Work Progress Mar 30 - Apr 5

Demo: Please check the "SB in beta" link above.

Tasks:
* [Done] Fix the If... then... null pointer exception (but not if... then... else...)

* [Done] Send Bill on what to do to include demo in web version

* [Done - now descriptive text at the bottom] Goal image boxes
* [Done] explicit garbage collection before/after simulation
* [Done] provide insets in control codelet (so text and input field are not that closely packed)
* [In progress] Reduce size of text fields, improving coloring scheme (The code for this part has yet been committed, I'd like to get a full debug first before overwriting the previous stable version.)

Work Progress - Mar 23 - Mar 29

Demo: please check the "Stable SB app" link above

Improvements

• Include the MaleBrown and FemaleBrown skateboarder look
• Eliminate the argument name "Magnitude" from the respective method codelets.

TODO list on improving the appearance of the program (original text from Ron included in the previous blog entry):

• Borders to separate the outer and inner codelets (e.g. a binary statement inside the LHS or RHS of another binary statement)
• Coloring scheme
• Provide a bit more spacing between text label and textboxes (e.g. The word “if” is too close to border of the operation codelet.)

Work Progress - Mar 16 - Mar 22

• [Done] Change the names to skin color (FemaleBlack, MaleWhite, etc.) rather than ethnicity.
• [Done] Include the MaleBlack character (which I think is currently missing on your site).
• [Done] Update the stable version.
• [Done - expand graphics window now expand to full screen] Either eliminate the “expand graphics window” button, or change the settings so that it has better default values (bigger graphics screen when closed, full graphics screen when open). Either way, the applet should never prevent the user from sliding the panels in any configuration they wish.
• Start on the issues related to codelet visual “readability”
  [Done] 1) Rather than drop-down for x, y, have separate codelets like the blue “y position” codelet in Scratch.
  [Done] 2) In Scratch, the < operation comes with the input box for a literal already included. If you want to replace the literal with a variable, you can do so directly
  3) The black boarder around the operation codelet is distracting. Scratch uses a subtle shading, with the top shaded lighter and the bottom shaded darker, so that it appears that the piece is 3D and lit from above. This is something we could ask Zac Autio to do for us once he is done with classes.
  4) Why all the red? As I recall, this was to tell the user where to “grab” the puzzle piece with the mouse. But we are not consistent about that; in the method codelet it’s a place where you can’t grab it. I would eliminate it (unless it serves some other purpose?), and make the codelets all one color, with the input box in white. So (for example) blue codelets would have their red changed to white (because you can’t grab there).
  5) Notice that in the above image of a Scratch conditional, the blue “y position” codelet is small enough so that it’s bordered by green on all sides. It is visually clear that it has been “plugged in” to the green codelet. But in our case, the operation codelet has essentially disappeared. We try to show it is still there, but because we are using a black boarder, you can’t tell if that is the edge of the operation codelet or the edges of the literal and variable codelets. So I would make the operation codelet all one color (yellow?), including the border. I would add a border to the literal and variable codelets, and make their border the same color as the rest (red?).
  6) The word “if” is too close to border of the operation codelet.

Work Progress - Mar 9 - Mar 15

Demo: "SB in beta" link above

Work done

• Offer a button for expansion and collapse of graphic window

• Provide choices on the appearance of the skateboarder object (See the Advanced property table)

• Enable demo XMLs to be selected via the main menu

Work Progress - Mar 2 - Mar 8

Check the demo from the "SB in beta" link above.

* Save z-positions of the scriptlets in XML file, so we can reproduce exactly how the scriptlets are overlapped when loading the XML file.
* Disable drag of event codelet from the left EventManager panel when it is already in the middle scriptlet window. See below - the event codelet "Do Forever" is blanked out when the corresponding entry is in the middle scriptlet.


* Disable scrolling of panel when dragging codelet for the middle scriptlet window (Possible further action: make the scriptlet area auto-expandable. Currently the area is fixed.)
* By pressing the arrows of the separators (see image below), one can expand the scriptlet window to the right end of the window. Likewise, one can expand the graphic window to full screen. (Possible further action: collapse the scriptlet panel and initial property panel automatically when the simulation begins, expand them back when the simulation stops.)