List of Scratch Blocks Sorted By Function¶

This appendix lists all 121 core blocks in the Scratch 3.0 palette, grouped by the ten function categories in the blocks palette: Motion, Looks, Sound, Events, Control, Sensing, Operators, Variables, Lists, and My Blocks (custom blocks).

Motion¶

Motion blocks move a sprite around the stage — changing its position, direction, and rotation.

Move () Steps¶

move (10) steps

Moves the sprite forward the given number of steps in the direction it is currently facing. A negative number moves it backward.

Example: move (10) steps inside a forever loop makes a sprite glide continuously across the stage.

Turn Right () Degrees¶

turn right (15) degrees

Rotates the sprite clockwise by the given number of degrees.

Example: repeating turn right (15) degrees inside a loop makes the sprite spin in place.

Turn Left () Degrees¶

turn left (15) degrees

Rotates the sprite counter-clockwise by the given number of degrees.

Example: turn left (90) degrees spins a sprite a quarter turn to the left.

Go to ()¶

go to [random position v]

Instantly moves the sprite to a random position, the mouse-pointer, or another sprite, chosen from a dropdown.

Example: go to [random position v] at the start of a script scatters a sprite somewhere new every time the green flag is clicked.

Go to X: () Y: ()¶

go to x: (0) y: (0)

Instantly moves the sprite to an exact x/y coordinate on the stage.

Example: go to x: (0) y: (0) sends a sprite back to the center of the stage, a common "reset" step at the start of a script.

See Also: Change X by (), Set X to (), X Position

Glide () Secs to ()¶

glide (1) secs to [random position v]

Smoothly slides the sprite to a random position, the mouse-pointer, or another sprite over the given number of seconds, instead of jumping there instantly.

Example: glide (1) secs to [mouse-pointer v] makes a sprite drift smoothly toward the cursor.

See Also: Go to (), Glide () Secs to X: () Y: ()

Glide () Secs to X: () Y: ()¶

glide (1) secs to x: (0) y: (0)

Smoothly slides the sprite to the exact x/y coordinate given, over the number of seconds given.

Example: glide (2) secs to x: (200) y: (0) eases a sprite across the stage instead of teleporting it there.

See Also: Glide () Secs to (), Go to X: () Y: ()

Point in Direction ()¶

point in direction (90)

Sets the sprite's facing angle directly (0 = up, 90 = right, 180 = down, -90 = left), rather than turning relative to its current direction.

Example: point in direction (90) always makes the sprite face right, no matter which way it was already facing.

Point Towards ()¶

point towards [mouse-pointer v]

Rotates the sprite so it faces the mouse-pointer or another sprite.

Example: point towards [mouse-pointer v] combined with move (5) steps in a forever loop makes a sprite chase the cursor.

Change X by ()¶

change x by (10)

Moves the sprite horizontally by the given amount, added to its current x position.

Example: change x by (10) repeated in a loop slides a sprite steadily to the right.

See Also: Set X to (), Change Y by (), X Position

Set X to ()¶

set x to (0)

Sets the sprite's horizontal position directly, without changing its y position.

Example: set x to (0) resets a sprite's left/right position back to the center column of the stage.

See Also: Change X by (), Go to X: () Y: (), X Position

Change Y by ()¶

change y by (10)

Moves the sprite vertically by the given amount, added to its current y position.

Example: change y by (10) repeated in a loop makes a sprite rise up the stage, which is useful for a jump script.

See Also: Set Y to (), Change X by (), Y Position

Set Y to ()¶

set y to (0)

Sets the sprite's vertical position directly, without changing its x position.

Example: set y to (0) returns a sprite to the vertical middle of the stage after a jump.

See Also: Change Y by (), Go to X: () Y: (), Y Position

If on Edge, Bounce¶

if on edge, bounce

Reverses the sprite's direction when it touches the edge of the stage, like a ball bouncing off a wall.

Example: placing if on edge, bounce after move (10) steps inside a forever loop makes a sprite bounce back and forth across the stage.

Set Rotation Style ()¶

set rotation style [left-right v]

Controls how the sprite's costume turns: rotating freely, flipping only left-right, or not rotating at all.

Example: setting left-right rotation style keeps a walking character right-side up while it still faces the direction it moves.

X Position¶

x position

Reports the sprite's current horizontal position, a number between -240 and 240.

Example: go to x: (x position) y: (0) uses the reporter to keep the current x while resetting y to the middle.

See Also: Set X to (), Change X by (), Y Position

Y Position¶

y position

Reports the sprite's current vertical position, a number between -180 and 180.

Example: if <(y position) < (-170)> then checks whether a sprite has fallen near the bottom of the stage.

See Also: Set Y to (), Change Y by (), X Position

Direction¶

direction

Reports the sprite's current facing angle, a number from -179 to 180.

Example: say (direction) displays the sprite's current facing angle in a speech bubble, useful for debugging movement scripts.

Looks¶

Looks blocks control what a sprite looks like and what it displays — costumes, speech, size, visual effects, and layering.

Say () for () Seconds¶

say [Hello!] for (2) seconds

Shows a speech bubble with the given text for the given number of seconds, then removes it automatically.

Example: say [Hello!] for (2) seconds greets the player and then clears itself without needing a separate wait block.

See Also: Say (), Think () for () Seconds

Say ()¶

say [Hello!]

Shows a speech bubble with the given text that stays until replaced or cleared with another say or say [].

Example: chaining say [Ready?] then wait (1) seconds then say [Go!] creates a simple two-line dialogue.

See Also: Say () for () Seconds, Think ()

Think () for () Seconds¶

think [Hmm...] for (2) seconds

Shows a thought bubble with the given text for the given number of seconds.

Example: think [Hmm...] for (2) seconds shows a sprite pondering before it acts.

See Also: Think (), Say () for () Seconds

Think ()¶

think [Hmm...]

Shows a thought bubble with the given text that stays visible until changed or cleared.

Example: think [I wonder...] followed later by think [] shows and then clears a thought bubble.

See Also: Think () for () Seconds, Say ()

Switch Costume to ()¶

switch costume to (costume2)

Changes the sprite's current costume to the one selected from the dropdown.

Example: switching between two costumes named walk1 and walk2 inside a loop creates a simple walking animation.

See Also: Next Costume, Costume # or Name

Next Costume¶

next costume

Switches the sprite to the next costume in its costume list, wrapping back to the first costume after the last.

Example: calling next costume each time through a forever loop with a short wait cycles through all of a sprite's costumes to animate it.

See Also: Switch Costume to (), Costume # or Name

Switch Backdrop to ()¶

switch backdrop to (backdrop2)

Changes the stage's current backdrop to the one selected from the dropdown.

Example: switch backdrop to (game-over v) changes the scene when a player loses, and can also trigger a "when backdrop switches to" script.

Next Backdrop¶

next backdrop

Switches the stage to the next backdrop in its list, wrapping around after the last one.

Example: calling next backdrop on a timer creates a simple slideshow effect.

Change Size by ()¶

change size by (10)

Changes the sprite's size by the given percentage, relative to its current size.

Example: change size by (10) repeated in a loop makes a sprite grow larger and larger, useful for a "power up" effect.

See Also: Set Size to ()%, Size

Set Size to ()%¶

set size to (100)%

Sets the sprite's size to an exact percentage of its original costume size.

Example: set size to (100)% at the start of a script restores a sprite to its normal size.

See Also: Change Size by (), Size

Change Graphic Effect by ()¶

change [color v] effect by (25)

Changes a visual effect (color, fisheye, whirl, pixelate, mosaic, brightness, or ghost) on the sprite by the given amount.

Example: change [ghost v] effect by (10) repeated in a loop slowly fades a sprite out.

Set Graphic Effect to ()¶

set [color v] effect to (0)

Sets a visual effect on the sprite to an exact value, rather than changing it relative to its current value.

Example: set [ghost v] effect to (50) makes a sprite exactly half transparent.

Clear Graphic Effects¶

clear graphic effects

Removes all visual effects from the sprite, returning it to its normal appearance.

Example: running clear graphic effects when a script restarts undoes any color, ghost, or other effects left over from before.

Show¶

show

Makes the sprite visible on the stage.

Example: show at the start of a script ensures a sprite that was previously hidden becomes visible again.

See Also: Hide

Hide¶

hide

Makes the sprite invisible on the stage. A hidden sprite can still run scripts and detect some sensing, but cannot be seen or clicked.

Example: hide is often used to remove a sprite after it has been "caught" or "collected" in a game.

See Also: Show

Go to Front or Back Layer¶

go to [front v] layer

Moves the sprite to the very front or very back of the stacking order of all sprites.

Example: go to [front v] layer ensures the player sprite always draws on top of background decorations.

See Also: Go Forward or Backward () Layers

Go Forward or Backward () Layers¶

go forward (1) layers

Moves the sprite forward or backward a given number of layers in the stacking order, relative to its current layer.

Example: go backward (1) layers sends a sprite one step behind whatever is currently in front of it.

See Also: Go to Front or Back Layer

Costume # or Name¶

costume [number v]

Reports the current costume's number or name, depending on the dropdown choice.

Example: if <(costume [number v]) = (3)> then runs a script only while a specific costume is showing.

See Also: Switch Costume to (), Next Costume

Backdrop # or Name¶

backdrop [number v]

Reports the stage's current backdrop number or name, depending on the dropdown choice.

Example: if <(backdrop [name v]) = [game-over]> then checks which scene is currently showing.

Size¶

size

Reports the sprite's current size as a percentage of its original costume size.

Example: if <(size) < (20)> then can trigger a "sprite is too small" event, such as removing it from the game.

See Also: Set Size to ()%, Change Size by ()

Sound¶

Sound blocks play and control audio — sound effects, music, volume, and audio effects like pitch and pan.

Play Sound () Until Done¶

play sound [pop v] until done

Plays the selected sound and waits for it to finish before running the next block.

Example: play sound [pop v] until done is used for dialogue or effects that must finish before the script continues.

See Also: Start Sound (), Stop All Sounds

Start Sound ()¶

start sound [pop v]

Starts playing the selected sound and immediately continues to the next block, without waiting.

Example: start sound [background-music v] at the start of a game lets music play in the background while other scripts keep running.

Stop All Sounds¶

stop all sounds

Immediately stops every sound currently playing, on every sprite and the stage.

Example: stop all sounds is often placed in a "game over" script to cut off music and effects at once.

Change Sound Effect by ()¶

change [pitch v] effect by (10)

Changes an audio effect (pitch or pan left/right) by the given amount, relative to its current value.

Example: change [pitch v] effect by (10) repeated in a loop raises the pitch of subsequent sounds, like a "chipmunk voice" effect.

Set Sound Effect to ()¶

set [pitch v] effect to (0)

Sets an audio effect to an exact value, rather than changing it relative to its current value.

Example: set [pan left/right v] effect to (-100) makes a sound play entirely from the left speaker.

Clear Sound Effects¶

clear sound effects

Removes all pitch and pan effects, returning sounds to their normal pitch and balance.

Example: clear sound effects resets audio back to normal after a temporary pitch-shift gag.

Change Volume by ()¶

change volume by (-10)

Changes the sprite's (or stage's) volume by the given amount, relative to its current volume.

Example: change volume by (-10) repeated in a loop fades music out gradually.

See Also: Set Volume to ()%, Volume

Set Volume to ()%¶

set volume to (100)%

Sets the sprite's (or stage's) volume to an exact percentage.

Example: set volume to (50)% halves the loudness of everything that sprite plays afterward.

See Also: Change Volume by (), Volume

Volume¶

volume

Reports the current volume level as a percentage.

Example: if <(volume) = (0)> then can trigger a "muted" icon to appear.

See Also: Set Volume to ()%, Change Volume by ()

Events¶

Event blocks start scripts running, either in response to something happening (a hat block) or by broadcasting a message to trigger other scripts.

When Green Flag Clicked¶

when green flag clicked

Starts the attached script when the green flag above the stage is clicked. This is the most common way to start a Scratch program.

Example: nearly every project starts with when green flag clicked followed by blocks that reset the sprite's position and costume.

See Also: When This Sprite Clicked, Broadcast ()

When () Key Pressed¶

when [space v] key pressed

Starts the attached script whenever the chosen key is pressed on the keyboard.

Example: when [space v] key pressed paired with change y by (50) makes a sprite jump whenever the space bar is pressed.

When This Sprite Clicked¶

when this sprite clicked

Starts the attached script whenever the player clicks directly on this sprite.

Example: when this sprite clicked followed by change [score v] by (1) turns a sprite into a clickable button.

When Stage Clicked¶

when stage clicked

Starts the attached script whenever the player clicks anywhere on the stage background (not on a sprite).

Example: when stage clicked can be used to dismiss an instructions screen when the player clicks to begin.

See Also: When This Sprite Clicked

When Backdrop Switches to ()¶

when backdrop switches to [backdrop2 v]

Starts the attached script whenever the stage's backdrop changes to the one chosen in the dropdown.

Example: when backdrop switches to [game-over v] can trigger the ending music and score display.

When Loudness or Timer Greater Than ()¶

when [loudness v] > (10)

Starts the attached script the moment the microphone loudness or the timer rises above the given value.

Example: when [loudness v] > (50) can start a script when the player claps or shouts into the microphone.

See Also: Loudness, Timer

When I Receive ()¶

when I receive [message1 v]

Starts the attached script whenever the chosen message is broadcast by any script in the project.

Example: when I receive [game-over v] lets every sprite react to a single broadcast, such as hiding themselves or stopping their movement.

See Also: Broadcast (), Broadcast () and Wait

Broadcast ()¶

broadcast [message1 v]

Sends a message to every script in the project immediately, without waiting for the receiving scripts to finish.

Example: broadcast [game-over v] tells every sprite listening for that message to react at the same time.

Broadcast () and Wait¶

broadcast [message1 v] and wait

Sends a message to every script and pauses this script until all the receiving scripts have finished running.

Example: broadcast [start-round v] and wait makes sure every sprite has finished its setup before the main script continues.

See Also: Broadcast (), When I Receive ()

Control¶

Control blocks direct the flow of a script — waiting, repeating, branching with conditions, stopping scripts, and working with clones.

Wait () Seconds¶

wait (1) seconds

Pauses the script for the given number of seconds before continuing to the next block.

Example: wait (1) seconds between two say blocks gives the player time to read each line.

See Also: Wait Until (), Repeat Until ()

Repeat ()¶

repeat (10) move (10) steps end

Runs the blocks inside it a fixed number of times, then continues to the blocks after it.

Example: repeat (4) wrapped around move (100) steps and turn right (90) degrees draws a square.

See Also: Forever, Repeat Until ()

Forever¶

forever move (2) steps end

Runs the blocks inside it over and over, with no set number of times — the loop only stops when the script is stopped or the project ends.

Example: forever wrapped around if on edge, bounce and move (5) steps keeps a ball bouncing for as long as the project runs.

See Also: Repeat (), Repeat Until ()

If () Then¶

if <touching [edge v]?> then change x by (-10) end

Runs the blocks inside it only if the given condition is true; otherwise it skips straight to the blocks after it.

Example: if <(score) > (10)> then followed by broadcast [win v] reacts only when the score reaches a threshold.

If () Then, Else¶

if <(score) > (10)> then say [You win!] else say [Keep trying!] end

Runs one set of blocks if the condition is true, and a different set of blocks if it is false.

Example: checking <touching [Enemy v]?> and saying "Ouch!" in the true branch while doing nothing in the false branch reacts only to a collision.

See Also: If () Then, Wait Until ()

Wait Until ()¶

wait until <key [space v] pressed?>

Pauses the script until the given condition becomes true, then continues to the next block.

Example: wait until <key [space v] pressed?> holds a script at a "press space to start" screen until the player is ready.

See Also: If () Then, Repeat Until ()

Repeat Until ()¶

repeat until <touching [edge v]?> move (10) steps end

Runs the blocks inside it over and over until the given condition becomes true, then continues to the blocks after it.

Example: repeat until <(lives) = (0)> runs the main game loop until the player has no lives left.

See Also: Forever, Wait Until (), Repeat ()

Stop ()¶

stop [all v]

Stops scripts, chosen from a dropdown: all scripts in the project, just this script, or all other scripts running on this sprite.

Example: stop [all v] in a "game over" script halts every other running script at once.

When I Start as a Clone¶

when I start as a clone

Starts the attached script whenever a clone of this sprite is created, in addition to the original sprite's own scripts.

Example: when I start as a clone followed by go to (random position v) gives each new clone its own random starting spot.

See Also: Create Clone of (), Delete This Clone

Create Clone of ()¶

create clone of [myself v]

Creates a temporary copy of this sprite (or another sprite), which runs its own "when I start as a clone" scripts.

Example: create clone of [myself v] inside a repeat loop spawns several copies of a sprite, such as a row of enemies.

Delete This Clone¶

delete this clone

Removes this clone from the project, freeing the memory it used. Has no effect on the original sprite.

Example: delete this clone after if <touching [Player v]?> then removes a clone as soon as it hits the player.

Sensing¶

Sensing blocks detect what is happening around a sprite — touching, mouse and keyboard input, timers, and questions asked of the player.

Touching ()?¶

touching [mouse-pointer v]?

Reports true if the sprite is touching the mouse-pointer, the edge, or another sprite chosen from the dropdown.

Example: if <touching [Enemy v]?> then checks for a collision with a specific sprite.

Touching Color ()?¶

touching color [#ff0000]?

Reports true if the sprite is touching the given color anywhere on the stage.

Example: if <touching color [#ff0000]?> then can detect when a sprite touches a red "lava" area drawn on the backdrop.

See Also: Touching ()?, Color () Is Touching ()?

Color () Is Touching ()?¶

color [#ff0000] is touching [#0000ff]?

Reports true if a specific color on the sprite's own costume is touching a specific color anywhere else, which is more precise than checking the whole sprite.

Example: checking whether a sprite's "wheel" color is touching the "road" color can confirm exact contact points for a driving game.

See Also: Touching Color ()?, Touching ()?

Distance to ()¶

distance to [mouse-pointer v]

Reports the distance, in steps, between this sprite and the mouse-pointer or another sprite.

Example: if <(distance to [Player v]) < (50)> then checks whether an enemy has gotten close to the player.

See Also: Point Towards (), Touching ()?

Ask () and Wait¶

ask [What is your name?] and wait

Shows a text box on the stage with the given question, and pauses the script until the player types an answer and presses Enter.

Example: ask [What is your name?] and wait followed by say (join [Hello, ] (answer)) greets the player by the name they typed.

See Also: Answer

Answer¶

answer

Reports the text the player most recently typed in response to an ask block.

Example: if <(answer) = [yes]> then checks how the player responded to a yes/no question.

See Also: Ask () and Wait

Key () Pressed?¶

key [space v] pressed?

Reports true for as long as the chosen key is being held down.

Example: if <key [right arrow v] pressed?> then followed by change x by (10) moves a sprite right while the arrow key is held.

See Also: When () Key Pressed, Mouse Down?

Mouse Down?¶

mouse down?

Reports true for as long as the mouse button is being held down.

Example: if <mouse down?> then followed by go to (mouse-pointer v) lets a sprite be dragged around while the mouse button is held.

See Also: Mouse X, Mouse Y, Key () Pressed?

Mouse X¶

mouse x

Reports the mouse-pointer's current horizontal position on the stage.

Example: set x to (mouse x) makes a sprite always line up under the cursor horizontally, like a paddle.

See Also: Mouse Y, Mouse Down?

Mouse Y¶

mouse y

Reports the mouse-pointer's current vertical position on the stage.

Example: set y to (mouse y) makes a sprite track the cursor vertically.

See Also: Mouse X, Mouse Down?

Set Drag Mode ()¶

set drag mode [draggable v]

Controls whether the player can pick up and drag the sprite with the mouse while the project is running.

Example: set drag mode [draggable v] lets players rearrange puzzle piece sprites by hand.

See Also: Mouse Down?, Mouse X

Loudness¶

loudness

Reports the current volume detected by the microphone, from 0 to 100.

Example: set size to (loudness) makes a sprite grow and shrink with the sound of the player's voice.

Timer¶

timer

Reports the number of seconds since the project started, or since the timer was last reset.

Example: say (timer) displays how many seconds have elapsed, useful for building a stopwatch.

Reset Timer¶

reset timer

Sets the timer back to zero.

Example: reset timer at the start of a level lets the next timer reading measure exactly how long that level took.

See Also: Timer

Property () of ()¶

[x position v] of [Sprite1 v]

Reports a chosen property (such as x position, costume number, or a variable) belonging to another sprite or the stage.

Example: [y position v] of [Enemy v] lets one sprite's script read another sprite's position directly.

See Also: X Position, Y Position

Current Time Unit ()¶

current [minute v]

Reports part of the current date or time — year, month, date, day of the week, hour, minute, or second — chosen from the dropdown.

Example: current [hour v] can be used to change a backdrop to "night" after 6pm.

See Also: Days Since 2000, Timer

Days Since 2000¶

days since 2000

Reports the number of days that have passed since January 1, 2000, which is useful as a simple, ever-increasing counter.

Example: comparing two readings of days since 2000 can measure how many days apart two events were.

See Also: Current Time Unit ()

Username¶

username

Reports the Scratch username of the person currently viewing the project, or an empty string if the project is not running on the Scratch website while logged in.

Example: say (join [Hi, ] (username)) can personalize a greeting for a logged-in player.

See Also: Answer

Operators¶

Operator blocks do math, compare values, combine booleans, and work with text.

Addition (+)¶

(1) + (1)

Reports the sum of two numbers.

Example: change [score v] by ((points) + (bonus)) adds two values together before applying them to a variable.

See Also: Subtraction (−), Multiplication (×)

Subtraction (−)¶

(1) - (1)

Reports the result of subtracting the second number from the first.

Example: set [lives v] to ((lives) - (1)) reduces a variable by one when the player is hit.

See Also: Addition (+), Division (÷)

Multiplication (×)¶

(1) * (1)

Reports the product of two numbers.

Example: set [area v] to ((width) * (height)) computes an area from two variables.

See Also: Division (÷), Addition (+)

Division (÷)¶

(1) / (1)

Reports the result of dividing the first number by the second.

Example: set [average v] to ((total) / (count)) computes an average from two variables.

See Also: Multiplication (×), Modulo (mod)

Pick Random () to ()¶

pick random (1) to (10)

Reports a random number between the two given values, inclusive.

Example: go to x: (pick random (-200) to (200)) y: (150) drops a sprite at a random horizontal position along the top of the stage.

See Also: Addition (+), Modulo (mod)

Less Than (<)¶

(1) < (2)

Reports true if the first value is less than the second.

Example: if <(lives) < (1)> then checks whether the player has run out of lives.

See Also: Greater Than (>), Equals (=)

Equals (=)¶

(1) = (1)

Reports true if the two values are equal.

Example: if <(answer) = [yes]> then checks whether the player's typed answer matches exactly.

See Also: Less Than (<), Greater Than (>)

Greater Than (>)¶

(1) > (2)

Reports true if the first value is greater than the second.

Example: if <(score) > (highscore)> then checks whether the player has beaten the previous high score.

See Also: Less Than (<), Equals (=)

And¶

<(1) = (1)> and <(1) = (1)>

Reports true only if both of the two given conditions are true.

Example: if <<key [up arrow v] pressed?> and <not <touching [edge v]?>>> then moves a sprite up only while it is not already at the edge.

See Also: Or, Not

Or¶

<(1) = (1)> or <(1) = (1)>

Reports true if at least one of the two given conditions is true.

Example: if <<key [space v] pressed?> or <mouse down?>> then reacts to either the space key or a mouse click.

See Also: And, Not

Not¶

not <(1) = (1)>

Reverses a condition — reports true if the given condition is false, and false if it is true.

Example: if <not <touching [edge v]?>> then runs only while the sprite is away from the edge.

See Also: And, Or

Join () ()¶

join [hello ] [world]

Reports one piece of text made by sticking the two given pieces of text together.

Example: say (join [Score: ] (score)) combines a label with a variable's value into a single line of text.

See Also: Letter () of (), Length of () (String)

Letter () of ()¶

letter (1) of [world]

Reports the single character at the given position in a piece of text.

Example: letter (1) of (answer) reads just the first letter the player typed.

See Also: Join () (), Length of () (String)

Length of () (String)¶

length of [world]

Reports how many characters are in the given piece of text.

Example: if <(length of (answer)) > (10)> then checks whether the player typed a long answer.

See Also: Letter () of (), String Contains ()?

String Contains ()?¶

[hello world] contains [world]?

Reports true if the first piece of text contains the second piece of text anywhere inside it.

Example: if <(answer) contains [yes]?> then checks for the word "yes" anywhere in the player's typed answer.

See Also: Length of () (String), Join () ()

Modulo (mod)¶

(1) mod (1)

Reports the remainder after dividing the first number by the second — for example, (7) mod (2) reports 1.

Example: if <((counter) mod (2)) = (0)> then runs a script only on even numbers, alternating an effect every other time through a loop.

See Also: Division (÷), Round ()

Round ()¶

round (3.7)

Reports the given number rounded to the nearest whole number.

Example: set [score v] to (round (score)) cleans up a score that may have picked up decimal places from earlier math.

See Also: Math Function () of (), Modulo (mod)

Math Function () of ()¶

[sqrt v] of (9)

Reports the result of applying a math function — absolute value, floor, ceiling, square root, sine, cosine, tangent, or others — to the given number.

Example: [abs v] of ((x1) - (x2)) computes the absolute distance between two x positions.

See Also: Round (), Distance to ()

Variables¶

Variable blocks store and change single named values that a project can read and update while it runs.

Set Variable to ()¶

set [score v] to (0)

Sets the named variable to the given value, replacing whatever it held before.

Example: set [score v] to (0) at the start of a game resets the score before play begins.

Change Variable by ()¶

change [score v] by (1)

Adds the given amount to the named variable's current value. Use a negative number to subtract.

Example: change [score v] by (1) inside a collision check increases the score each time the player collects an item.

See Also: Set Variable to (), Variable Reporter

Show Variable ()¶

show variable [score v]

Displays the named variable's value in a small monitor on the stage.

Example: show variable [score v] at the start of a game keeps the score visible to the player throughout.

See Also: Hide Variable (), Variable Reporter

Hide Variable ()¶

hide variable [score v]

Removes the named variable's monitor from the stage, without deleting the variable itself.

Example: hide variable [debug-x v] keeps an internal variable used for testing off the screen that the player sees.

See Also: Show Variable ()

Variable Reporter¶

score

Reports the current value stored in the named variable. Scratch creates one of these oval reporter blocks automatically for every variable you make.

Example: say (score) displays the current value of the score variable in a speech bubble.

Lists¶

List blocks store and manipulate an ordered collection of values, such as a list of high scores or player names.

Add () to List¶

add [thing] to [my list v]

Adds the given value to the end of the named list.

Example: add (answer) to [names v] appends whatever the player just typed onto the end of a list.

Delete () of List¶

delete (1) of [my list v]

Removes the item at the given position from the named list.

Example: delete (1) of [my list v] removes the first item, shifting every later item up by one position.

See Also: Delete All of List, Add () to List

Delete All of List¶

delete all of [my list v]

Removes every item from the named list, leaving it empty.

Example: delete all of [high-scores v] clears the list before rebuilding it from saved data.

See Also: Delete () of List, Length of List

Insert () at () of List¶

insert [thing] at (1) of [my list v]

Inserts the given value into the named list at the given position, shifting later items back by one.

Example: insert (answer) at (1) of [names v] puts the newest entry at the very front of the list instead of the end.

Replace Item () of List with ()¶

replace item (1) of [my list v] with [thing]

Replaces the value at the given position in the named list with a new value, without changing the list's length.

Example: replace item (1) of [high-scores v] with (score) overwrites the top score entry with a new value.

Item () of List (Reporter)¶

item (1) of [my list v]

Reports the value stored at the given position in the named list.

Example: say (item (1) of [names v]) announces the first name stored in the list.

Item Number of () in List¶

item # of [thing] in [my list v]

Reports the position of the first matching value in the named list, or 0 if the value is not found.

Example: item # of (answer) in [names v] looks up where a typed name sits in the list.

Length of List¶

length of [my list v]

Reports how many items are currently in the named list.

Example: repeat (length of [names v]) loops once for every name currently stored in the list.

List Contains ()?¶

[my list v] contains [thing]?

Reports true if the named list contains the given value anywhere in it.

Example: if <[names v] contains (answer)?> then checks whether the player has already been added to the list.

Show List ()¶

show list [my list v]

Displays the named list's contents in a monitor on the stage.

Example: show list [high-scores v] keeps a scoreboard visible to the player throughout the game.

See Also: Hide List ()

Hide List ()¶

hide list [my list v]

Removes the named list's monitor from the stage, without deleting the list itself.

Example: hide list [debug-log v] keeps an internal list used for testing off the screen the player sees.

See Also: Show List ()

My Blocks (Custom Blocks)¶

My Blocks let a creator define a brand-new, reusable block out of other blocks, optionally with its own number, text, or boolean inputs.

Define () (Custom Block)¶

define star (size) (points) repeat (points) move (size) steps turn right (144) degrees end

The hat block that starts the definition of a custom block, naming its inputs. It only appears attached to the stack of blocks that make up the custom block's own script.

Example: define star (size) (points) followed by a repeat loop builds a reusable "draw a star" block that any script in the project can call.

See Also: Custom Block Call

Custom Block Call¶

star (100) (5)

Runs a custom block that has already been defined, passing in values for each of its inputs.

Example: star (100) (5) calls the star custom block defined above, drawing a five-pointed star with a size of 100.

See Also: Define () (Custom Block)