How to get block input_value's for generators

How can we access the blocks input values in a generator?

Here is the Motion - Move Steps block definition:

Blockly.Blocks['motion_movesteps'] = { init: function() { this.jsonInit({ "message0": "move %1 steps", "args0": [ { "type": "input_value", "name": "STEPS" } ], "category": Blockly.Categories.motion, "extensions": ["colours_motion", "shape_statement"] }); } };

if we create a generator for this block as:

Blockly.Python['motion_movesteps'] = function(block) { var duration = block.getFieldValue('STEPS'); return duration + '\n'; };

we would want the getFieldValue function to return the input value on the block. However the duration variable returns null.

I noticed in the Scratch block definition the type is ‘input_value’, as oppose to ‘field_value’ in Blockly, and that in the xml generated for that block the input value actually appears inside a ‘shadow’ tag.

So, is there is simple way to access this input value via the generator?

Many thanks for the help…

[smaameri]

Sorry, have solved this.

Was using getFieldValue instead of valueToCode.

Changing to valueToCode in the generator has solved the problem. Final line to get input value looks like:

var duration = Blockly.Python.valueToCode(block, 'STEPS', Blockly.JavaScript.ORDER_ATOMIC) || '0'

[joseeph]

@smaameri thank you so much for detailed explanation, in my case I just wanna define a common block with a text input field in horizontal mode, then get the input value.