Scratch by Example - by Eduardo A Vlieg (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Scratch by Example targets a growing audience of young people and their adult mentors who join clubs such as Coder Dojo to learn about computer programming. The book teaches programming through the Scratch programming language. That language is a visual language written using a drag-and-drop interface from any web browser. Readers don't need expensive laptop and desktop PCs. Scratch is accessible from Android and Apple tablets, and from any low-cost device supporting a modern web browser. Scratch is the perfect language for people as young as seven-years-old to learn skills in programming that can pay off later in life in the form of good-paying careers and job satisfaction.

From the Back Cover

This is a book about learning the Scratch language so that you can use it in teaching and other instructional situations. The book explains the visual nature of the language, showing you how to write programs by dragging and dropping visual blocks representing common compute operations.

Scratch is visual language that even young children can master. and makes computer programming as easy as dragging and dropping graphical blocks that represent programming commands, eliminating the traditional stumbling blocks of typing and syntax errors. With a drag-and-drop interface that runs in any web browser, and on devices from iPads to PCs to Macs to Microsoft Surface tablets, Scratch is an easily accessible way to enter the world of computer programming. This book teaches how to use Scratch in a fun and simple way that relies on examples and learning by doing. Progressing from simple three-block scripts that move a character across the screen to complex projects that involve motion, sound, and user input, this book:

• Imparts a thorough understanding of the Scratch interface.
• Shows how to create a range of Scratch projects, including simple games.
• Builds a solid foundation for future programming in other languages

About the Author

Eduardo A. Vlieg was born and raised on the island of Curaçao, Dutch Antilles. He studied at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University of Daytona Beach, Florida, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in the field of Aircraft Engineering Technology in 1993. Then in 2001 he received his Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) from the University of the Netherland Antilles. He has been working in the IT field since 1996, and has fulfilled various positions and obtained various certifications since then. His background includes some 20 years in the auditing, financial, engineering, consulting, risk, and compliance industries. He's the author of the books Basic Scratch and Beyond Basic Scratch, and the creator of the Basic Scratch Podcast and the Basic Scratch Facebook page. He also teaches the Scratch programming language to high school students in Curaçao.