# StarLogo

> agent-based simulation language

**Wikidata**: [Q4050034](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4050034)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarLogo)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/starlogo

## FAQs
### Q: What is StarLogo used for?
A: StarLogo is used for creating agent-based simulations, where many independent agents interact with each other and their environment. It is commonly used in educational settings to teach programming and complex systems concepts.

### Q: Who developed StarLogo?
A: StarLogo was developed by the MIT Media Lab, a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

### Q: What programming paradigm does StarLogo use?
A: StarLogo is a multi-paradigm programming language that supports procedural programming and agent-oriented programming. It uses duck typing, dynamic typing, and strong typing.

## Why It Matters
StarLogo matters because it provides an accessible entry point into the world of agent-based modeling and simulation. By being a dialect of the educational programming language Logo, it builds on a legacy of making complex computational concepts understandable to beginners and students. Developed by the MIT Media Lab, it represents a significant effort to bridge the gap between simple, educational tools and more complex scientific modeling. It allows users to explore decentralized systems, emergent behavior, and complex phenomena—such as how birds flock or how traffic patterns form—by programming the rules for individual agents rather than the system as a whole. This approach fundamentally changes how users think about cause-and-effect in systems. Its relationship to Scratch, a highly influential visual programming language also with MIT ties, highlights its place in a broader lineage of tools designed to democratize programming and computational thinking for learners of all ages.

## Notable For
- **Agent-Based Focus**: A primary distinction is its specialization as an agent-based simulation language, a specific subset of programming designed for modeling the actions and interactions of autonomous agents.
- **Educational Heritage**: As a dialect of Logo, it is part of a historic family of programming languages created specifically for educational purposes.
- **Multi-Paradigm Design**: It combines multiple programming paradigms (multi-paradigm, procedural, agent-oriented), offering flexibility in how simulations are constructed.
- **MIT Media Lab Origin**: Its development by the prestigious MIT Media Lab connects it to a hub of innovation in technology, media, and education.
- **Typing Discipline**: It uniquely employs a combination of duck typing, dynamic typing, and strong typing, which is a specific technical profile for a language in its category.

## Body
### Overview and Development
StarLogo is an agent-based simulation language and a recognized dialect of the Logo programming language. It was developed by the MIT Media Lab, with its inception dating to the year 2001. The official website for the project is hosted by MIT at http://education.mit.edu/portfolio_page/starlogo-tng/.

### Technical Specifications and Paradigms
The language is classified as a multi-paradigm programming language, incorporating elements of procedural programming and agent-oriented programming. Its typing discipline is a hybrid model that includes:
*   Duck typing
*   Dynamic typing
*   Strong typing

### Context and Relationships
StarLogo is intrinsically linked to the broader landscape of educational programming tools. It is a programming language [class] designed for communicating instructions to a machine. A key related entity is **Scratch**, a programming language learning environment also associated with MIT, which had its inception in 2003.

### Identifiers and Authority
The language is indexed and cataloged by several major organizations and databases, confirming its status and providing points of reference:
*   **Wikipedia Title**: StarLogo (available in 6 languages: English, Persian, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian).
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID**: sh94002677
*   **National Library of Israel J9U ID**: 987007532331005171
*   **Microsoft Academic ID**: 2777156928 (discontinued service)
*   **Freebase ID**: /m/037xjq
*   **Wikidata Description**: agent-based simulation language

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/JohnMarkOckerbloom/ftl/blob/master/data/wikimap)
2. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File