CodeGuppy

Let’s make a journey in time and remember those early home computers of late 70s, 80s and 90s that started the entire IT revolution. Perhaps you can still remember the ZX-Spectrum, the Commodore 64 or the BBC Micro. They provided everything a user needed to make the jump into programming: a language (BASIC), a library of friendly commands and a code editor. A whole generation of today’s professional developers started their careers by learning to code as kids on those early computers.

The entry path to coding is no longer as simple at is was back then. Modern computing devices are friendlier and easier to use than ever, but their advanced design makes them very difficult to program them.

codeGuppy.com is trying to address this gap, by recreating the programming experience of those early machines in a new environment adapted to the modern world.

At a glance, codeguppy.com is an online environment that comes with a modern code editor, a modern language and a set of kid friendly commands. However, instead of BASIC, codeguppy.com is proposing JavaScript as a language of choice. What makes JavaScript especially interesting for education is its flexible syntax which makes the language appealing to beginners. When further coupled with a library of graphic oriented functions, JavaScript becomes the perfect language for introducing kids as kids as young as 10 into the wonderful world of programming!

At the very base of codeguppy.com sits the p5.js library – a library with deep roots into academia. The library provides all the basic graphical commands that young students will use in their programs. Due to this design aspect, nearly 99% of p5.js sketches can be adapted to run on codeguppy.com. In the same time, the same design aspect allows codeguppy.com students to graduate to the more complex creative programming area once they are ready.