LitterBox ⁺ : An Extensible Framework for LLM-enhanced Scratch Static Code Analysis

Large language models (LLMS) have become an essential tool to support developers using traditional text-based programming languages, but the graphical notation of the block-based Scratch programming environment inhibits the use of LLMs. To overcome this limitation, we propose the LitterBox<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">+</sup> framework that extends the Scratch static code analysis tool LitterBox with the generative abilities of LLMs. By converting block-based code to a textual representation suitable for LLMs, LitterBox<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">+</sup>allows users to query LLMs about their programs, about quality issues reported by LitterBox, and it allows generating code fixes. Besides offering a programmatic API for these functionalities, LitterBox<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">+</sup> also extends the Scratch user interface to make these functionalities available directly in the environment familiar to learners. The framework is designed to be easily extensible with other prompts, LLM providers, and new features combining the program analysis capabilities of LitterBox with the generative features of LLMs. We provide a screencast demonstrating the tool at https://youtu.be/RZ6E0xgrIgQ.