I taught myself to code using MIT's App Inventor, so I have an enormous respect for block based languages like App Inventor, Scratch, Snap!, MakeCode, etc. PickCode is my attempt at adding options for students who want to learn more about programming without making the jump to text, or as an alternative to block coding for beginners coming to programming at an older age.

The visual language is meant to lower the barrier to entry to coding but the far more important aspect for me is giving students the ability to make things they're proud of as quickly as possible. A JS/Python API for controlling the chatbot and game engine are in the works.

As of now, there are sample programs to play with and an editor which saves your programs to local storage. Full user accounts, tutorials and administrator accounts for teachers to organize assignments are on their way soon. If you're interested in using PickCode in a classroom or want to discuss feedback, send me an email at [email protected]