Hello Dart: Introduction to Programming

Hello Dart

Hello Dart is a playful introduction to programming with Dart.

Previously, it was hardly realistic to program mobile or web-based applications. The Dart programming language provides a solution how such applications can be programmed much easier.

Hello Dart guides you through the basics of programming. No prior programming knowledge is required. The playful world of Hello Dart visualizes the execution of your programs. Soon you will want to break out of the limiting rules of the Hello Dart world, which is intended. After the introduction with Hello Dart you will have a good foundation to start realizing your own web projects.

The World

The world of Hello Dart consists of fields, trees and stars.

Elements

The Player

In the world of Hello Dart we move around with our character. You can choose from one of four characters.

Characters

A game character, called Player has the following actions and sensors that he/she can use:

Actions

Action	Command	Description
	`move()`	The player makes a step forward.
	`turnLeft()`	The player turns left by 90 degrees.
	`turnRight()`	The player turns right by 90 degrees.
	`putStar()`	The player puts down a star.
	`removeStar()`	The player removes a star.
	`say('Hello')`	The player says something using a speech bubble.

Sensors

Sensor	Command	Description
	`canMove()`	The player checks if he can move to the next field.
	`treeFront()`	The player checks if there is a tree in front.
	`treeLeft()`	The player checks if there is a tree on the left side.
	`treeRight()`	The player checks if there is a tree on the right side.
	`onStar()`	The player checks if he is on a star.

Let’s go

Installation

First you need to install Dart and the Hello Dart scenarios. It’s described in those installation instructions.

Background Infos

If you want to know more about why I recommend Dart for programming, see background information.

Copyright

I publish the Hello Dart materials under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. That means you can do pretty much everything you want with it. But you need to comply with the following:

If you use my materials or programs, you must clearly indicate that I’m the original author of this material. Include my name, a link to the original and a link to the license. It could look something like the way I provide attribution to the images at the bottom of every page.

Credits
Planet Cute images by Daniel Cook (Lostgarden.com), published under CC BY 3.0.
Oleg Yadrov improved the “Planet Cute” images and was so kind to let me use them. The images were optimized with the great TexturePacker.