Chapter 4
Programming Languages
In this chapter
An overview of programming languages and their necessity
A look at the three main programming languages for the BBC micro:bit: JavaScript Blocks, JavaScript, and MicroPython
A guide to choosing a programming language
TO GET THE most from your BBC micro:bit, you’re going to have to learn to write your own programs. Before you can jump into programming the device, however, you have a decision to make: which of the three main programming languages—JavaScript Blocks, JavaScript, and Python—to use.
About Programming Languages
Computers are surprisingly simple devices. At its heart, a computer is little more than a series of switches which can be either on or off. While your house might have a dozen switches for lights, a computer has billions upon billions of switches which can do incredible things when combined in interesting ways.
Before a computer can do anything, though, it needs to be programmed. When you turned on your BBC micro:bit and ran through the introductory program in Chapter 2, ‘Getting Started with the BBC micro:bit’, you were running a program someone had previously written and loaded onto your BBC micro:bit. Without ...
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