MIniBlog and Ardublocks

[Eaglesnest Robotics , Sean Lewis]

How do they differ?

[jeandaniel planterose]

Hello,

First, they are nice !

Minibloq is design for specific components but ca be used for other purpose like UNO or MEGA.

Ardublock is for all (i think) kinds of Arduino cards.

JD

2012/5/4 Eaglesnest Robotics , Sean Lewis <eaglesnes...@gmail.com>

How do they differ?

[Li David]

Thanks! Maybe Julian (author of Minibloq) will join the discussion as well. I know he's in this group. ;) 

We have slightly different philosophies on the language designs due to different objectives. Minibloq has its own hardwares and are better integrated. Ardublock is more loosely couple with hardware. 

David  

Sent from my iPhone

[jeandaniel planterose]

The software are different but we can use them for several purposes....

For information, I'm trying to translate Minibloq in French. 

And after, french people will be able to compare....

JD

2012/5/4 Li David <taw...@gmail.com>

[Sean Lewis]

Ok, so are goal is to reach our students code. Bottom line! I find using a GUI is really helpful. Eventually, we would like to have them use the GUI to program robots. I just wonder which program is better for our situation.

Sean Lewis

Coach and Mentor

Eaglesnest Robotics

www.eaglesnestrobotics.com

Facebook: Eaglesnest Robotics

Twitter: EglsnstRobotics

YouTube: EaglesnestRobotics

"Learning, Exploring, and Originating, through Robotics."

[Michaël Clergeot]

for information, Minibloq is not a free software, there's
copyrights ... so i prefer ardublock ;o)

Michaël

On 4 mai, 13:25, Sean Lewis <eaglesnestrobot...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Ok, so are goal is to reach our students code. Bottom line! I find using a
> GUI is really helpful. Eventually, we would like to have them use the GUI
> to program robots. I just wonder which program is better for our situation.
>
> Sean Lewis
> Coach and Mentor
> Eaglesnest Roboticswww.eaglesnestrobotics.com
> Facebook: Eaglesnest Robotics
> Twitter: EglsnstRobotics
> YouTube: EaglesnestRobotics
> "Learning, Exploring, and Originating, through Robotics."
>
> On May 4, 2012, at 3:14 AM, jeandaniel planterose <
>

> jeandanielplanter...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> The software are different but we can use them for several purposes....
>
> For information, I'm trying to translate Minibloq in French.
>
> And after, french people will be able to compare....
>
> JD
>

> 2012/5/4 Li David <tawe...@gmail.com>

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Thanks! Maybe Julian (author of Minibloq) will join the discussion as
> > well. I know he's in this group. ;)
>
> > We have slightly different philosophies on the language designs due to
> > different objectives. Minibloq has its own hardwares and are better
> > integrated. Ardublock is more loosely couple with hardware.
>
> > David
>
> > Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On May 4, 2012, at 2:50 PM, jeandaniel planterose <

> > jeandanielplanter...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hello,
>
> > First, they are nice !
>
> > Minibloq is design for specific components but ca be used for other
> > purpose like UNO or MEGA.
>
> > Ardublock is for all (i think) kinds of Arduino cards.
>
> > JD
>

> > 2012/5/4 Eaglesnest Robotics , Sean Lewis <eaglesnestrobot...@gmail.com>
>
> >> How do they differ?

[jeandaniel planterose]

"Open source software

Minibloq is completely based on open source software. Although the copyright holders will receive their credits in the distributed package itself, I want to mention the software libraries used here too (but please note, that these are NOT the license and legal notices, so the copyrights will be in their place, with the distributed software). So this is a list of links where the used software resides:...................................."

JD

2012/5/4 Michaël Clergeot <mcle...@ac-versailles.fr>

[Julián da Silva Gillig]

Hi, I'm Julián, Minibloq's author. I want to write more about this in a few days, but I can tell something now: I don't understand why Michaël said that Minibloq is not free, because Minibloq is. Every software out there, Arduino IDE, Ardublock, Minibloq, etc, has copyright, even when it's free or open. For example: Ardublock (please David correct me if I'm wrong) is under the GPL, so you as user can use it freely, but if you modiy it, you must:

1. Distribute the complete soruce code, including your derived work.

2. Tell to the public that your work is based on Ardublock's authors work.

Minibloq is under another free licence, a modified MIT. So, if you can use it freely, mainly just like Ardulblock. And the same as Ardublock, you need to attribute Minibloq's authors in your derived works (this is only if you modify Minibloq, nothing else). But there are two differences between Ardublock and Minibloq licenses:

1. Minibloq can not be used for military applications. This is due to our philosophical position against any kind of war.

2. You do not need to redistribute sources if you modify our work, just to mention the original authors, like nearly any other open or free softwrae.

Minibloq will continue being free! It's free now, and it will be. I think Ardublock is under the same scheme.

Anyway, some people think that Minibloq is not open because the sources are not published yet. This is half true. By one side, we sent the sources to a lot of people who were contributing to the software. By other, the reason why we did not released the sources yet is that we want to finish some core things before releasing. But if you want the sources, I will personally send them. And we will release them soon, along with a complete open source development environment. So Minibloq will be full open source very very soon.

Some other people may say that Minibloq is not open source because it violates clause 6 from the (arbitrary) open source software definition. That's true. And we are proud of it, beause our violation of that definition is because we are pacifists. So we limited the use of Minibloq and its libraries to non military applications.

In Minibloq's online documentation (and also included with the new version) there is a copy of the license, both in English and in Spanish.

I hope this may clarify the terms of usage. Please David tell me if there is something wrong on the above description regarding licenses.

Thanks!

Julián

2012/5/4 jeandaniel planterose <jeandaniel...@gmail.com>

[Sean Lewis]

Julian,

First of all thank you for your response and I, well we appreciate what you all are doing by creating these wonderful graphical user interfaces of use to those who want to learn code. That is including David Li, with Ardublocks also. 

I understand you developers are doing what you have to do to make your applications Open Source and In the midst of that at least et credit for what you have done also. I say let's tie credit where credit is due and at the same time, if in any way we can lets help make your product better.

I guess I was a bit vague on my original questions and I would like to orchestrate it back to what I wanted to ask. I am a teacher of Early Robotics. I am on a search for the easiest way, other than just diving into the code, to teach my students code. It seems that the GUI revolution is here and that MIT has proven , with the creation of Scratch, that using a Icon based GUI to teach code really works with younger students. 

So now , we teachers, would like to see what each application has to offer, to get this accomplished. I know that this audience is not only English speaking and I respect the movement  to get these applications translated into each language but my students, and it seems as if their is a very large community that is also waiting for this concept to be introduced to them, needs this kind of product. This concept is working with LEGO, with the WEDO and NXTG. We want it to prevail further in teaching code using micro-controllers to early robotics students. 

So my question is, me being the person who is charge of how we bring this concept to our Early Robotics students, what is the difference between these products at the students level? Thank you for responses.

Sean Lewis

Coach and Mentor

Eaglesnest Robotics

www.eaglesnestrobotics.com

Facebook: Eaglesnest Robotics

Twitter: EglsnstRobotics

YouTube: EaglesnestRobotics

"Learning, Exploring, and Originating, through Robotics."

[Michaël Clergeot]

Hi Julian,
Thank you for the explanations (I know them ;o) ). I am against the
war too but I am also for the total freedom and, in my opinion, it
passes by the gnu / gpl license.
I respect completely your choice and even if this choice is difficult,
I prefer the freedom given by gnu / gpl license.
I hope that I did not hurt you with this remark, I have no hostility
to minibloq :o)
Maybe you can create armybloq ... with virus ! ;)

*-Michaël-*

On May 4, 5:50 pm, Julián da Silva Gillig

> 2012/5/4 jeandaniel planterose <jeandanielplanter...@gmail.com>
>
> > "*Open source software
> > *
> > *Minibloq is completely based on open source software. Although the

> > copyright holders will receive their credits in the distributed package
> > itself, I want to mention the software libraries used here too (but please
> > note, that these are NOT the license and legal notices, so the copyrights
> > will be in their place, with the distributed software). So this is a list
> > of links where the used software resides:...................................

> > *."
>
> > JD
>
> > 2012/5/4 Michaël Clergeot <mclerg...@ac-versailles.fr>

[Julián da Silva Gillig]

Hi Michäel, no problem!  And thanks for that. I will take the opportunity to explain myself about this kind of licenses.

I answered because you said that Minibloq is "not free". And that's is a very different thing from saying that it does not fullfils the "standard" open source definition. It may not be considered open source because of that limitation of non military use, but a lot of people do (me included, of course). But even not being "real open source", it's still 100% free.

Regarding freedom, I have to say that I don't see the GPL as a so free thing, because it requires to release sources of derived work (and that is an imposition). That's seems to be the reason why the Free Software Foundation has released the Lesser GPL for libraries. But it's not enough. In my view, the only really libertarian-compatible licenses are MIT style license (wxWidgets license is similar, a modified GPL without the mentioned imposition). These are the only licenses that do not imposes anything and there are other similar licenses to MIT, also much more permisive than GPL. I really respect the Free Software Foundation work, and I like the GPL idea, and I'm an absolute enemy of software and biological patents, for example. Even more: I'm my self a libertarian so I see freedom as the most important principle. But I also feel responsible on my work (not the work of others, just mine), and I choose always to not work to companies involved in military design. So I thought that pacifist people (a lot of people in fact) deserves to have our own license to prevent companies and states to use our work for warfare. And as we are working in education here, I think it's not a real limitation for Minibloq users and developers. So we developed our MIT modified license (called RMPL), which took effort too (although it's a small text), but I will sleep better with that.

It was not an easy decision because I also attribute freedom a big big value, but I felt it like a duty. It would be much more easier to choose any standar license out there, but I can't.

I often read a lot about sci and thech as abstract things, without moral responsability from scientifics, developers, and technicians. But weapons are bad (except we create them to destroy a piece of rock that may collide with the planet) and I will not be an accomplice. 

Of course, I respect GPL and I use it when I derive work from GPL stuff. And I will always prefer a GPL based work to propietary technology.

I hope this clarifies my position, and as you, I don't want to hurt anybody, I'm just taking a position for myself.

Julián

2012/5/4 Michaël Clergeot <mcle...@ac-versailles.fr>

[Julián da Silva Gillig]

Hi Sean, I will try to answer your question from my own view, but I think it will be really important to see David 's view also ;)

Both environments have 2 kinds of differences:

A. Temporal differences: These are caused by the lack of time to implement features that the developers want for both environments. But those differences will probably disappear with time. I will give you 3 examples of this:

- Minibloq does not have full drag&drop for the parammeters. It will, but this does not work in the current version.

- Ardublock does not have automatic variable listing in the comboboxes on the getters and setters for the variables. I'm pretty sure that it will have them in a future version.

- Non of them support user blocks now (like functions and procedures). But this is in the roadmap for both environments.

So I think that these temporal differences are not so important.

B. Design differences. This is deeper. This kind of thing may be what you need to evaluate for your specific need. Here I can tell some of them, and you will need to decide which environment adjust better to your aplication:

1. Block "snap" mechaism: While Minibloq is contextual, Ardublock shows different geometrical "slots" to add params and action blocks to the program. So you need to test both, since they are very different. Perhaps someone may argue that the geometrical snap system is good to teach, and other may say that the contextual system (where only the blocks that can fit are shown by the program) is easier. I think teachers and kids will have the last word regarding this point.

2. Ardublock is a plugin for the Arduino IDE, which makes it work with a wider range of Arduino estandard hardware right now. Minibloq is a stand alone program, which knows more about the hardware, so it only loads the blocks which will be supported by the hardware selected by the user. So here the decision is something like this: If you will use an Arduino Lily Pad (not currently supported by Minibloq), you will need to use Ardublock. But if you want to use an Arduino UNO, or a Duemilanove, and you want the environment to only show the blocks supported by that hardware, and nothing else, to avoid annoying a kid, then Minibloq probably fits better your need.

3. Ardublock is implemented in Java, while Minibloq in C++. This may not be seen as a big difference by most users. But it is. Ardublock has the big advantage of being more portable. It will run under Windows, Linux and Mac. While Minibloq is in general faster, and can run in small machines (like an OLPC XO) probably better. It even compiles about 3 or more times faster than the Arduino IDE. But for example, right now, there is nearly no way to run it in Mac. So this will depend on your hardware and software. If you use a Mac, Ardublock is the only choice.

4. Ardublock has text in the blocks, while Minibloq is pure iconic. This is a matter of tastes I think.

There are other differences that can be seen as design ones, but are in fact differences due to the lack of time of implementation. But they can affect your decision now. For example: Ardulblock has right now support for I2C, and Minibloq doesn't. By other way, Minibloq has DC Motor control blocks (I'm not sure in the last version, but I think that Ardublock still does not have these kind of blocks). Ardublock's generated sintax is more Arduino like than Minibloq's sintax (this may change in the future).

My final advice is to try both of them, pass the learning curve period, and once you use them fluidly, you can decide better.

Cheers!

Julián

2012/5/4 Sean Lewis <eaglesnes...@gmail.com>

[te...@terryking.us]

Hi,

From a teaching perspective, Ardublock has one added advantage: When you 'Verify' an Ardublock sketch, it immediately shows the generated code in the Arduino IDE. This allows learners to see the same concepts in both block notation and procedural code.� Try this with Blink, for example.

I think that is a distinct advantage IF you are trying to have students eventually "graduate" to Arduino IDE procedural coding..

Regards, Terry King

...On the Mediterranean in Italy

te...@yourduino.com

---------------------( COPY )--------------------------

> Juli�n

Regards, Terry King ...On the Mediterranean in Italy

[jeandaniel planterose]

Hello,

In Minibloq, you can see the code too....

JD

2012/5/7 <te...@terryking.us>

> Julián

[Sean Lewis]

Wow! Thanks Julian. This explanation of the two platforms is truly helpful. I appreciate your time spent on this. This really helps me as an educator forecast the future for my students. One thing I noticed, and you mentioned it, when teaching my students in Ardublock, we liked the fact that it did express the code in the Arduino IDE as a sketch. I toiled that my students love to see what these blocks are doing just as in Scratch. But it seems as if it's a one way thing. You can't plug in code to see how it translates into Ardublocks. I guess that tasks may be unrealistic and hard to accomplish, but it would be great. I like both platforms and I will continue to experiment with both. I will say that our little academy uses both Mac's and Windows, but we tend to do most of our programming on the Mac. The attractive thing about Minibloq is Translated English Tutorial so that we teachers are educated and have a tool to use the program. I await the moment when It is done for Ardublocks. Thank you all so much for your comments. We are so happy and excited to bring this kind of learning code to our students. 

Sean Lewis

Coach and Mentor

Eaglesnest Robotics

www.eaglesnestrobotics.com

Facebook: Eaglesnest Robotics

Twitter: EglsnstRobotics

YouTube: EaglesnestRobotics

"Learning, Exploring, and Originating, through Robotics."

[Sean Lewis]

Wow! Thanks Julian. This explanation of the two platforms is truly helpful. I appreciate your time spent on this. This really helps me as an educator forecast the future for my students. One thing I noticed, and you mentioned it, when teaching my students in Ardublock, we liked the fact that it did express the code in the Arduino IDE as a sketch. I toiled that my students love to see what these blocks are doing just as in Scratch. But it seems as if it's a one way thing. You can't plug in code to see how it translates into Ardublocks. I guess that tasks may be unrealistic and hard to accomplish, but it would be great. I like both platforms and I will continue to experiment with both. I will say that our little academy uses both Mac's and Windows, but we tend to do most of our programming on the Mac. The attractive thing about Minibloq is Translated English Tutorial so that we teachers are educated and have a tool to use the program. I await the moment when It is done for Ardublocks. Thank you all so much for your comments. We are so happy and excited to bring this kind of learning code to our students.

Sean Lewis

Coach and Mentor

Eaglesnest Robotics

www.eaglesnestrobotics.com

Facebook: Eaglesnest Robotics

Twitter: EglsnstRobotics

YouTube: EaglesnestRobotics

"Learning, Exploring, and Originating, through Robotics."

[Julián da Silva Gillig]

Hi Sean, thanks for your kindl yanswer!

Regarding your comment and Terry's comment about the code, I can say that there are important differences between both environment, and I did not talk about them in my description.

Sadly, I have to say that Terry's afirmation is wrong: Minibloq shows the code. Even more, one big difference with nearly any other environment (not just Ardublocks) is that it generates the code in real time. I think you may test it very easily: Just open de code Window (there is a button on the quickbar, or you can go to menu "View->Generated code"). There Minibloq will generate code while you are constructing your program (or "adding blocks"), whitout the need of a Verify/compile button. Also, the code is well indented, sintax is coloured and you can use zoom in the code window (Ctrl+mouse wheel). Even the comments that you add to your blocks appear in real time in the code window, as comments. Minibloq also puts the code in a text file for advanced users, but in the code window you can copy the code to the clipboard too.

Regarding the one/two way for the blocks and written code, yes: it's hard to implement. Ardublock has an important advantage there: Ardublock lets you modify the generated code, directly within the Arduino IDE. That's good! The only thing is that you will have to take care to not generate (Verify) code again over your added code or you will loose it. But it lets you to modify. Minibloq prevents the modification of the code in the Code Window to avoid loosing changes when the user regenerates code. By other way, as I said before, Ardublolck's code is much closer to Arduino API than Minibloq's code (which also relies on the Arduino API, but adds a layer over it, with the Minibloq.h file).

I think both environments are complementary. I know of some schools in USA using two graphical environments and leting the students to select which one do they like. This may be a good approach!

Cheers!

Julián

2012/5/7 Sean Lewis <eaglesnes...@gmail.com>

[Sean Lewis]

Awesome! I think we may do that, also. I appreciate your comments and I encourage David Li to comment also when he has a chance. Haha! 

On the perspective of using different tools such as electronic starter kit using the Yourduinorobo1 board, what is the flexibility using Miniblog with different boards and kits?

Sean Lewis

Coach and Mentor

Eaglesnest Robotics

www.eaglesnestrobotics.com

Facebook: Eaglesnest Robotics

Twitter: EglsnstRobotics

YouTube: EaglesnestRobotics

"Learning, Exploring, and Originating, through Robotics."

[te...@terryking.us]

Hi,

My apologies for the wrong information; I last saw an early version and I will now look more closely. I do like the idea that the code generated for a block can be seen right away. I think that an Educational unit could be written by a teacher that would exploit this capability.

For older students, the Generated C++ and Assembler code could also be shown, as least as an example of the layers of abstraction in these very high-level environments.

Thanks for the clarifications and discussion here...

---------------------( COPY )--------------------------

> Juli�n

>> On May 6, 2012, at 10:19 PM, "Juli�n da Silva Gillig" <

>> Juli�n

[te...@terryking.us]

Hello,

Yes! Can I get access to tools to build blocks for MiniBloc?? The first blocks would support these Electronic Bricks:

http://arduino-info.wikispaces.com/ElectronicBrickStarterSet

And, shortly after, the devices shown here:

http://arduino-direct.com/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=244

(Many are same/similar)..

AND what do you think about an IR Receive block to go with this:

http://arduino-info.wikispaces.com/IR-RemoteControl

These are so low-cost ($3.50 now, less in quantity) and demonstrate communications and remote control.

Please let me know how to get started on this!� I would like to support these devices on both platforms..

---------------------( COPY )--------------------------

> Awesome! I think we may do that, also. I appreciate your comments and I
> encourage David Li to comment also when he has a chance. Haha!
>
> On the perspective of using different tools such as electronic starter kit
> using the Yourduinorobo1 board, what is the flexibility using Miniblog with
> different boards and kits?
>
> Sean Lewis
> Coach and Mentor
> Eaglesnest Robotics
> www.eaglesnestrobotics.com
> Facebook: Eaglesnest Robotics
> Twitter: EglsnstRobotics
> YouTube: EaglesnestRobotics
> "Learning, Exploring, and Originating, through Robotics."
>

> On May 7, 2012, at 11:21 AM, "Juli�n da Silva Gillig" <

> Juli�n

>> On May 6, 2012, at 10:19 PM, "Juli�n da Silva Gillig" <

>> Juli�n

[Julián da Silva Gillig]

Hi Terry, no problem!

Right now I can tell that Minibloq (and I think that also Ardublock) has an IR block to give an easy to use access to some of the IR commands from a sensor like that. Here, one of the examples uses an IR receiver. The controller board is a DuinoBot.Kids but the example also works with an standard Arduino. You can find the example of IR in this page: http://blog.minibloq.org/p/tutorials-and-examples.html

I saw that kind of block on Ardublock also, perhaps David can explain better than me that.

Regarding the type of sensors, this block uses the standard Arduino IR library made by Ken Shirriff (http://www.arcfn.com/2009/08/multi-protocol-infrared-remote-library.html), but with some mofidications to make it compatible with other libraries that use timers in a critical way. The block can return numbers from 0 to 9 from the numeric keyboard of an RC5 standard IR remote controller.  The supported sensors that we tested are the TSOP34338 and the PNA4602M (the last is now discontinued by Panasonic, but its widely known since it was used by Parallax in its free robotics textbooks). It's possible that the library works with other sensors too, but you may have to run tests.

And talking about sensors, Ardublock has a really nice liabrary of compatible sensors from different manufactures, such as Seeedstudio, DF Robots, etc.. Most of these blocks surely can work with some of the sensors you mentioned.

Thanks!

Julián

2012/5/7 <te...@terryking.us>

Hello,

Yes! Can I get access to tools to build blocks for MiniBloc?? The first blocks would support these Electronic Bricks:

http://arduino-info.wikispaces.com/ElectronicBrickStarterSet

And, shortly after, the devices shown here:

http://arduino-direct.com/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=244

(Many are same/similar)..

AND what do you think about an IR Receive block to go with this:

http://arduino-info.wikispaces.com/IR-RemoteControl

These are so low-cost ($3.50 now, less in quantity) and demonstrate communications and remote control.

Please let me know how to get started on this!  I would like to support these devices on both platforms..

---------------------( COPY )--------------------------

> Awesome! I think we may do that, also. I appreciate your comments and I
> encourage David Li to comment also when he has a chance. Haha!
>
> On the perspective of using different tools such as electronic starter kit
> using the Yourduinorobo1 board, what is the flexibility using Miniblog with
> different boards and kits?
>
> Sean Lewis
> Coach and Mentor
> Eaglesnest Robotics
> www.eaglesnestrobotics.com
> Facebook: Eaglesnest Robotics
> Twitter: EglsnstRobotics
> YouTube: EaglesnestRobotics
> "Learning, Exploring, and Originating, through Robotics."
>

> On May 7, 2012, at 11:21 AM, "Julián da Silva Gillig" <

> Julián

>> On May 6, 2012, at 10:19 PM, "Julián da Silva Gillig" <

>> Julián

[Sean Lewis]

With that said, maybe David can answer this also,  it where can we get a list of Compatible sensors used for Ardublocks?

Sean Lewis

Coach and Mentor

Eaglesnest Robotics

www.eaglesnestrobotics.com

Facebook: Eaglesnest Robotics

Twitter: EglsnstRobotics

YouTube: EaglesnestRobotics

"Learning, Exploring, and Originating, through Robotics."

[Julián da Silva Gillig]

Hi David, it seems that some spammer, hacked the Ardublock blog, there is a long post in Russian and also en empty post with Russian caption, with links. They are always doing this same things in Minibloq's forum. I'm tired of them...

Regards,

[David Li]

Hi Julian,

Thanks a lot for reporting this. I open up the registration for the blog due to the requests from the community and the role was default to author. It seems it's discovered by spammer. :(

Anyone who'd like to post to the ArduBlock blog, please register here and send me an email so I will update your account to author.

http://blog.ardublock.com/wp-login.php?action=register

David

[Julián da Silva Gillig]

Hi David! You are welcome! Thanks for opening it! I'm fighting spammers in Minibloq's forum and it's harder every day...

Cheers!

Julián

2012/5/8 David Li <taw...@gmail.com>

[David Li]

They are all in the Drawers. ;) 

Hmm... here is a quick question. We have thought about implementing affiliation links from the blocks to the vendor's ecommerce site to generate revenue to support the continuous development of the program. Would this feature be welcomed or annoying? 

David

[Julián da Silva Gillig]

Hi David! I think it is a great idea. I was talking precisely of something like that with Seeedstudio when went to China. It will help to improve the software and if it's well done, I think it will no disturb to the users. Just my thoughts...

2012/5/8 David Li <taw...@gmail.com>

[te...@terryking.us]

Hi,

Two thoughts:

Many items from multiple suppliers are functionally identical at the block level (LEDs, switches etc).. So how/why would you show them as separate bricks??��

I am fine with the idea of links to suppliers (like Me!) and we could work some method to support the effort(s)..

That said, I'd like to see a list of all the available blocks, without rummaging through the drawers.. (Although I used to love doing that when I worked for IBM)...

Regards, Terry King

...On the Mediterranean in Italy

te...@yourduino.com

> They are all in the Drawers. ;)
>
> Hmm... here is a quick question. We have thought about implementing
> affiliation links from the blocks to the vendor's ecommerce site to generate
> revenue to support the continuous development of the program. Would this
> feature be welcomed or annoying?
>
> David
>
> On May 8, 2012, at 1:58 AM, Sean Lewis wrote:
>
>> With that said, maybe David can answer this also, it where can we get a
>> list of Compatible sensors used for Ardublocks?
>>
>>
>> Sean Lewis
>> Coach and Mentor
>> Eaglesnest Robotics
>> www.eaglesnestrobotics.com
>> Facebook: Eaglesnest Robotics
>> Twitter: EglsnstRobotics
>> YouTube: EaglesnestRobotics
>> "Learning, Exploring, and Originating, through Robotics."
>>

>> On May 7, 2012, at 1:31 PM, "Juli�n da Silva Gillig"

>>> Juli�n

>>> > On May 7, 2012, at 11:21 AM, "Juli�n da Silva Gillig" <

>>> > Juli�n

>>> >> On May 6, 2012, at 10:19 PM, "Juli�n da Silva Gillig" <

>>> >> Juli�n

[David Li]

Hi Terry, 

  I found that abstraction doesn't work for entry level learners to this area. Having blocks represents real world objects making it easier for the beginners to get started because they know exactly which piece of objects they are connecting. 

  I will extra the info for you. 

David

>> On May 7, 2012, at 1:31 PM, "Julián da Silva Gillig"

>>> Julián

>>> > On May 7, 2012, at 11:21 AM, "Julián da Silva Gillig" <

>>> > Julián

>>> >> On May 6, 2012, at 10:19 PM, "Julián da Silva Gillig" <

>>> >> Julián

[Michaël Clergeot]

Hi,
is ti possible to create 2 levels, one for beginner with blocks like
current version and another level for "expert" ?

-*Michaël*-

> > >>> > 2012/5/7 Sean Lewis <eaglesnestrobot...@gmail.com>

> > >>> >> julian.dasilva.gil...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > >>> >> Hi Sean, I will try to answer your question from my own view, but I
> > >>> think
> > >>> >> it will be really important to see David 's view also ;)
>
> > >>> >> Both environments have 2 kinds of differences:
>
> > >>> >> A. Temporal differences: These are caused by the lack of time to
> > >>> implement
> > >>> >> features that the developers want for both environments. But those
> > >>> >> differences will probably disappear with time. I will give you 3
> > >>> examples
>

> ...
>
> plus de détails »

[jeandaniel planterose]

Hello,

Yes, why not ? Good idea !

JD

2012/5/9 Michaël Clergeot <mcle...@ac-versailles.fr>

[Li David]

How would we envision the "expert blocks?"

We are still working in user-defined blocks which are likely to be used for the experts.

Also, we may also make some of the backend block building more declarative so new components can be more easily added with a declaration inside the XML file.

David

Sent from my iPhone

[jeandaniel planterose]

hi,
By example, when we start the software, we could have the choice for 2
xml files. One file with only some brick and an other one with more
bricks and self made brick...
But i´m not a xml expert ;-)
Jean-daniel


2012/5/9, Li David <taw...@gmail.com>:

[TerryKing]

OK, can we reply without additional login?? "Author" restricts
starting new thread??

On May 8, 2:18 pm, Julián da Silva Gillig

<julian.dasilva.gil...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi David! You are welcome! Thanks for opening it! I'm fighting spammers in
> Minibloq's forum and it's harder every day...
> Cheers!
> Julián
>

> 2012/5/8 David Li <tawe...@gmail.com>

[David Li]

With Author role, you can create new post for the blog.

David

[Mat]

Hi! New to the party here!

What a great thread! Can I, 1.5 years later, ask if new critical developments have been made to Ardublock or Minibloq that make them differ more? Has development on one been more active than the other? Have other critical aspects come up?

Thank you!

<:-)