Reporters and Booleans

Reporters

Reporters are the rounded corner blocks. They can either return a string or number.

We will add one to our Dialogs category:

The block definition and message (scratch-blocks)

Copy the definition for your Alert block and make the following changes:

scratch-blocks/src/blocks/dialogs.ts

Blockly.Blocks['dialogs_prompt'] = {
  init: function(this: Blockly.Block){
    this.jsonInit({
      message0: Blockly.Msg.DIALOGS_PROMPT, 
      args0: [
        {
          type: "input_value",
          name: "MESSAGE",
        }
      ],
      extensions: ["colours_dialogs", "output_string"],
    });
  },
};

Other than changing the message and opcode, we also changed shape_statement to output_string. output_string and output_number are the reporter shapes.

tip

Don't forget to add the message to msg/messages.js and rebuild.

Adding the block to the toolbox

Copy the entry for the Alert block and adjust it as needed:

scratch-editor/packages/scratch-gui/src/lib/make-toolbox-xml.js

<block type="dialogs_prompt">
    <value name="MESSAGE">
        <shadow type="text">
            <field name="TEXT">${hello}</field>
        </shadow>
    </value>
</block>

The block implementation

Simply return from the block's function to return a value from the block. Don't forget to add the block to getPrimitives

scratch-vm/src/blocks/tutorialmod_dialogs.js

promptBlock (args, util) {
    // eslint-disable-next-line
    return prompt(args.MESSAGE);
}

Booleans

Booleans are almost exactly like reporters. Instead of output_string or output_number, you use output_boolean. And in the block's function, you return a boolean. Let's add this block:

Block definition

scratch-blocks/src/blocks/dialogs.ts

Blockly.Blocks['dialogs_confirm'] = {
  init: function(this: Blockly.Block){
    this.jsonInit({
      message0: Blockly.Msg.TUTORIALMOD_DIALOGS_CONFIRM, 
      args0: [
        {
          type: "input_value",
          name: "MESSAGE",
        }
      ],
      extensions: ["colours_dialogs", "output_boolean"],
    });
  },
};

tip

Again, don't forget to update msg/messages.js and rebuild.

Toolbox entry

scratch-editor/packages/scratch-gui/src/lib/make-toolbox-xml.js

<block type="dialogs_confirm">
    <value name="MESSAGE">
        <shadow type="text">
            <field name="TEXT">${hello}</field>
        </shadow>
    </value>
</block>

Implementation

scratch-editor/packages/scratch-vm/src/blocks/tutorialmod_dialogs.js

confirmBlock (args, util) {
    // eslint-disable-next-line
    return confirm(args.MESSAGE);
}

Completed Files

Component	File	Download
scratch-blocks	src/blocks/dialogs.ts	dialogs.ts
scratch-blocks	msg/messages.js	messages.js
scratch-gui	src/lib/make-toolbox-xml.js	make-toolbox-xml.js
scratch-vm	src/blocks/tutorialmod_dialogs.js	tutorialmod_dialogs.js

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Scratch commit hashes at the time of this tutorial

scratch-editor:     810ac12eaa1a1eb19d05fcb37f486ad1c4c56314
scratch-blocks:     bb2f7ce297e2552767b531c212b18ee4f046e92d