new DEFINE BLOCK primitive

HISTORY.md

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 * blocks, threads: programmatically change the type of unused custom blocks
 * blocks, threads: new "scope" choice in block menu dropdown
 * blocks, threads: programmatically change the scope of unused custom blocks
+* blocks, objects, threads: new DEFINE BLOCK primitive
 
 ### 2022-05-01
 * byob: programmatically reduce the number of inputs in a custom block

snap.html

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
         <script src="src/widgets.js?version=2021-17-09"></script>
         <script src="src/blocks.js?version=2022-05-02"></script>
         <script src="src/threads.js?version=2022-05-02"></script>
-        <script src="src/objects.js?version=2022-04-28"></script>
+        <script src="src/objects.js?version=2022-05-02"></script>
         <script src="src/scenes.js?version=2022-03-03"></script>
         <script src="src/gui.js?version=2022-04-26"></script>
         <script src="src/paint.js?version=2021-07-05"></script>

src/byob.js

@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ ArgLabelMorph*/
 
 // Global stuff ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-modules.byob = '2022-May-01';
+modules.byob = '2022-May-02';
 
 // Declarations
 
@@ -564,25 +564,29 @@ CustomBlockDefinition.prototype.setBlockLabel = function (abstractSpec) {
 CustomBlockDefinition.prototype.setBlockDefinition = function (aContext) {
     // private - only to be called from a Process that also does housekeeping
     var oldInputs = this.inputNames(),
-        newInputs =  aContext.inputs,
+        newInputs = aContext.inputs,
         declarations = this.declarations,
         parts = [],
+        suffix = [],
+        body = aContext,
+        reportBlock,
         spec;
 
-
     // remove excess inputs or add missing ones
     this.addInputs(newInputs.length - oldInputs.length);
     spec = this.abstractBlockSpec();
+    oldInputs = this.inputNames();
 
     // change the input names in the spec to those of the given context
-    if (spec.startsWith('_ ')) {
+    while (spec.startsWith('_ ')) {
         parts.push('');
         spec = spec.slice(2);
     }
-    if (spec.endsWith(' _')) {
+    while (spec.endsWith(' _')) {
         spec = spec.slice(0, -2);
+        suffix.push('');
     }
-    parts = parts.concat(spec.split(' _ '));
+    parts = parts.concat(spec.split(' _ ')).concat(suffix);
     spec = '';
     parts.forEach((part, i) =>
         spec += (part + (
@@ -599,7 +603,20 @@ CustomBlockDefinition.prototype.setBlockDefinition = function (aContext) {
     }
 
     // replace the definition body with the given context
-    this.body = aContext;
+    if (body.expression instanceof Array) {
+        this.body = null;
+        return;
+    } else if (body.expression instanceof ReporterBlockMorph) {
+        // turn reporter epressions into a command stack with "report"
+        body = copy(aContext);
+        reportBlock = SpriteMorph.prototype.blockForSelector('doReport');
+        reportBlock.replaceInput(
+            reportBlock.inputs()[0],
+            body.expression.fullCopy()
+        );
+        body.expression = reportBlock;
+    }
+    this.body = body;
 };
 
 CustomBlockDefinition.prototype.addInputs = function (count) {

src/objects.js

@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ embedMetadataPNG*/
 
 /*jshint esversion: 6*/
 
-modules.objects = '2022-April-28';
+modules.objects = '2022-May-02';
 
 var SpriteMorph;
 var StageMorph;
@@ -1105,6 +1105,11 @@ SpriteMorph.prototype.initBlocks = function () {
             spec: 'set %byob of block %repRing to %s',
             defaults: [['definition']]
         },
+        reportDefineBlock: {
+            type: 'reporter',
+            category: 'sensing',
+            spec: 'define block %s %repRing'
+        },
 
         // Operators
         reifyScript: {
@@ -2698,6 +2703,7 @@ SpriteMorph.prototype.blockTemplates = function (
         blocks.push(block('reportDate'));
         blocks.push(block('reportBlockAttribute'));
         blocks.push(block('doSetBlockAttribute'));
+        blocks.push(block('reportDefineBlock'));
 
         // for debugging: ///////////////
         if (devMode) {
@@ -9166,6 +9172,7 @@ StageMorph.prototype.blockTemplates = function (
         blocks.push(block('reportDate'));
         blocks.push(block('reportBlockAttribute'));
         blocks.push(block('doSetBlockAttribute'));
+        blocks.push(block('reportDefineBlock'));
 
         // for debugging: ///////////////
         if (this.world().isDevMode) {

src/threads.js

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ StageMorph, SpriteMorph, StagePrompterMorph, Note, modules, isString, copy, Map,
 isNil, WatcherMorph, List, ListWatcherMorph, alert, console, TableMorph, BLACK,
 TableFrameMorph, ColorSlotMorph, isSnapObject, newCanvas, Symbol, SVG_Costume,
 SnapExtensions, AlignmentMorph, TextMorph, Cloud, HatBlockMorph,
-StagePickerMorph*/
+StagePickerMorph, CustomBlockDefinition*/
 
 /*jshint esversion: 11, bitwise: false, evil: true*/
 
@@ -5636,7 +5636,6 @@ Process.prototype.doSetBlockAttribute = function (attribute, block, val) {
         rcvr = this.blockReceiver(),
         ide = rcvr.parentThatIsA(IDE_Morph),
         types = ['command', 'reporter', 'predicate'],
-        count = 1,
         oldSpec,
         expr,
         def,
@@ -5672,7 +5671,7 @@ Process.prototype.doSetBlockAttribute = function (attribute, block, val) {
         def.setBlockLabel(val);
         break;
     case 'definition':
-        this.assertType(val, 'command');
+        this.assertType(val, types);
         def.setBlockDefinition(val);
         break;
     case 'category':
@@ -5726,8 +5725,7 @@ Process.prototype.doSetBlockAttribute = function (attribute, block, val) {
 
     // make sure the spec is unique
     while (rcvr.doubleDefinitionsFor(def).length > 0) {
-        count += 1;
-        def.spec += (' (' + count + ')');
+        def.spec += (' (2)');
     }
     
     // update all block instances:
@@ -5752,6 +5750,38 @@ Process.prototype.doSetBlockAttribute = function (attribute, block, val) {
     ide.recordUnsavedChanges();
 };
 
+Process.prototype.reportDefineBlock = function (label, context) {
+    // highly experimental & under construction
+    var rcvr = this.blockReceiver(),
+        ide = rcvr.parentThatIsA(IDE_Morph),
+        def;
+
+    this.assertType(label, 'text');
+    if (label === '') {return ''; }
+    this.assertType(context, ['command', 'reporter', 'predicate']);
+
+    // make a new custom block definition
+    def = new CustomBlockDefinition('BYOB'); // haha!
+    def.type = this.reportTypeOf(context);
+    def.category = 'other';
+    def.isGlobal = true;
+    def.setBlockDefinition(context);
+    def.setBlockLabel(label);
+    ide.stage.globalBlocks.push(def);
+
+    // make sure the spec is unique
+    while (rcvr.doubleDefinitionsFor(def).length > 0) {
+        def.spec += (' (2)');
+    }
+
+    // update the IDE
+    ide.flushPaletteCache();
+    ide.categories.refreshEmpty();
+    ide.refreshPalette();
+    ide.recordUnsavedChanges();
+    return def.blockInstance().reify();
+};
+
 Process.prototype.reportAttributeOf = function (attribute, name) {
     // hyper-dyadic
     // note: specifying strings in the left input only accesses