12. Debugging

12.1. Data Wires

A Data Wire allows you to take an output from one programming block and input it into another.

12.2. Debugging techniques

– Button press
– Light
– Sound
– Display

Debugging is a useful strategy to figure out where in your program something is going wrong or what went wrong

Once your code starts to become long or complicated (e.g. using sensors), it can become hard to figure out where in the program you are

The following slides show you some ways of knowing where you are in your program or knowing what values your sensors see

Wait For Button Press

To place a Wait for Button Press block in your program, place a wait block into your program

Go under brick buttons > compare > brick buttons, then choose which button needs to be pressed to continue the program

Place these wait for button presses every block or two close to where the robot is not working correctly

This can help you pinpoint which block is causing the robot to fail

The robot will stop and “wait for you to press the button”

Sound Alerts: Sound Block

You can insert different sounds at intervals (about every 5 blocks or so), and then run the program again while listening for beeps.

Once you pick Play Tone, select Play Type and pick “play once”

These sounds can help you narrow down where in the program something is going wrong.

Print to Screen: Display Block

Showing which block is playing on your robot

Helps identify what block the robot is stuck on

Seeing the sensor readings – to see what the robot sees!