Hopscotch is a

visual programming language In computing, a visual programming language (visual programming system, VPL, or, VPS) is any programming language that lets users create programs by manipulating program elements ''graphically'' rather than by specifying them ''textually''. A VPL ...

developed by Hopscotch Technologies, designed to allow young or beginner

programmers A computer programmer, sometimes referred to as a software developer, a software engineer, a programmer or a coder, is a person who creates computer programs — often for larger computer software. A programmer is someone who writes/creates ...

to develop simple projects. Its simple UI allows its users to drag and drop blocks to create

scripts Script may refer to: Writing systems * Script, a distinctive writing system, based on a repertoire of specific elements or symbols, or that repertoire * Script (styles of handwriting) ** Script typeface, a typeface with characteristics of ha ...

that can be played when activated. The use of the language is through an

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operati ...

or iPhone supporting Hopscotch.Hanselminutes Podcast, Show #417
Apr 04, 2014, titled "I am teaching my daughter to code with Hopscotch - Fitzgerald Steele", 30-minute interview with father whose daughter tried Hopscotch app on iPad. It has many easy-to-understand tutorials to help kids learn faster, and the ability to play other users projects that can help them learn and let them play!

Software development

The idea sprang from an existing programming tool, Scratch, where the user drags blocks to create a script. The developers of Hopscotch wanted to take a step back from Scratch, making it slightly easier to grasp and use the concepts. Hopscotch's notion of events, and rules combining conditions with actions, is similar to

AgentSheets AgentSheets was one of the first modern block-based programming language for kids. The idea of AgentSheets was to overcome syntactic challenges found in common text-based programming languages by using drag and drop mechanisms conceptualizing com ...

. Hopscotch includes basic programming blocks and functionalities such as variables, sprites (called objects) and text objects, as well as features considered more advanced such as self- variables, maths functions and more.

Editor

The Hopscotch app uses a block-based programming UI. Most code blocks can have numeric, text, or math inputs, allowing for both static and dynamic outputs. The editor work area is based on a

grid Grid, The Grid, or GRID may refer to: Common usage * Cattle grid or stock grid, a type of obstacle is used to prevent livestock from crossing the road * Grid reference, used to define a location on a map Arts, entertainment, and media * News g ...

divided into X and Y

coordinates In geometry, a coordinate system is a system that uses one or more numbers, or coordinates, to uniquely determine the position of the points or other geometric elements on a manifold such as Euclidean space. The order of the coordinates is si ...

Editor history

The Hopscotch Editor is available on iPhone and

. The iPhone version only supported viewing projects until early 2016, when an update supporting editing and account functionality was released. The Hopscotch iPhone projects play in an iPhone format even on the iPad and web player. A version for Android is not planned for release (as of 2021).

Event blocks

Event blocks are conditional triggers that activate when a specific set of parameters is reached, triggering any associated Code blocks within the activated Event block. As of September 26, 2023, Hopscotch contains 40 Event blocks, including interactions, comparisons, and collision detection.

Code blocks

Code blocks are individual actions triggered upon the activation of Event blocks, activated in descending order. Code blocks fall into six categories: Abilities, Movement, Looks & Sounds, Drawing, Variables, and Controls. Abilities are containers for Code blocks, creating a function which can be duplicated and reused within a project. Movement blocks control the positioning and rotation of objects. Looks & Sounds blocks control the scale and appearance of objects, text manipulation, sound playback, and transparency of objects. Drawing blocks paint preset colors to the background layer of a project, with additional options for stroke width and

RGB The RGB color model is an additive color model in which the red, green and blue primary colors of light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three additiv ...

/ HSB support for custom colors. Variable blocks handle data storage and modification, with support for strings and numerical inputs. Control blocks provide miscellaneous functionality, such as if/else conditionals, message passing, and waiting a set amount of time.

Player

In-app player

The Hopscotch player activates the blocks in the scripts upon activation of their individual triggers.

Webplayer

The player is also available on the web (known as the "Webplayer"). The web player brings Hopscotch projects to almost any browser. It is designed to work the same as the in-app player, though it has a different coding layout than the app. The web version of a project is only accessible via its unique link that is formatted like this: https://c.gethopscotch.com/p/project ID Both the in-app and the web player are written in

JavaScript JavaScript (), often abbreviated as JS, is a programming language that is one of the core technologies of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML and CSS. As of 2022, 98% of Website, websites use JavaScript on the Client (computing), client side ...

. There is also currently a version being developed as of 2024 for easier access to Hopscotch through a computer.

Subscription

Currently, there is a Hopscotch subscription. It costs $79.99 a year or $9.99 a month. The subscription allows access to adding photos or drawings, 30 “seeds” (the form of Hopscotch currency) a month, custom avatars, user variables, and more. In order to make an account, you must purchase the subscription to post or create a draft. Teacher accounts do not need the subscription, nor does signing up through the Webplayer.

Hopscotch Forum

The Hopscotch Forum is the official online forum for Hopscotch, for users to discuss Hopscotch projects, programming, and view update information for changes made to the Hopscotch app. Users may also host or participate in Competitions or Events, and collaborate on projects. It is recommended you join for the full Hopscotch experience!

Languages

Supported languages:

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

, Simplified Chinese,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Visual programming languages Educational programming languages