Last week we introduced the VEX family of competitions. This week, let's look at what software you can use to program VEX robots!
From left to right: VEXcode Text/Blocks, ROBOTC, Robot Mesh, and PROS. These are the five platforms most commonly used to program VEX. (Less mainstream ones such as EasyC aren't listed here.)
First, VEXcode Blocks. It's VEX's newest programming platform, mainly meant to replace the previous-generation ROBOTC. It's built on Scratch, which makes it a great fit for beginners. It works with both VEX V5 and IQ.
Next is VEXcode Text, which mainly replaces the previous-generation VEX Coding Studio. It's based on C++, close to the programming languages real engineers use, so it suits students who already have some coding experience. It also lets you add custom libraries, so it's much more flexible than the Blocks version. (Currently V5 only. The IQ version of Text hasn't been released yet and is expected this summer.)
*Did you know? The new VEXcode and platforms such as LEGO SPIKE are almost all built with the Electron framework, so in some places they look a lot like Google Chrome. In fact, Electron is built on Node.js and the Chromium engine, which helps vendors build cross-platform apps. (Of course, the interface looks nicer than traditional programs, XD)
Next is ROBOTC, which was the more mainstream programming platform before VEXcode came out. It has some history and a large number of users, but its interface design is less user-friendly, so most users have switched to VEXcode. It also doesn't support V5, so it has even fewer users.
Robot Mesh may be less familiar to some of you. It lets you program directly online in a web browser. It's based on Python and also offers a graphical interface similar to App Inventor 2, though the interface is a bit dated. It's a good fit for anyone who wants to learn Python.
Next is the most powerful of the five contenders: P R O S~~ It's also a C++-based platform, but compared with VEXcode it opens up almost all advanced features. Any self-written or open-source library can be added, and it offers features such as screenshots. It's open source itself, and among experienced VEX teams PROS has the most users. But because it's more complex, it has a steeper learning curve and is best for more experienced users.
How powerful is V5 × PROS? Someone used PROS's open-source nature and convenience to port DOOM straight onto it!!
Wrapping Up
If you're a complete beginner who has never touched any of this, we suggest starting with VEXcode Blocks (*/ω＼*)
If you're a beginner who wants to learn a text-based language, start with VEXcode Text (●’◡’●)
If you're an advanced player with a hacker spirit, PROS is without a doubt your best choice ╰(*°▽°*)╯