Table of contents
Educational Value
Snap! is designed to teach programming concepts to beginners, especially young students. It uses visual programming to make it easier to grasp abstract concepts.
Accessibility
The platform is web-based and free to use, making it accessible to anyone with an internet connection and a modern web browser.
Visual Programming
Snap! uses a drag-and-drop interface to create programs, which is intuitive and reduces the barrier to entry for beginners who might be intimidated by text-based coding.
Community and Resources
There is a growing community and plenty of educational resources, including tutorials and example projects, to help learners get started and advance.
Integration with Other Tools
Snap! can integrate with various physical computing devices, such as micro:bit and Arduino, allowing for hands-on learning and extending its capabilities.
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Check the traffic stats of Snap on SimilarWeb. The key metrics to look for are: monthly visits, average visit duration, pages per visit, and traffic by country. Moreoever, check the traffic sources. For example "Direct" traffic is a good sign.
Check the "Domain Rating" of Snap on Ahrefs. The domain rating is a measure of the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. It shows the strength of Snap's backlink profile compared to the other websites. In most cases a domain rating of 60+ is considered good and 70+ is considered very good.
Check the "Domain Authority" of Snap on MOZ. A website's domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It is based on a 100-point logarithmic scale, with higher scores corresponding to a greater likelihood of ranking. This is another useful metric to check if a website is good.
The latest comments about Snap on Reddit. This can help you find out how popualr the product is and what people think about it.
For those actively teaching¹, consider Snap! (https://snap.berkeley.edu/) over/after Scratch. It's nearly a superset, similarly "low-floor" but much "higher ceiling" powerful language. Data structures, control structures/message passing, functional programming... It's really "Scheme in Scratch clothing" under the hood. In particular, its "build your own blocks" facilities are powerful enough (including macros... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
Snap! https://snap.berkeley.edu/ Also, I heartily recommend the demoes that the author is giving regularly at FOSDEM. They're really fun to watch :). - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
Kids would probably have a better experience with Hedy https://hedy.org if they are young, and Pyret https://dcic-world.org if they are a little older. Once they know how to program python is obviously a fine choice, but starting beginners with Python is insane. Too many gotchas, incomprehensible error messages etc. Also why logo? Its not 1967 anymore. A far better choice is Snap! https://snap.berkeley.edu. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
I upgraded my son from Scratch to Snap! (https://snap.berkeley.edu/). Snap has a much higher ceiling, including collections, first-class code pieces, higher-order functions etc. It pretty openly describes itself as a "Scheme disguised as Scratch" :-) A pragmatic pedagogical thing I love with Snap! Is the ease of creating custom blocks, including macros / custom "C-shaped" control structures. If you have some... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
Take a look at Snap. It was originally a scratch mod, but does allows for all sorts of advanced things. https://snap.berkeley.edu. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
There is also Snap! (https://snap.berkeley.edu/) which starts very much like Scratch but has higher ceiling. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
Https://snap.berkeley.edu/ Snap! Is made by folks previously involved in Berkeley Logo, and has a lot of "missing pieces" that make organizing programs easier: lambdas, cc, and binding functions to definitions (aka build-your-own-blocks). - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
Or try a similar site by Berkeley (scratch is MIT): https://snap.berkeley.edu/. Source: almost 3 years ago
I would start with block-based coding with Snap!. Source: almost 3 years ago
Maybe this: https://snap.berkeley.edu/. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
If your kids tinker with Scratch, try out TurboWarp[1], a Scratch mod that compiles projects to JavaScript. Other alternatives to tinker with are Blocky[2] and Snap[3]. 1. https://turbowarp.org 2. https://developers.google.com/blockly/ 3. https://snap.berkeley.edu. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
If you are really a programming beginner I’d even suggest starting with something for beginners. Scratch or Snap! Are both block based and you can learn the basics there without all the hassle of syntax. https://snap.berkeley.edu/ - I like snap because it exposes you to advanced concepts without the worry of syntax. Source: about 3 years ago
Other acceptable topics are tosh, Snap!and any block-based programming "languages" such as Beetle Blocks and Alice.". Source: over 3 years ago
Snap! - a neat little visual block based programming 'language' with an active community / ongoing development, you can actually catch the devs in the forums and see what theyre working on or just chat. Source: over 3 years ago
I'm well out of college and I still use Snap!, which is similar to scratch, but there are also some cool things you can do beyond games and animations (like maps, web, etc.). I'm not a programmer, but I have self taught myself some as a hobby. Snap definitely helps me understand some concepts. Source: almost 4 years ago
Snap has their own subreddit. r/SnapBerkeley Their website: snap.berkeley.edu. Source: almost 4 years ago
Here you can design a level and let friend pass it - destroy all bricks. You hit language limitations all the time. The scratch disigners say it is so to oe friendly to jeginners, howewer the need to invent crazy trics to aohieve simple things is not actually friendly. IMHO, it is better and simpler to teach children using more normal languages, where smal set of elements combine well. The Snap! Is an extended... - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
Scratch has succeeded in the way that counts most - building community. However I tried to help my son to write some stuff with it and found it very hard and unintuitive to get stuff done. There are other, similar systems that are MUCH better for programming, such as Construct3 and https://snap.berkeley.edu/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
Snap! Is also a similar "more advanced Scratch", and it's completely free without any subscription services or stuff like that present. Source: almost 4 years ago
I found Snap! Very good for creating creative stuff https://snap.berkeley.edu/ Works in browser. - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
Scratch and Snap are a logical step if they are ready. Block based programming is a good intro but it is important that they move out of this at some point. There are even block based blockchain programs but there are limitations so when they are ready for real syntax I like the khan academy set up. This has processing JS in the browser so you can do things like number scrubbing and see the code instantly. ... Source: about 4 years ago
Snap!, formerly BYOB, is garnering a substantial amount of positive public opinion, particularly in educational and beginner programming circles. Positioned as a more advanced alternative to Scratch, Snap! extends the drag-and-drop programming language experience through its visual programming capabilities. It empowers users by providing access to additional features such as first-class lists, continuations, and procedures that support a more sophisticated approach to coding.
Educational Impact and Audience
Public discussions often highlight Snap! as a powerful educational tool, best suited for young learners transitioning beyond basic block-based languages like Scratch. It serves as a notable educational platform for kids who have outgrown entry-level children's programming and are ready to tackle more complex concepts. This aligns with numerous user recommendations suggesting it as an ideal transition tool to teach children about advanced elements such as higher-order functions and custom code pieces, emphasizing its ability to introduce programming concepts gradually and intuitively.
User Experience and Feature Set
A recurring theme in public sentiment toward Snap! is its "higher ceiling" compared to other beginner-friendly platforms. This perception is largely due to features that allow for the creation of custom blocks and macros, which offer more flexibility and power similar to what is found in traditional programming schemes. Several users have appreciated this advanced layering, praising how Snap! allows for both pedagogical scaffolding to focus on learning while hiding unnecessary complexities.
Recommendations by Prominent Figures and Events
The Snap! platform enjoys a good reputation among educators, developers, and open-source enthusiasts. It is frequently recommended in technical discussions, where users are encouraged to start with Snap! for its accommodating introduction to complex programming concepts. This is substantiated by positive mentions of Snap!'s engaging demonstrations at industry events such as FOSDEM, which offer insightful showcases of the platform's abilities.
Community and Development
The active development and community engagement surrounding Snap! have also received commendation. Users are often able to interact with developers through forums, reflecting a vibrant community keen to advance the platform's capabilities. This ongoing development is instrumental in maintaining its standing as a modern educational tool.
A Balanced View
While Snap! has a strong educational facet targeted toward young programmers, it remains a focused platform. The community's sentiment suggests that Snap! successfully addresses the inherent complexity in transitioning students from visual block-based environments to textual programming. However, the conversation also hints at some users' intention to eventually advance to more syntax-driven languages, signaling a natural progression beyond Snap!'s capabilities.
Conclusion
Overall, Snap! is celebrated for providing a bridge from simple drag-and-drop environments to more complex programming languages. Its reputation as an enriched, expansive version of Scratch accentuates its role as a crucial educational resource, making it a valuable tool in programming education and an attractive option for those seeking to initiate coding journeys in an intuitive and interactive way.
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