It was created with the goal they learn how to resolve logical problems.
Although it's a very complete language, it has been designed to be easy using it, avoiding the complications and difficulties of certain programming languages for kids, very much in vogue today.
Using TinyDev, the kids can draw graphics, write text, move images on screen, play sounds, and interact with their programs with the keyboard and the mouse.
In addition, it's accompanied by a small IDE (Integrated Development Environment). With it, the kids can create, edit and run their own programs, as with professional programming languages.
And... it's free!
The IDE of TinyDev has been designed to seem and act like the ones that come with the professional programming languages. Supports the English and Spanish languages.
It has the characteristic functions of this kind of environments, among them:
- Create, open, save and print source code files.
- Edit source code of programs.
- Run and stop the current program.
- Configure the IDE.
- Show help about the IDE and the programming language.
- Fast access buttons to the most frequent actions.
- Fast selection panel with all the keywords of the language.
- Information panel about the current source code.
With the aim to help our little kids to learn this programming language, it has been developed some example programs, which show the capabilities of TinyDev.
Some of them are:
- Chase - a game in which two robots want to catch you.
- Space - the classic game of space ships and asteroids.
- Memory - a game with coloured tokens, to exercise our memory.
- Simulation of an aquarium.
- The classic game of tic-tac-toe.
- Drawings - truck, building, screen effects...
The requirements to install and run TinyDev are the following:
- Computer with Java 1.8 or higher.
- Want to learn and have fun.
You can download TinyDev from their own website:
http://www.floppysoftware.es/tinydev/
Enjoy!