alice-teacher Problem with Alice 2 create function capability

[Don Slater]

Robert,
See the attached screen shot. When you click on the create function button, a dialog box appears asking for the name and return type, including Boolean. Please let us know if that is not happening for you.

Also, you mentioned that you were using Alice 2.4.2. 2.4.3 is the version that is currently available to download.

All the best,
Don Slater

Alice Project
Carnegie Mellon University
Entertainment Technology Center
700 Technology Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Email: dslater at cmu.edu

I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
--- Henry David Thoreau

The true object of all human life is play. -- G.K. Chesterton






> On May 20, 2016, at 6:24 AM, robert durtschi via alice-teachers <alice-teachers at lists.andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
> 
> Apparently when using Alice 2.4.2 to create a new function, one is not allowed to return anything except a number nor change the pre-coded return 1 to return <number variable> nor use and of the constructs at the bottom of the edit window, if/else, loop, while, etc., nor drag a non-numeric variable down into the edit window
> 
> In other words, the create new function button is broken.
> 
> What i am trying to do is set up an Alice 2 world to replace the pseudo code currently being used in the CIS 120 "Intro to computers" class at the local college.  I think it would be a lot more helpful of the student's understanding of they could actually see the results of the code they write. 
> Scenario: A robot is sitting in a chair with its arms down. Write an algorithm, using pseudo-code, to make the robot:
> stand up
> walk until it senses a wall
> turn around
> walk back to the chair
> sit back down in the origin starting position
> Finally, output the total number of steps taken.
> Commands:
> In addition to our standard pseudo code commands, you must also use the following robot control commands:
> sit
> stand
> step (one step forward)
> raise arms (parallel to floor)
> lower arms (pointing to floor)
> sense (only if arms are raised) returns a Boolean value. TRUE if at the wall.
> turn (90 degrees right)
> I have easily implemented all of the commands "bunny sit", bunny stand", "bunny step", etc. but ran into a major SNAFU when I tried to implement the "sense" command. I could just have them use a primitive function: "bunny is within threshold of object but I wanted to preserve the existing set of commands as much as possible.
> 
> It would be real helpful if the Alice maintenance team could fix Alice 2 create function capability and add the ability to return a Boolean variable.
> 
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