Week 3: Quotes and strings

In Small Basic, a piece of text, called a string, goes between quotation marks. "Ada" is a string. Without quotes, Ada is read as a name and causes an error. That is why opening and closing quotes correctly is essential for a program to run. This week you also learn that a single quote starts a comment in Small Basic. A comment is a note for people reading the code, and the program ignores it.

What you will learn

This week has two symbols. On the US English layout:

• ": ’ key + Shift, opposite pinky. Right pinky.
• ': ’ key, right pinky.

Example:

name = "Ada"
' this line is a comment

The first line stores a string in the name variable. The second line starts with ', so the program skips it.

Technique tips

• When you open a quote, think about closing it right away. Typing "" first and then filling in the middle prevents missing closing quotes.
• Both symbols are typed with the right pinky on this layout, so keep that finger ready.
• Press Shift with the opposite pinky and keep your eyes on the screen while you type the letter after it.
• Comments are part of the code you write. Check them as carefully as the rest.
• Enter fills in the indentation of the next line. Count the spaces inside your strings yourself.

Lessons

1. Lesson 1, 10 to 15 minutes: Learn the " and ' symbols. Watch the keyboard demo and type each symbol five times.
2. Lesson 2, 10 to 15 minutes: Store a string in a variable and add a comment line.
3. Lesson 3, 10 to 15 minutes: Review what you practiced, then take the 2-minute test.

This week’s goal

The targets are 13 wpm and 90% accuracy. Finishing the lessons earns one star. Reaching 90% accuracy earns the second star. The third star also needs 13 wpm. Get your quotes right first, speed comes later.