Visual Scripting

[Mystery]

If i do recall a while back emil had said he was planing on making something along the lines of visual scripting although he was unsure how to implement it.
I stumbled upon a program which when i saw it's scripting module it screamed at me "Algodoo!".



The way it works it quite simple. You drag the desired conditions wanted onto the script menu, from there you can drag commands and attach them to those condition. So when the conditions come true the command will be activated. The best way to see how this works is to download it (Scratch)
The whole process is so user friendly yet you can still create dynamic codes.


I personally see this as the perfect system for Algodoo Easy enough for new user to pick up with out any training, Quick enough to make coding so easy its almost criminal and Dynamic enough for experienced users to still use.

[RicH]

It looks simple enough. I like it.

[AlgoChris]

Scratch!

[Dakta]

Worst

Idea

Ever.


I'm sorry, but it is. If you want to make a functional program, you need to write code. Hooking people into this sort of practically pointless thing is a bad idea. It's... Man, am I the only one who sees how stupid this is?

Visual code is a bad idea. Just like making code that sounds like how people talk. It turns out to be either hard to learn, impractical out of context, difficult to support, limiting, frustrating, or otherwise unpleasant. There's a reason people write real code in real languages. When you make up not only your own language, but your own visual pseudo language, it frustrates those of us who are engineers. It frustrates us because there is absolutely no excuse for most of the new languages that are created. Is Python not good enough for ya? Is C/C++ to common? Is Java to fringe? Is PHP to ingrained in the web? Is JavaScript not already lame enough? (I understand creating Thyme and stuff, that's reasonable, but Ruby... And JScript, and C#, and Boo, and VBScript, and BATCH, and AppleScript, and all those stupid attempts at english language programming... Why?)

If you want to program, you have to write code. If you're too lazy to learn (and boy, is it a short curve for Thyme), then you don't deserve to reap the rewards of a writing a good script. 'Nuff said.

[Mystery]

Of course you would keep the actual text scripting aspect, but this would make it practical for younger people to learn. And what your forgetting although thyme is obviously easy to learn only a small fraction of the people that use Algodoo can do it.

[RicH]

I can write code and this is very simple. No-one ever said you couldn't write the code manually anymore.

This is visual scripting, AFAIK it isn't turning the code into another language, it just displays it so it's simple to read even if you haven't encountered Thyme code before.

[Rrobba]

I think this could be a very effective system. It would make scripting easier to use and easier to explain. Not sure how it could be implemented though.

*support*

[Mr_Stabby]

i think it could work, sure it merely parses simple scripts but thats what 99% of thyme is used for anyway

[Dakta]

Tag along to my earlier post:

I'm not hating on visual scripting for accessibility reasons, I'm hating on it because it's pointless for writing small thyme constructions, when it's just as easy to write them yourself (or at least, it is in other languages that have normal if/else/elseif, for/while, etc.) Visual scripting doesn't help anyone. You may think you're helping someone by creating an implementation for it for Thyme, but you're not.

[RicH]

How is this not helping? Visual scripting can provide an easier understanding of Thyme, without any predetermined knowledge of Thyme whatsoever.

[Dakta]

But wouldn't it just be better for everyone if people learned Thyme to begin with?

I mean, really, what are they gaining by learning how to use some arkane programming GUI that they won't be able to use anywhere else?

[RicH]

Part of Algodoo's target are children. This would be a lot easier for them to 'learn'. It kind of makes the learning curve easier. Visual scripting -> manual code sort of thing. It helps them understand the basis of code.

[tatt61880]

I think Scratch is excellent visual programming language.

However, I feel that scripting in Phun/Algoodo doesn't have to be in high priority. Physics is important for Phun/Algodoo.

[Rrobba]

Like I said earlier I think this is a good idea, but I think you should also be able to make custom scripts other than just the manual pre-made ones. Also, to please more people maybe they could include an option that allows you to turn visual scripting on and off.

[Mystery]

I would hope Visual scripting interface would be in the medium setting and regular text scripting in advance mode.

[tatt61880]

I would hope Visual scripting interface would be in the medium setting and regular text scripting in advance mode.

I hope both text scripting and visual scripting in advance mode.

[Rrobba]

I would hope Visual scripting interface would be in the medium setting and regular text scripting in advance mode.

I hope both text scripting and visual scripting in advance mode.

Yes, this. If not people who don't know scripting but want to use the advanced tools/options will have to decide: hard scripting but advanced tools, or easy scripting but no advanced tools. So instead there should be an option that allows you to decide if you want visual scripting on or off, like I mentioned before. I still think it's a great idea, and still support it!

[Dakta]

Or maybe there could be a direct scene file editor? So in Advanced mode you could open up the scene file from within Algodoo and edit it live, making it much easier to write Thyme scripts (instead of using the console or editing the .phn externally)

If you did that, then you could also build in custom tools in that scene editor to allow you to spawn things with more specific attributes, organize objects, as well as a visual scripting interface. Now I am not too sure about the visual scripting interface idea, but I AM sure about having an integrated scene source editor.

[Frank]

I wouldn't oppose adding this functionality, as long as I can type it out too. I've screwed around with Scratch, and I find it annoying and hard to use for complicated things.

[Dakta]

Precisely what Frank said. With this sort of thing, it's fine for writing monkey code (which is pointless because it takes just as much time to type it out), but once you need to do anything more complex than 2+2, you're screwed.

[Rrobba]

So like I mentioned before the option to toggle it on or off would please a greater variety and amount of people and make scripting easier.

[Rideg]

I think this is a great Idea (just don't delete the original or change it just add it). I think this could engage the younger among us to program and maybe get hooked. I mean it could be a start of an career. I think working as programmer in 20 years would be very contributing to the society.

[Under Ground]

Support!

Ive tried scripting, trust me.
The best I could do is spawn.

This would make thyme alot easier for Algodoo's main target customer, Children.
(Plus it would help idiots like mwah)

[krzat]

I was thinking about wires that would send variables of one object to second.
Example: Motor connected to box. In box's onlaserhit you can put someting like that: "motorbleble.speed=10".

[SodaJerk]

I love this visual scripting idea. Scripting in Algodoo is so hard and abstract. I have tried it and given up on several occasions. I vote yes to visual scripting.