Greenfoot

About Technocamps
We go around schools and show you lots of interesting stuff!

We also do things we call “bootcamps” during holidays!

 Pre-day
Questionnaires
 This is a Computer
•  What do computers do?
•  How?

Computer Science:
•  What do you already know about Computer
Science?
•  What is Computer Science?
 Fact: Computers aren’t very smart!
In order for the computer to do ANYTHING it
has to be told specifically what to do. It needs
tasks breaking down into simple steps. This is
what programming is!

I am SILLY!
Fact: You can make them very smart!
“Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and
stupid. Human beings are incredibly slow,
inaccurate, and brilliant. Together they are
powerful beyond imagination.”
Leo Cherne 1968.
 Why choose
Computer
Science?

Watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=1o0oA3fa2ws&feature=related
 Modeling in the “Real World”
•  Clear, concise instruction giving is important.

•  Solving real problems in addition to making fun games, what kind of problems
can you think of that could be solved?

•  What jobs and careers are there? What do you think it is like working in the
Computing industry?

•  Is Computing and Computer Science only about programming?

Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGStqRMShj4&lr=1
 What careers are available?

Database
Designer Technician Teacher
analyst

Developer Engineer Researcher Consultant

What “Developer” jobs are available?
“Frontend/UI Developer” “IT Developer”
Permanent, London Permanent, Edinburgh
£35k - £46 pa + bonus £35k - £50 pa + Package

“Web Developer Apprentice” “Java Software Engineer”

Permanent, Edinburgh Permanent, Cardiff
£9,600 pa £30k - £40k pa

“Mobile App Developer” “Software Developer”

Permanent, Birmingham Undergraduate position, Swansea
£30k - £36 £17k - £18k
 What is “Object Orientated”
programming?
Object Orientated means that the programming language is based on “Objects”.
These Objects are blocks of code that can be reused after they are written.

What are the benefits of using Object-Orientated programming?

Java is an example of a programming language that is used daily in organisations

throughout the CS industry.
 Example of code
This is an example of code for a computer in Java.

Class MyFirstJavaProg!
{ !
public static void main(String [] args)!
{!
System.out.println("Hello World!");!
}!
}!

Any ideas what this could mean?

 Objects and Classes
This is an object: This is an class:

RoboGirl: Lisa!

Class: Robot

Name
RobotNumber
GroupName
GroupNumber
Progranimate
 Progranimate
Go to the Progranimate website: www.progranimate.com
•  Click on “Programming Problems”.

•  Click on “Sequence”.

Try the “McDullard’s problems”

 Real Programming
•  Year 7s – Year 13s attend a range of Technocamps workshops learning
introductory programming skills using “Drag and Drop” programming
environments.

•  You will be experiencing a real programming environment, exposing syntax

errors and how to code “properly”.
Greenfoot
 Greenfoot
Here is an example of what you can
achieve using the “Greenfoot”
programming environment:

Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=f7qQWvMb64U&feature=relat
ed
Greenfoot Interface

Class!Diagram!

World!
Greenfoot Interface

Subclass!

Constructor!

Instance!of!
“Wombat”!class!
 How to make Objects “Act”
•  Click on “Act” in the execution controls.

Each object has a built in “Act” method, so any instructions added here are run
when the “Act” button is pressed. In the Wombat example, the leaves are currently
not commanded to do anything, however the Wombats are programmed to move
forward.

•  Place 2 Wombats in the World and press Act, what happens?

•  Try placing several leaves on the World. Press Act.
•  What happens when the Wombats come across the leaves?
 Brackets in Java
() round brackets:
Known in the USA as “parentheses”, in the UK these are known as standard brackets.
They are used in mathematical expressions, surrounding the parameter lists for
method calls.
[] square brackets:
Known in the USA as “brackets”. In Java these are used for arrays.

{} curly brackets:
These are called “braces” or “squiggly brackets”. In Java, these are used to
surround blocks of code such as methods of class content.
 Movement

Enter the amount of steps to move within the round brackets inside the “Act”
method. This will run each time the “Act” button is pressed after the code is
compiled.
 Movement

Next, underneath “move(4);” command the actor to also turn to the value of 3.
See what happens after compiling and pressing “Act” what do you think “3” stands
for?
 Task
Experiment with the code in this “Act” method:

•  Make the circle the Wombat moves in bigger.

•  Make the circle smaller.
•  Try adding a different background.
•  Try changing the image of the Actor.
 Conditional Statements
An “If statement” can be used to state the following:

“If a certain condition occurs, execute the following code…

Else, if anything other than that condition occurs, execute
this code instead…”

You can use “IF” statements in your code to get your Actor to react to keyboard input, such
as the code snippet below:
 Obstacles
•  Add a new Actor, a rock has been used as an example. This will be your
obstacle.

•  You do not want this to move, so the code here does not need to be altered/
added to.

•  Place a variety of rocks around the World. To place these at random, click
“WombatWorld” and open up the code.

•  Copy the “RandomLeaves” method and paste directly below, edit the name of
“Leaves” to your given obstacle name and re-name the method so you do not
have 2 methods with the same names.
 Obstacles continued…
•  In order to stop the Wombat moving through the obstacle, add the below code
to make a new method in the “Wombat” class:
public boolean noRocks(int x, int y) {
World myWorld = getWorld();
List rocks = myWorld.getObjectsAt(x, y, Rock.class);
if(rocks.isEmpty())
{
return true;
}
else
{
return false;
}
}

Remember to change the name of “rock” to whatever you have named your
obstacle.
Randomly moving Actors

You can get your Actors to randomly move around

the World, this keeps your game exciting and will
be different each time you or another user plays
the game.
 Spinning collectables

To add some visual elements to your Greenfoot game,

you can get your collectables (currently the
collectables are leaves on the WombatWorld) to rotate
as the Wombat is moving around the screen collecting
them!
Adding Sound

In the Wombat “Act” method you can add a

“playSound” command that will play a saved
sound file when the method is run, for example:

Greenfoot.playSound(“file.filetype”);
 Score
Score is sometimes the most fun
part of a game. It allows other
players to compete against one
another without having to play at
the same time. It also allows a user
to assess how well they play the
game, progressing and improving
their score each time.

Implementing a score as a counter

within the WombatWorld will
greatly improve the quality of the
game.
 Let’s make our own game
Lets make our own games and publish them, have a go at the following:

•  Change the images (you can upload your own)

•  Change the size of the game (in WombatWorld the current size is 8x8)
•  Scoring
•  Use of obstacles
•  Different images for different obstacles
•  Adding sounds

Remember, there is a list of other commands on:

www.greenfoot.org/files/javadoc/index-all.html
 New game: PONG!
You can create a new scenario called “Pong”.

Add the list of classes and subclasses of Actors on

the right hand size to your new world.

The aim of the game is to bounce the ball into the

oppositions goal, but it is key to protect your own
goal as the other player will be trying to do the
same thing and score by knocking the ball into the
goal you’re protecting.
 Players
Controlling multiple players will allow us
to play the game against one-another.

The right player will use the standard

arrow keys on a keyboard to control its
Actor.

The left player will use the following

keys on a keyboard:

W = up
A = left
S = down
D = right
 New game: Shooting Game!
You can create a new scenario called “Shooting”.

Add the list of classes and subclasses of Actors on

the right hand size to your new world.

The aim of the game is to use a laser on a rocket

that you can control the movement of, to shoot the
aliens that appear in the created World.
 New game: Crab Game!
On the Greenfoot website, download the crab scenario and open on Greenfoot.
This may already be downloaded, if not follow the link below:

http://www.greenfoot.org/doc/tut-2

The aim of the game is to control the “Crab” using the left and
right keyboard arrow controls to collect and eat the worms as
the crab spins. Alternatively you can make the crab follow your
mouse around the World.
Make sure you avoid the lobster!
 New game: Marble Drop!
You can create a new scenario called
“MarbleWorld”.

Add the list of classes and subclasses of

Actors on the right hand size to your new
world.

The aim of this game is to guide a

marble left and right using the
mouse to try and fall through the
gaps in the floors which move up
the screen.
 Let’s make our own game
Let’s make our own games and publish them, have a go at the following:

•  Change the images (you can upload your own)

•  Change the size of the game (in WombatWorld the current size is 8x8)
•  Have a method of scoring
•  Use of obstacles or several enemies
•  Adding sounds

Remember, there is a list of other commands on:

www.greenfoot.org/files/javadoc/index-all.html
 Post-day
Questionnaires