Programming guides

Start with the first path if programming is new to you. Read in order, or choose a question you are curious about. Each new lesson has an everyday example, a complete Pliro program, a prediction, a small challenge, and a common mistake. You can go at your own pace.

The next-step articles link to useful earlier lessons. Sorting uses nested loops, so try lists and loops first.

Where Pliro began

• SuperLogo and the turtle: learning by drawing

• The history of Pliro: learning to program together

First programming skills

1. What is Pliro?
2. What is a computer program?
3. What is an algorithm?
4. Breaking a problem into smaller steps
5. Input, processing, and output
6. Following a program step by step
7. Planning your first project
8. Finding bugs like a detective
9. Testing your program
10. Trying unusual inputs
11. Choosing clear names
12. Improving a working program

Next steps

• Remembering what is happening
• Making a program stop repeating
• Random does not mean “take turns”
• Finding something in a list
• Putting things in order
• Different screens in a game
• Bits, bytes, and computer memory
• Source code and finished apps
• Making programs for everyone
• Sharing your project safely

Using Pliro in practice

• The Pliro IDE: code, blocks and live preview

• Labs: simulation clocks and live measurements

• The playground: text, blocks and live preview

• 2D coordinates and drawing

• 3D worlds, coordinates, and cameras

• Adding pictures and sounds to a project

• Animation and frame timing

• Building and distributing applications

• Changing the language of your code

• Choosing colors in Pliro

• Complete example programs

• Controlling pins: from pretend devices to Raspberry Pi

• Drawing with the turtle

• Keeping your code neat

• Questions and keyboard input

• Reacting to events, timers, and messages

• Running and stopping a program

• Saving data for later

• Sprites: pictures you can move

• Trying commands one at a time

• Understanding error messages

• Using the mouse or a pointing device

• Where can my program run?

• Why Pliro limits a running program

• Your first Pliro program

• Compose music: orchestra, scores and MIDI input

• Forms and the form designer

• Make your own 3D textures

• Project display settings

• Two games to explore: sound, sprites, 3D and forms

• Editions, activation and export

• Debugging, tests and profiling

• Advanced data and networking