May 2026 Update

It’s almost the end of the school year! AP exams are over, graduation ceremonies are happening, and summer is around the corner. Here's what we've been up to this month:

Python 3.14

We’ve upgraded the Python version for our code runners to 3.14. Python 3.14 runs more quickly, has better error messages, and supports PNG files in Turtle.

(Turtle was added to Python in October 1994, PNG was first supported in Internet Explorer in 1997. 29 years after that, here we are!)

Import projects from Trinket

If you have a zip file of projects from Trinket, you can now upload them in bulk from your profile page (Click the person icon in the top right corner while logged in to get there).

Create a lesson from a sandbox project

If you’re on Pickcode Classroom, you can now create a lesson from a sandbox project. When you click on a project in your home screen, you’ll see this as a new choice when you click “Options”. This will create a new lesson and place the contents of the sandbox project its the starter-code folder.

Coming soon

We’ve begun work on importing CSAwesome exercises (they’ll be free for everyone!) and improving the login system to allow users to stay logged in for longer. We should have more info on these updates in the June newsletter.

Other fixes and improvements

Improve error messages when trying to import graphics libraries within a console project
Improve keyboard focus when using graphics programs
Improve Java error messages by reducing references to code outside of a user’s program
Stop programs with over 10,000 output lines to prevent page crashes on infinite loops
Improve performance of student work view for graphics lessons
Fix issues when resizing the graphics window
Fix issue where renaming a lesson would not change its name for students who had started work
Fix issue with focusing the input box for C++ programs
Fix broken links in the student assignment table
Add more template options for Python graphics projects
Fix issue with writing to files in C++

April 2026 Update

Our goal with Pickcode has always been to provide a reliable and lasting service for teachers. That’s why we’re excited to announce that we reached two important milestones in April: We reached 40,000 registered users, and we’ve signed our first contract with a customer that extends

March 2026 Update

So far, 2026 has been a great year for Pickcode. We’ve had 9,000 teachers and students sign up for the platform and users have run code over 1.5 million times! As always, our goal is to create a reliable and lasting resource for the CS teaching community.

February 2026 Update

In January, we mentioned we’ve been shoveling snow and watching the Patriots. The Patriots are finished, but the snow isn’t. Regardless, we’ve been hard at work improving Pickcode. In February, we added a few nice features to Pickcode Classroom while we continue working towards bigger goals for

January 2026 Update

Happy new year! Between shoveling snow and watching the Patriots (we’re based in Cambridge, MA), we’ve been hard at work improving Pickcode. This month we were mainly focused on bug fixes and minor improvements, and we’ll be working on bigger initiatives later on in the spring. If