Variables, Programming and Video Games: It's not Chemistry But There Is Definitely a Connection

        What is a variable? Well basically (in math at least) it's a letter that replaces an unknown number. Variables can be used in programming as numbers, but they can also be used as text values such as "true" or "false" for example.
        So now that you know what a variable is your probably wondering to yourself "Well... what can be stored as a variable...". Well, I'll tell you that almost anything can be stored as a variable and they can be used to do hundreds of different things. You could create a variable called "store" that could store the information about the number of points you get during a game.

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("How Do Computer Programs Use Variable?" BBC News. BBC Bitesize, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.)

Now your probably wondering "Well... how could the word 'store' automatically know what I want it to do and store the number of points I have?" well that part is simple actually. When your avatar or character touches or "collects" a coin or piece of treasure for example, you could tell the program to increase the variable 'score' by 1. As you keep touching or 'collecting' points, the variable 'score' will keep changing.
        Variables are needed to run almost everything except the simplest of simple computer programs.  Programs need variables to store information as it runs. Whether it needs to store numbers, or answers to a question, variables allow us as programmers to change and access thing information as the program is running.


Here's a simple example of variable used in scratch programming:
1. Make the character as for your name

2. Make a variable called 'name' and set the variable to the answer
3. Make the character join the words 'Hello' and the variable 'name' and say "Hello (your name)".

GOOD LUCK!