Turtle-shaped cursor?

[benjaminpjones]

The LOGO I was originally introduced to (Terrapin maybe?) used a turtle-shaped cursor.

The triangular cursor is classic, but I wonder if it might be possible to select the cursor in UCBLogo too.

One option would be to lift some polygons from Python turtle package, which provides “arrow”, “turtle”, “circle”, “square”, “triangle”, “classic” for the cursor. https://docs.python.org/3/library/turtle.html#turtle.shape

Some background: I am looking to share this program with younger kids. I think they will like it either way, but the turtle adds some whimsy :)

[brianharvey]

A turtle-shaped turtle would be okay, but why on earth would anyone want a circle turtle? The whole idea of the screen turtle is to let you see the turtle's direction! That's why the current triangle isn't equilateral; it's a direction pointer.

Of course next they'll be asking for multiple sprites. :)

[benjaminpjones]

https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/collections/object/2007.019.001 😉

[benjaminpjones]

But I agree radially symmetric cursors are less useful - I'm really only interested in the turtle, for what it's worth.

[brianharvey]

I had three of those Terrapin turtles in my high school computer center. :)

[jrincayc]

The code to draw the turtle resides in draw_turtle in graphics.c and TurtleCanvas::DrawTurtle in wxTurtleGraphics.cpp if you want to play with it :)

[benjaminpjones]

sounds good! I'll clean it up a bit and make sure that the default remains the same (my local impl does mess with the default triangle). here's a quick demo though!

(note: I was also experimenting with a "setspeed" command, that's why the turtle moves slower)

[brianharvey]

My only strong feeling is that whatever collection of shapes we offer should all be asymmetrical so as to show the heading. So for example if you want to have a filled circle shape it should have an unfilled radius pointing forward. But I see no reason for any of those other shapes; I'd rather have a dog shape or something than a circle. Or just the turtle and the triangle.

SETSHAPE etc is fine.

[jrincayc]

Feel free to make a pull request. I agree with Brian Harvey that all the included shapes should have an obvious direction.

[benjaminpjones]

@jrincayc @brianharvey please take a look at #244 - this adds the setshape command (with only directional shapes triangle and turtle)!

[jrincayc]

Thanks for reminding me. (And for anyone who sees this comment, I try to review pull requests in a week, but if I don't manage to do that, feel free to remind me again.)