Looking for a simple Javascript code creation system (alternative programming environments)

[Jim]

I teach classes for art students, and use Processing for my main class. A service course that I've not taught before on 'net art' could use some HTML5/javascript but I know from experience that it's very hard to teach a 'little' programming.

Does anyone have any knowledge of simple programming environments for JavaScript, preferably non-text? GameMaker works fine for what it is, but the goal is game creation - ours is more like what Processing is used for. And, of course, processing.js would take too long since we'd have to learn processing. Basically. I'd like (impossible?) a tool that would allow them to create simple drawings/images in HTML5 canvases but does not bog them down in syntax.

If this does not exist, anyone want to work on one??

Jim

[Benj. N. Sugar]

Although these do not produce JS/HTML5 applications, I think the go to
here are environments based off of Scratch. These environments won't
provide you with the same basic shape primitives but you could easily
create them. The environment inherits some of the ideas from Turtle
Geometry so you get a pen which you can use to make new shape
primitives like a circle.

Scratch: http://scratch.mit.edu/
Build Your Own Blocks: http://byob.berkeley.edu/

They are also well supported with pedagogical help.

http://scratched.media.mit.edu/
http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Main_Page

Personally, I think if you're trying to teach programming concepts, I
wouldn't worry to much that these programs don't actually create
something written in JS/HTML5. If you want to create a JS/HTML5
programming environment with blocks you can try:

Blockly: http://code.google.com/p/blockly/
BlockD3: http://bollwyvl.github.com/blockd3/#example (not what your
looking for, but an example of the blockification of an existing
javascript visualization language)

If people are into it, I'd be up for helping to convert some of the
functions. My skills probably aren't up to the task of integrating it
into an environment.

Keep me posted on what you end up using and how it turns out!

[Jim Parker]

Thanks

The course is on net art, in which the Internet is a key component of an
artistic work. I cannot also teach them to program, but would like to
have them use program-like operations to create visuals that use the web
for display and interaction. Javascript is an obvious output target, but
there may be others. I have used GameMaker HTML5 and it is very much
like what I want.

I know of Scratch and other such environments, and if they produced web
objects they would be interesting.

Jim

--

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Money talks, but honesty pays.

Dr. J. R. Parker, Digital Media Laboratory
Professor of Play http://www.ucalgary.ca/~jparker
Faculty of Arts jparker@ ucalgary.ca
University of Calgary 403-220-6784 AB606/AB611
From Server Hauptmann

[Eitan Mendelowitz]

Hard to say without knowing more about the course "art" is pretty broad.  Maybe Tumult Hype or Adobe Edge?  They are good with animations and minimal interaction.  No programming required.

Eitan

[Jim Parker]

I teach the same class at my school. I use Google's 'blockly', which
allows teaching of programming concepts online. I do not require them to
build complex web software objects using JavaScript unless they choose
to, but there is a requirement for a project. there are a few CS majors
using this as an option, of course.

If you want to share syllabi and course materials I would be happy to.

Jim

On 12/6/2012 2:48 PM, Tristan Slominski wrote:
> http://elm-lang.org/

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