Designed to allow young new programmers to develop simple projects, Hopscotch is a visual programming language developed by Hopscotch Technologies.
Primarily used on iPad or iPhone iOS devices, Hopscotch is the first programming language designed for a touch-screen device.
The Hopscotch UI allows users to drag and drop blocks to create scripts that can be played when activated. The language and its applications are primarily designed for children between the ages of ten and sixteen.
Hopscotch is also a coding application that allows children to create their own games, stories, and art on iPad and iPhone devices, but it is not currently available for Android devices. The player for Hopscotch is available on the web, where it is known as the Webplayer. The web player brings Hopscotch projects to almost any browser, where it is designed to work the same as the in-app player, although the Webplayer does not have functionality for coding, uploading, or liking projects.
Hopscotch can be used to help children develop problem-solving skills while creating and playing games on their devices.
The Hopscotch programming language was heavily influenced by Scratch, which also allows users to drag blocks to create scripts. The idea was to create a language that was slightly easier to grasp than Scratch. Hopscotch was also influenced by AgentSheets, one of the earliest block-based programming languages designed for children. The notion of events and rules combining conditions with actions in Hopscotch is similar to that in AgentSheets.
Recommended Resources
CodeDocs: Hopscotch (programming language)
CodeDocs provides tutorials, documentation, and references to various programming languages and related technologies. Hopscotch is a visual programming language developed by Hopscotch Technologies, designed for young people to develop simple projects. CodeDocs offers an overview of the language and provides a guide to software development and the use of its editor, as well as an introduction to its in-app player or Webplayer. Supported languages include English, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish.
https://codedocs.org/what-is/hopscotch-programming-language
Designed to allow children aged 10-16 to code, share, and play on their iPhone or iPad devices, Hopscotch provides a canvas for new programmers to create games, turn drawings into animations, or build other applications, publishing them for friends and family, or explore projects made by other kids. It is available through the Apple AppStore, while created games may be played through a web browser. A Pro version is available for purchase, and free accounts are available for educators.
https://www.gethopscotch.com/
Hosted on the official Hopscotch website, the online discussion forum is designed to be a place to get help, share tips, and collaborate on Hopscotch programming and development. Registration is required in order to participate, although anyone can read. New members are asked to introduce themselves, and other guidelines are included. Topics include announcements, FAQs, debug requests, bugs, project updates, competitions and events, source code data, and the evolution of the language.
https://forum.gethopscotch.com/
PCMag: Hopscotch (for iPad) Review
PC Magazine was published in print from 1982 to 2009 and is currently published online, offering news and advice for PCs. Reviewed by Fahmida Y. Rashid, and published on June 26, 2014, Hopscotch was given 4 out of 5 stars. The listed pros are that it is easy to play, lets kids experiment with programming, teaches logical thinking, and can be shared, while cons include open-ended options that may intimidate beginners, programs that won't run outside of the app, and there are not enough tutorials.
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/hopscotch-for-ipad
