Elements - a Scratch-like Smalltalk
Thursday, March 5th, 2009
Elements is a new graphical user interface for the Smalltalk-80 programming language inspired by MIT’s Scratch (http://scratch.mit.edu). Like Scratch, Elements offers draggable “bricks” of code, which can be accumulated and assembled LEGO-wise into complex programming constructs, rather than entering text through a keyboard. The Elements project wants to find out, if and how Scratch’s design can be applied not only to educational microworlds, but also to a full-fledged professional, object-oriented programming environment. As a proof-of-concept study I’m supplying both a minimal programming environment to start with, as well as a version of the Scratch Source Code Squeak environment which strives to be completely malleable by means of these Elements, thereby implementing Scratch quasi in itself.
Few pieces of software have inspired me the way Scratch has, with the possible exception of the Smalltalk programming language and the Morphic user-interface paradigm. In fact, I have come to love Scratch so much that I want everything to look and feel like Scratch. If such blissful narrow-mindedness turns you off, don’t even bother reading any further, let alone downloading these demos. I also enjoy the nerdy delight coming out of manipulating something by means of itself. By letting Elements plug into Squeak’s compiler/decompiler structure Elements can be modified and enhanced through itself.
If you’re curious, you can download the prototype here:
This first version of Elements is a tentative experimental prototype, comparable to a novel’s first draft. I’d like to use this prototype to gather experience and feedback for a more refined and mature design, and for a better and more stable GUI. Most, if not all of Smalltalk’s compiler nodes can be decompiled into syntax elements, with the exception of certain Squeak-specific constructs, such as BraceNodes (Arrays within {}).
Credits
Elements is completely inspired by and based in essential parts on the fantastic and brilliant work of the MIT Media-Lab’s Scratch-team, encouraged by their willingness to share ideas, designs, code, and enthusiasm.
Thank you, John, Evelyn, Mitchel, Natalie, Andrés and Eric!
Enjoy!
-Jens Mönig