pxt-calliope/docs/getting-started.md

Getting started

Are you ready to build cool BBC micro:bit programs?

Here are some challenges for you. Unscramble the blocks in the editor to make real programs that work!

Happy face

There are three blocks in the editor (the area to the left). They should look like this:

basic.forever(() => {
    basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . # . # .
        . . . . .
        # . . . #
        . # # # .
        `)
    basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        `)
});

When you run this program, you will see a smiley face, then a blank screen, then a smiley again -- it never stops! (That's because of the forever block.)

To move your program from your computer to the BBC micro:bit:

• Connect your micro:bit to the computer with the USB cable.
• Click Compile.
• Drag and drop the new file whose name ends in .hex into the MICROBIT window.
• Wait until the yellow light stops blinking!

Happy unhappy face

Draw an unhappy face instead of the blank screen. Click on the dots in the second show leds block until it matches the blocks below. Now you have an animation (cartoon) that shows a happy face, then an unhappy one, then a happy one again, forever (or until you turn off your micro:bit)!

basic.forever(() => {
    basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . # . # .
        . . . . .
        # . . . #
        . # # # .
        `)
    basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . # . # .
        . . . . .
        . # # # .
        # . . . #
        `)
});

To move your program from your computer to the BBC micro:bit:

• Connect your micro:bit to the computer with the USB cable.
• Click Compile.
• Drag and drop the new file whose name ends in .hex into the MICROBIT window.
• Wait until the yellow light stops blinking!

Your turn!

Pile up more show leds blocks to create your animation! Create an animation with at least 5 pictures. What does this animation show?

basic.forever(() => {
    basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . # . # .
        . . . . .
        # . . . #
        . # # # .
        `)
    basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . # . # .
        . . . . .
        # # # # #
        . . . . .
        `)
    basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . # . # .
        . . . . .
        . # # # .
        # . . . #
        `)
    basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . # . # .
        . . . . .
        # # # # #
        . . . # #
        `)
    basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        # . # . .
        . . . . .
        # . . . #
        . # # # .
        `)
    basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . . # . #
        . . . . .
        # . . . #
        . # # # .
        `)
});

To move your program from your computer to the BBC micro:bit:

• Connect your micro:bit to the computer with the USB cable.
• Click Compile.
• Drag and drop the new file whose name ends in .hex into the MICROBIT window.
• Wait until the yellow light stops blinking!

~hint

You can find the show leds block in the Basic part of the editor.

~

Button A and button B

This program will show the word anteater on the LED screen when you press button A.

input.onButtonPressed(Button.A, () => {
    basic.showString("anteater");
});

~hint

The showString block can show letters, numbers, and punctuation on the micro:bit screen.

~

Now try to unscramble these blocks in the editor so that the micro:bit shows banana when you press button B.

input.onButtonPressed(Button.B, () => {
    basic.showString("banana");
});

~hint

You can find the letter B by clicking the letter A on the onButtonPressed block.

~

Your turn!

Can you combine these blocks so your program shows your real name instead of anteater when you press A, but your secret agent name instead of banana when you press B?

Shake

You can find when someone is shaking the BBC micro:bit by checking its accelerometer (it finds whether the micro:bit is speeding up or slowing down).

Unscramble these blocks in the editor to show a frownie when someone shakes the micro:bit. (Ouch!)

input.onGesture(Gesture.Shake, () => {
    basic.showLeds(`
. . . . .
. # . # .
. . . . .
. # # # .
# . . . #`);
});

Tilting with gestures

You can also find when someone is tilting the micro:bit left or right, face up or face down, and logo up or logo down (the logo is the yellow oval picture at the top of the board). Tilting a micro:bit like this is called a gesture.

Try to build a Rock Paper Scissors game where you tilt the micro:bit left to show paper, right to show scissors, and down to show rock.

Unscramble these blocks in the editor and try this program on a real micro:bit!

input.onGesture(Gesture.TiltLeft, () => {
    basic.showLeds(`
# # # # #
# . . . #
# . . . #
# . . . #
# # # # #`);
});
input.onGesture(Gesture.LogoDown, () => {
    basic.showLeds(`
. . . . .
. # # # .
. # # # .
. # # # .
. . . . .`);
});
input.onGesture(Gesture.TiltRight, () => {
    basic.showLeds(`
# # . . #
# # . # .
. . # . .
# # . # .
# # . . #`);
});

Pins

You can also use the pins as buttons. (The pins are the holes in the metal stripe at the bottom of the micro:bit board.) For example, hold the GND button with one hand and touch the 0 pin (called P0) with your other hand to tell the micro:bit you're pressing it.

Unscramble the blocks in the editor to show a smiley when you press pin P0.

input.onPinPressed(TouchPin.P0, () => {
    basic.showLeds(`
. . . . .
. # . # .
. . . . .
# . . . #
. # # # .`);
});

Your turn!

Use the screen, buttons, gestures, and pins to make your own fun game with the BBC micro:bit! What about some of these?

• A backpack burglar alarm
• Daily news broadcaster for your class
• Animated jewelry
• A complete animated cartoon
• A calculator
• A music box

These are all things you can make with the BBC micro:bit by itself. Just think what you can do if you connect the micro:bit's pins to extra parts like microphones and other sensors!