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Coding

Getting Started​

  1. Select and drag the on start block to the left of the screen and drop it on the bin icon to delete it.

  2. From the Input menu, select and drag the on shake block to the code area and drop it.

  3. From the Input menu, select and drag a on button A pressed block to the code area and drop it.

Your code area should look like this:

Starter code including a forever loop, on shake function and on button a pressed block

Creating a Variable​

[WHAT IS A VARIABLE]

Think of a variable as a box that stores information that can be used throughout our program. We give variables a descriptive name so we and others can understand what is going on within our program.

  1. From the Variables menu select make a variable....

  2. Type steps and select OK or press Enter on your keyboard.

Change Steps By​

From the Variables menu, select and drag a change steps by 1 block to the code area and attach it within the on shake function.

Everytime the micro:bit detects a shake it will increase the variable steps by 1.

Your code should look like this:

Increasing steps by 1 when the micro detects a shake

Show Number​

  1. From the Basic menu, select and drag a show number 0 block to the code area and attach it within the forever block.

  2. From the Variables menu, select and drag a steps block to the code area and attach it within the 0 of the show number block.

This will run forever and display the number of steps on the LED matrix.

Your code should look like this:

Displaying the number of steps on the LED matrix

Set Steps To 0​

From the Variables menu, select and drag a set steps to 0 block to the code area and insert it within the on button A pressed block.

This will reset the step counter back to 0 when button A is pressed.

Your code should look like this:

Resetting the step counter to 0

Completed Code​

Here is our completed code for the step counter.

Completed code

Let's move on and download the code to our micro:bit.