The BBC micro:bit and Microsoft - Microsoft Research (original) (raw)

The BBC micro:bit and TouchDevelop

The BBC micro:bit (opens in new tab) is a small device that can be programmed to light up using a series of tiny LEDs. A fun introduction to programming and making – switch on, program it to do something fun – wear it, customize it, develop new ideas. The first wave of BBC micro:bits will hit UK schools this fall.

To bring the BBC micro:bit to life in 2015, Microsoft has developed an enhanced version of their popular TouchDevelop (opens in new tab) web application and hosting service. This means the micro:bit has its own dedicated website, Microsoft Azure (opens in new tab) hosting for all one million micro:bits and a range of online code editors available from most any modern web browser.

Microsoft also has supplied two languages/editors – TouchDevelop, a text-based language, and the Block Editor, a graphical coding language. The TouchDevelop web app holds all the code editors built for the micro:bit, runs the micro:bit simulator, sends the code to the ARM compiler (opens in new tab) and brings back the compiled files to be sent to the micro:bit.