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ScratchLearningResource MyBlocks

The document explains how to create custom blocks in Scratch that allow defining reusable procedures. It covers making a basic block, differences between blocks and broadcasts, using parameters with blocks, and options like running blocks without screen refresh.

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odhiambojoseph281
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48 views

ScratchLearningResource MyBlocks

The document explains how to create custom blocks in Scratch that allow defining reusable procedures. It covers making a basic block, differences between blocks and broadcasts, using parameters with blocks, and options like running blocks without screen refresh.

Uploaded by

odhiambojoseph281
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Make Your Own Custom My

Blocks
Have you seen the “My Blocks” category in the Scratch blocks palette? When you
click on it, no blocks are present until you create one. Let’s explore how to create a
customized block and when and why you might want to use them.

In this guide, you’ll find:

● Creating a Basic My Block


● My Block Versus Broadcast
● Run Without Screen Refresh
● My Block with Parameters

Creating a Basic My Block


As you’re creating a Scratch program, say you’ve written a
sequence of steps that performs a particular action. That
action could be performing a complicated spin, playing a
set of musical notes, drawing a shape with the pen tool,
performing some complex math…or anything else. That
stack of blocks is known as a “procedure” or a “routine.”

Most computer programming languages allow you to


create a name for a procedure and then call for it to run at
any point in the main program. In Scratch, we use “My
Blocks.”

To create a block, click on the “Make a block” button


under the “My Blocks” category in the blocks palette. You
can give your block any name you want, but it is best if it is
a descriptive name so you can recall later what the
procedure does. For this basic block, once you’ve
provided a name, simply click “OK” (no need to add or
check anything else).

Created by the Scratch Foundation (scratchfoundation.org). Shared under the


Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Once a new block is created, you'll see a new “define” event handler block appear
on the scripts area. Place all the blocks in your procedure under this block. (In the
example below, what do you think the “cat spin” procedure does?)

Now that you’ve defined what your


custom block does, you can use the new
custom block in your main program. The
advantage of writing this procedure
separately is that you can use one block
to call for a set of steps to be run each
time you need them. Creating separate
procedures using custom blocks
makes the code faster to write and
read, and easier or quicker to edit.

A custom block isn’t just for code that will


repeat. If you have a long complex
sequence that performs a particular
action, you may want to define it as a
custom block so you can more easily
identify and edit the steps involved later.

My Block Versus Broadcast


If you have used a broadcast block before,
you have already practiced writing a
procedure outside the main program. When
the sprite or backdrop receives a broadcast, it
can run a series of code that you have defined
under the “when I receive” hat block. So what
is the difference between using a broadcast
and creating a custom block to hold a
procedure?

When you use a custom My Block in your


program, the program pauses and runs
through all the steps under the “define”
block before preceding.

When you use broadcast in your program, the


program sends the message and then Try these two code sequence pairings
proceeds with the next steps in the program, to see the difference between calling for a
so code sequences may run simultaneously. custom block and calling for a broadcast.

Created by the Scratch Foundation (scratchfoundation.org). Shared under the


Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
When choosing whether to use a custom My Block or a broadcast, think about
whether you want to run through each step in the procedure before moving on (My
Block), or want the procedure to run simultaneously as the main program moves
ahead (broadcast).

Since the program pauses to perform all the code defined under a
custom block before moving on, if you put a forever block under a
custom My Block, it will never get to the next code blocks in the main
program. It is best to use a broadcast for code that runs forever.

It is also important to note that a custom block is specific to the


sprite where it was defined. If you want to use the same procedure
for additional sprites, you’ll have to copy the “define” event block and
the procedure attached to it to each sprite. And unlike a broadcast
block that can send messages globally between all sprites and backdrops, a custom My Block is
local, usable only by the sprite it is defined on. The call for the custom block isn’t received by any
other sprites, even if their custom block has the same name.

“Run Without Screen Refresh”


When you create a custom My Block, the option to “Run without
screen refresh” can be checked on or off. What does it mean?
When you are viewing a Scratch program run on the stage, you
may not realize that the screen is constantly refreshing, redrawing
the scene at a certain frame rate.

If the refresh is happening at the right speed, your eyes should perceive continuous motion and
you can see all the intermediate steps as the program progresses. But if the sequence runs
quickly between refreshes, your eyes will not be able to perceive the action and you’ll only see
the finished product. Sometimes we may want to see each step, and sometimes we may just
want the result. (See https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/921473501 or
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/921541090 for examples of with or without screen refresh.)

When you check to “Run without screen refresh,” Scratch will attempt to run the
script as fast as possible (in one frame) and will not refresh the screen until it has
finished executing all the steps in the procedure. If you’ve used turbo mode before in
Scratch, it is a similar concept, but turbo mode applies to the entire program, while “Run
without screen refresh” only applies to the procedure in your custom block.

One important note is that if any of the blocks in your custom block involve time, you should
not use “Run without screen refresh.” Because the program needs to honor the time, trying to
run the code without refreshing could cause a lag, screen freezes, or even program crashes.

Created by the Scratch Foundation (scratchfoundation.org). Shared under the


Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
My Block with Parameters
What if you want to perform the same procedure each time the custom block is
called in the main program, but with a small modification each time, like the text
shown or the coordinate used or a different value in one or more of those blocks?
You can create a My Block with parameters!

When creating your custom block, you’ll need to add an


input. With an input in place, the custom block will
use the parameter (the data you’ll provide in the
input bubble) when you use the block. You’ll also
want to give your input a descriptive name.

If you are using more than one input in your block, you can
also add labels (descriptive text) between the inputs to
help you remember what each input bubble is for when
you use it in your main program.

As before, add the desired code sequence under the


“define” block. Then, in place of static, unchanging
information in your blocks, you can use the input. To get
the input, click on the input label in the “define” block and
drag it out to place it in a code block.

Now, when you use this custom block in the main


program, you can see the blank input bubble where you
can enter the parameter.

You are able to use the same code sequence and


customize it over and over without rewriting the code
stack each time.

(See https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/924066221 and


https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/921462593 as examples.)

You can:
● Create multiple custom blocks, with or without inputs, to use throughout your program.
● Use a custom block inside another custom block.
(Example: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/921283811)
● Combine broadcast blocks and custom blocks, depending on your needs, to create a
dynamic program! (Example: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/921470324)

What will you create?

Created by the Scratch Foundation (scratchfoundation.org). Shared under the


Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Tip: If you’d like to translate this guide, click here to make a copy of this Google doc.

Created by the Scratch Foundation (scratchfoundation.org). Shared under the


Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).

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