblocks] tag before your code, and a [/scratchblocks] tag after it.

Automatic Coloring
The scratchblocks parser, which runs your code, looks at your code for specific blocks which are in the List of Blocks. It will then color them accordingly. Section 2 talks about the syntax to write blocks that already exist in the link above.

SUBSECTION TWO - TIPS

If you're new to scratchblocks, read the other sections before reading these tips.

Section 2 - Basic Syntax

SUBSECTION 2.1 - BASIC BLOCKS

Stack Blocks

To display a stack block, all you have to do is type the block text. The parser always defaults to a stack block.

if on edge, bounce

produces

if on edge, bounce

Reporter Blocks

To display a reporter block, you have to type the block text in parentheses.

(x position)

produces

(x position)

Boolean Blocks

To display a boolean block, you have to put the block text between ‘<’ and ‘>’.

<mouse down?>

produces

<mouse down?>

C Blocks

To display a C block, you have to type the block text, then a line break, and then ‘end’. Put the code for blocks inside the C between.

forever
    if on edge, bounce
end

produces

forever
if on edge, bounce
end

Cap and Hat Blocks

To display a cap or hat block, all you have to do is just type the block text normally, and the parser will parse it as such.

when green flag clicked
delete this clone

produces

when gf clicked
delete this clone

Custom Blocks

To display a custom block, you have to type your text normally with “define” in front of it.

define previous costume

produces

define previous costume

SUBSECTION 2.2 - INPUTS

Text

To add a text input to a block, you have to type the text between brackets.

think [Hello World!]

produces

think [Hello World!]

Number

To add a number input to a block, you have to type the number between parentheses.

wait (1) seconds

produces

wait (1) seconds

Insertable Dropdown

To add an insertable dropdown to a block, you have to type the option between parentheses, with a ‘v’ added.

play drum (8 v) for (0.25) beats

produces

play drum (8 v) for (0.25) beats

Uninsertable Dropdown

To add an uninsertable dropdown to a block, you have to type the option between brackets, with a ‘v’ added.

hide variable [my variable v]

produces

hide variable [my variable v] 

Color

To add a color input to a block, you have to add the color hex code between brackets.

<touching color [#aaaaaa]?>

produces

<touching color [#aaaaaa]?>

SUBSECTION 3.3 - OTHER BASIC FEATURES

Comments

To add a comment to a block, you have to add two slashes followed by the comment.

move (10) steps//This is a comment.

produces

move (10) steps//This is a comment.

Placeholder

To add a placeholder block, you have to add three dots, with or without spaces. (… or . . .)

. . .
...

produces

. . .
...

SUBSECTION 3.4 - SUBSTITUTES

Rotation

If you want to use the rotation blocks, you have to type “turn cw () degrees” or “turn right () degrees” or “turn ↻ () degrees” or vice versa depending on the direction desired.

turn cw () degrees     OR     turn right () degrees     OR     turn ↻ () degrees
turn ccw () degrees     OR     turn left () degrees     OR     turn ↺ () degrees

produces

turn cw () degrees
turn ccw () degrees

Green Flag

If you want to shorthand type the “when green flag clicked” block, you can type “when gf clicked” or “when flag clicked” or “when ⚑ clicked”.

when gf clicked     OR     when flag clicked     OR     when ⚑ clicked

produces

when gf clicked

Section 3 - Advanced Syntax

SUBSECTION 3.1 - DEVELOPING NEW BLOCKS

Custom Coloring

To create custom coloring on a block, you must add a preset color or hex code after the block.
The preset colors available are the following:

• motion
  
• looks
  
• sound
  
• pen
  
• variables
  
• list
  
• events
  
• control
  
• sensing
  
• operators
  
• custom
  
• custom-arg
  
• extension
  
• grey
  
• obsolete
  

cool new block::extension

produces

cool new block::extension

Custom Shapes

In order to create custom shapes, you have to put one of the below types of block after two colons (::).

• hat
  
• stack
  
• ring
  
• boolean
  
• reporter
  
• cap
  
• cat

when green flag clicked::cat

produces

when green flag clicked::cat

Custom Extension Blocks

In order to create custom extension blocks, you have to put one of the below types of block after two colons (::).

• music
  
• pen
  
• video
  
• tts OR text2speech
  
• translate
  
• wedo OR wedo2
  
• ev3
  
• microbit
  
• makeymakey
  
• gdxfor
  
• boost

when green flag clicked::makeymakey

produces

when green flag clicked::makeymakey

Stacking Custom Colors and Blocks

If you want to have a custom shape and color of a block, you can stack the two above properties.

when project ends::grey reporter

produces

when project ends::grey reporter

Custom C

To create a custom C block, you have to use curly brackets to separate the lines.

repeat (forever v) {
move (10) blocks
} and ever::control

produces

repeat (forever v){
move (10) steps
}and ever::control

SUBSECTION 3.2 - INSERTABLE IMAGES

Green Flag

If you want to add a Green Flag to a block, you have to type the code @greenFlag.

<@greenFlag clicked?::events>

produces

<@greenFlag clicked?::events>

Stop Sign

If you want to add a Stop Sign to a block, you have to type the code @stopSign.

<@stopSign clicked?::events>

produces

<@stopSign clicked?::events>

Input Addition and Deletion

If you want to add the symbol to delete and add inputs to a block, you have to type the codes @delInput or @addInput.

create variable [foo] [bar] @delInput @addInput::variables

produces

create variable [foo] [bar] @delInput @addInput::variables

Turning Clockwise and Counterclockwise

If you want to add the symbol to turn counterclockwise and clockwise to a block, you have to type the codes @turnRight or @turnLeft.

turn @turnRight (20) degrees and then @turnLeft (40) degrees::motion

produces

turn @turnRight (20) degrees and then @turnLeft (40) degrees::motion

Loop Arrow

If you want to add a loop arrow to a block, you have to type the code @loopArrow.

if <[1]=[1]> then repeat (10){ 
. . . 
} @loopArrow::control

produces

if <[1]=[1]> then repeat (10){ 
. . . 
} @loopArrow::control

List Array

If you want to add a list symbol to a block, as used in Snap! you have to type the code @list.

add to @list [1 v]::list

produces

add to @list [1 v]::list

SUBSECTION 3.3 - OTHER SYNTAX

Cancel the next character

If you want to cancel the next character, use a backslash. For example, if you want to put a bracket in a text input without ending the text input, you can put a backslash before it.

say [[text]] 

produces

say [[text]]

which isn't the expected behavior, so

say [[text\]]

produces

say [[text\]]

which is more desired.

Strikethrough Blocks

By adding a hyphen before a block, you can strikethrough the entire block.

-move (10) steps

produces

-move (10) steps

Selected Blocks

By adding a plus before a block, you can put a black outline around (or select) the entire block.

move (10) steps
+move (10) steps
move (10) steps

produces

move (10) steps
+move (10) steps
move (10) steps

Built-In Blocks

temporarily removed

Create-Scratch101 wrote:

Do you think you could like the BBCode help one I made? Mine is in QaS, so it won’t be as seen as yours (which is in HwS)

han614698 wrote:

Create-Scratch101 wrote:

Do you think you could like the BBCode help one I made? Mine is in QaS, so it won’t be as seen as yours (which is in HwS)

I have no objections to this but where do you think would be a good spot?

 i am coming for your soul...::#999999 hat
say(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)

godzglaalaa wrote:

 i am coming for your soul...::#999999 hat
say(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)

godzglaalaa wrote:

 i am coming for your soul...::#999999 hat
say(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)

define [no]

define (this is cool)

when green flag clicked
say [what]
pen down
play sound [recording1 v]
repeat (99)
jahaah
move (100) steps
end

//I want to add this
define to this
define but it gives me //this?