show icon
Shows a ready-made picture. Basic › show icon; click the picture to choose another.
basic.showIcon(IconNames.Heart)
micro:bit and the computer: cheat sheet
micro:bit and the computer · Find each block in the MakeCode toolbox (the category is at the end of each line).
Talk over USB
show number
Shows a number; numbers above 9 scroll. Basic › show number.
basic.showNumber(0)
pause
Waits before the next block. 1000 ms is one second. Basic › pause.
basic.pause(500)
animation
Pictures inside forever repeat, in order. Each pause holds the picture before it.
basic.forever(function () {
basic.showIcon(IconNames.Heart)
basic.pause(500)
basic.showIcon(IconNames.SmallHeart)
basic.pause(500)
})
change variable
Adds to a variable's value. Change by -1 counts down. Variables.
count += 1
light level
How bright it is: 0 (dark) to 255 (bright). Input.
input.lightLevel()
temperature
How warm it is, in degrees Celsius. Input.
input.temperature()
if
Runs the blocks inside only when the condition is true; does nothing when it is false. Logic.
if (condition) {
blocks
}
else if
Another question, asked only if the ones above were false. The first true one wins.
} else if (condition) {
serial write line
Sends a line of text down the USB cable. Serial.
serial.writeLine("ok")
serial read line
The line that arrived, as text, without its new line. Use it inside on serial data received. Serial.
serial.readLine()
show leds
Draw your own picture: click squares to light them (# is on). Basic › show leds.
basic.showLeds(`
. # . # .
# # # # #
# # # # #
. # # # .
. . # . .
`)
clear screen
Turns every LED off. Basic › more › clear screen.
basic.clearScreen()
forever
Runs the blocks inside again and again. Blocks in on start run only once.
basic.forever(function () {
blocks
})
on button pressed
Runs the blocks inside every time the button is pressed. Choose A, B or A+B. Input.
input.onButtonPressed(Button.A, function () {
blocks
})
set variable
Puts a value in a variable, throwing the old value away. Make the variable in Variables first.
let count = 0
counter
Set the start value once, in on start. change adds to whatever the variable holds now.
let count = 0
input.onButtonPressed(Button.A, function () {
count += 1
basic.showNumber(count)
})
acceleration
Tilt: x is left (below 0) and right (above 0), y is forward and back. Input › more.
input.acceleration(Dimension.X)
if else
Exactly one part runs: the first when the condition is true, else the second. Click + on an if block.
if (condition) {
blocks
} else {
blocks
}
serial write value
Sends a line such as light:128 down the USB cable. The board graphs it; MakeCode's simulator shows it under Show data. Serial.
serial.writeValue("light", input.lightLevel())
on serial data received
Runs each time a whole line arrives over USB (it ends with a new line). Serial.
serial.onDataReceived(serial.delimiters(Delimiters.NewLine), function () {
blocks
})
A radio bridge
radio set group
Picks a channel (0 to 255). Only micro:bits in the same group hear each other. Radio.
radio.setGroup(1)
on radio received string
Runs each time a word arrives; receivedString holds it. Radio.
radio.onReceivedString(function (receivedString) {
blocks
})
radio send string
Sends a word to every other micro:bit in the group. Radio.
radio.sendString("hi")
radio send value
Sends a name and a number by radio, such as bin and 1. Radio.
radio.sendValue("bin", 1)
on radio received value
Runs each time a name and number arrive by radio. Radio.
radio.onReceivedValue(function (name, value) {
blocks
})
A model drives a build
show string
Scrolls a word or message across the screen. Basic › show string.
basic.showString("Hello")
letter at
The letter at a place in a text. Places start at 0, as in a list. Text (char from … at).
message.charAt(0)
servo write pin
Turns a servo on that pin to an angle from 0 to 180 (90 is the middle). Pins.
pins.servoWritePin(AnalogPin.P0, 90)
AI on the micro:bit
show arrow
Shows an arrow pointing a direction. Basic › more › show arrow.
basic.showArrow(ArrowNames.West)