Music-Maker wrote:

A different solution:

Have the project output some value that describes a scratcher's progress in a RPG (or whatever it's used for). The scratcher the can copy and save it somewhere. When the scratcher returns to the project, they enter the code and the project uses that to continue where the scratcher left off.

Zappy1333 wrote:

Support! Although trolls could use this and make loads of variables and take up space on your computer… Also if you want to use a project on a different computer this wouldn't work- so that would mean storing them on scratch servers.

Rex208 wrote:

One problem: If the cached variables are saved on the users computer, they could hack the variables. If there is some sort of cloud data feature (e.g multiplayer), they could hack the variables to get super awesome items or whatever and get a high score that way.

Rex208 wrote:

One problem: If the cached variables are saved on the users computer, they could hack the variables. If there is some sort of cloud data feature (e.g multiplayer), they could hack the variables to get super awesome items or whatever and get a high score that way.

evanmpoe wrote:

Lots of support but one problem, what still what about if the internet goes down without saving

Zro716 wrote:

1. so what would a cache variable look like, if one were to distinguish it from normal variables?
   
2. what would be the maximum number of cache variables?
   
3. do cache variables allow non-numeric characters?
   
4. would there be a way to block storing cache variables?
   
5. if a user does not have cache variables, how would the project know?
   
6. what would the project do to retrieve the cached variables?
   
7. will it prompt the user before it stores cache variables?
   
8. would New Scratchers be allowed to use cache variables?
   
9. how would the ST moderate inappropriate cache variables if they don't have access to them?
   
10. alluding to the previous question, would there be a log of cache variable activity?
    
11. what would the raw cache variable data look like? (actually I'll give a suggestion below)
    

——–
so I think cache variables should be stored as JSON text files, in this format:

{
  "username": "Zro716",
  "project-id": "11223344",
  "variables": {"bob": "123", "potato": "1337", "swag": "024"},
  "cached": "Feb 7 2015 13:37:42"
}[/quote]
thats a very good idea i think i may use that if it works all you have to do is..like you said go into the JSON files an edit it i will use that thank you
:)

epninja wrote:

Zro716 wrote:

1. so what would a cache variable look like, if one were to distinguish it from normal variables?
   
2. what would be the maximum number of cache variables?
   
3. do cache variables allow non-numeric characters?
   
4. would there be a way to block storing cache variables?
   
5. if a user does not have cache variables, how would the project know?
   
6. what would the project do to retrieve the cached variables?
   
7. will it prompt the user before it stores cache variables?
   
8. would New Scratchers be allowed to use cache variables?
   
9. how would the ST moderate inappropriate cache variables if they don't have access to them?
   
10. alluding to the previous question, would there be a log of cache variable activity?
    
11. what would the raw cache variable data look like? (actually I'll give a suggestion below)
    

1) Well, of course they'd do something to distinguish it. My personal design suggestion would perhaps be a different colour as opposed to the orange, or have a special symbol for it, just like cloud variables.

2) Well, it would be nice to make as many as you want, just like normal variables. But I guess 8, just like Cloud Variables would be fine.

3) Of course they would allow for non-numeric numbers, they only did that with Cloud Variables to discourage people from making chat rooms.

4) Like any flash player game, you can block the storing of cookies through your browser settings.

5) Well, the method would be that the project checks if the variables already exist in the user's cache, if not create them.

6) I'm not the best programmer, so I don't really know how they'd work, but I guess it'd work the same as many flash player stuff out there. It would be the exact same process as how the browser remembers your username and password if you set it to remember when you login to the Scratch website.

7) Well, it's up to the Scratch Team if they want to prompt the user or not, just as they inform the user that a project uses cloud variables.

8) New Scratchers would yes, I would say even those who are not logged in would be able to as well, since it's the local cache, it's not associated to a Scratch account, so if a project used local variables they would work with anyone. They just made it so New Scratchers are limited to thing such as not being able to use Cloud Variables to discourage people making duplicate accounts, so it's up to the Scratch Team really.

9) Cached Variables wouldn't need moderating, there was only concern for moderating Cloud Variables because it involved Scratchers communicating with each other, so in things like chatrooms, they wanted to stop people being able to offend another person. With cached variables, you're not communicating with any other person. It would work just like a normal variable, except it stays the same every time you go on the project. So there's no need to moderate it, as you can't communicate with cached variables.

10) I guess if the Scratch Team wanted to they could create a database log to be kept within the user's computer of all uses of cached variables.

11) Again, I'm not a programmer in this field, I don't know.

In conclusion, I felt a lot of these questions weren't really useful. A lot of these were not something for me to decide, but rather a design choice for the Scratch Team to decide themselves if they ever decided to implement the idea. All I'm doing is getting the idea out there.

Plus there's a big difference between this and Cloud Variables. These aren't used to communicate between Scratchers, just between the computer and the project, just so that the variables are kept the same uniquely to the user. There is no need to moderate or restrict them as they are not used for communicative purposes, they cannot be used to offend another Scratcher, since it doesn't not involve other Scratchers. They're just normal variables, just instead of them getting reset every time you load the project, they retain the same values as they contained the last time the unique Scratcher goes on it. And it doesn't need to be Scratchers too, since the data just involves the user's computer, so anybody would be able to have cached variables stored on their computer, regardless of whether they are logged in or not.

thirdlion wrote:

hay Epninja in support of you i think that you should comment on lighten's page the head of scratch's account and tell him about your idea

thirdlion wrote:

wait i have a question with these blocks in function then you could hack or mess with someone's account with the right scripts