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Block-based coding, also known as block based-programming, a type of programming language where instructions are mainly represented as blocks. Scratch is a block-based programming language.
Scratch as a Block-Based Programming Language
Scratch uses blocks to represent its scripts, like the following:
when gf clicked say [Hello World!]
While "say" and "hello world!" are not blocks, but text, the language counts as block-based because it is mainly oriented around blocks. However, tosh, which is a language like Scratch but completely typed, is not block-based, but instead text-based.
Text-Based Languages
If a language does not involve blocks as a main part of its programming language, but instead is mostly oriented around text, then it is known as a text-based language.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Both text-based and block-based languages have certain advantages and disadvantages. Block-based languages tend to have a palette of commands to choose from, making memorizing commands unneeded or less necessary, which makes it easier for beginners to program. However, this makes block-based programming slower and potentially more limited due a lesser degree of complexity behind the coding, as well as harder to edit (for example, changing a plus to a minus). Block-based programming languages also have the advantage of lacking syntax errors. Syntax errors occur when the sequence or specific character/set of characters in a command are placed incorrectly. Syntax errors are regular in text-based programming languages, however, occurences such as these essentially cannot exist in block-based languages since the blocks cannot be changed or modified to result in an erroneous outcome.
Examples
Languages that are text based include:
Languages that are block-based include:
