Programming Merit Badge

1. Safety: a video, and the injuries programming actually causes Requirement

Two parts. The first needs a parent or guardian's permission; the second is first aid for the things that go wrong sitting at a desk.

2 parts

• 1(a). Watch the "Digital Safety" video, with a parent or guardian's permission Often forgotten
• 1(b). First aid and prevention for repetitive stress injuries and eyestrain

2. The history of programming, and three milestones Requirement

The history and the evolution of programming languages, including at least three milestones in how programming advanced or developed over time.

3. Five languages and what they are for, and three programmed devices Often forgotten Requirement

Two parts. The first is the research that should decide your three languages at requirement 5.

2 parts

• 3(a). Five popular languages, their industries, and why Often forgotten
• 3(b). Three programmed devices you rely on every day

4. Intellectual property, licensing, and three kinds of software Requirement

Three parts, and the third is directly relevant to the environments you are about to install.

3 parts

• 4(a). The four types of intellectual property protecting computer programs
• 4(b). Licensing software against owning it
• 4(c). Freeware, open source and commercial software, and respecting the terms

5. THREE programs, three languages, three environments, and the rules are in the preamble Often forgotten Requirement

Selected with your counselor's guidance. Every condition that decides whether a program passes is stated once above the three parts: it must take input, produce output from computations and decisions made on that input, be debugged, be demonstrated, and be explained.

EVERYTHING THAT DECIDES WHETHER A PROGRAM PASSES IS IN THIS REQUIREMENT'S PREAMBLE, NOT IN ITS PARTS. Each of the three programs must TAKE INPUT and produce output BASED ON COMPUTATIONS AND DECISIONS MADE ON THAT INPUT, be debugged, be demonstrated to your counselor, and be explained: how it processes inputs, how it makes decisions from them, and how it produces outputs. The lettered parts say only "in the first language and environment… explain as above". A program that prints, draws or plays something without reading any input meets none of it.

THREE LANGUAGES AND THREE DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENTS ARE TWO LISTS, NOT ONE. For most Scouts the code is not the obstacle: getting three separate toolchains installed and running is, especially on a school machine or a family computer where somebody else holds the administrator password and the network blocks downloads. Agree the three with your counselor and try to install all three in your first week on the badge, not your sixth.

3 parts

• 5(a). The first language and environment. Write or modify, debug, demonstrate, explain Often forgotten
• 5(b). The second language and environment, same conditions Often forgotten
• 5(c). The third language and environment, same conditions again Often forgotten

6. A career, or a hobby or healthy lifestyle. Do ONE Requirement

The badge states the choice. Both are research and a discussion.

2 parts

• 6(a). Research one career related to this badge Optional May not apply
• 6(b). Explore a hobby or healthy lifestyle that uses this badge Optional May not apply

Counselor signs it off Milestone

The completion date is the date you met the requirements, not the date of the signature.

Usually comes after 6. A career, or a hobby or healthy lifestyle. Do ONE.

Merit badge requirements are republished annually. A Scout beginning work uses the requirements as they stand then; a Scout already working may finish under the ones they started with. Guide to Advancement 7.0.4.3 governs which applies. This page records the date its copy was read. Check it against the official page before relying on it.