Scratch is a new programming language designed to help children from 8 years and above to develop their learning skills.The name (scratch) comes from the technique used by disc jockeys to mix together existing records in creative ways.
Primarily aimed at children, Scratch does not require prior knowledge of complex computer languages.Instead, it uses a simple graphical interface that allows programs to be assembled like building blocks.The digital toolkit, developed in the US at MIT’s Media Lab, allows people to blend images, sound and video.
As the children develop and Scratch projects they can learn and practice mathematics and computing. Also they can learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively.
Scratch is a graphical programming language aimed to create a code or script and is extremely easy. Not like the other traditional programming languages, as with Scratch they can create a script just by working with graphic blocks and drag’n’drop technology.
So, for example, if someone wanted to animate a cat walking across the screen they could modify the move block to tell the cat to walk forward 10 steps.If they then wanted the cat to bang a drum as it walked, they could attach the play-drum block underneath, choosing a sound for the instrument and selecting how long each beat should last.
With this Programing language children can create interactive stories, animations, games, music and art.These creations or projects can be shared with others through the website or simply including them in any social network like MySpace or Facebook.Scratch saves its finished files in its own .SB format.
There is also an option to save the finished project without uploading it to the Scratch web site, which involves downloading a Java applet from the Scratch web site. The Java applet, which calls the .SB file directly, can then be embedded in any web site.
Scratch is available via free download from the Scratch website and runs on Windows and Mac OS X .Scratch is Something much better and much easier than what we learned to program in Basic Assembler or the same!
Link : Scratch