<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div style="font-family: courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In the same way that Python programmers like to compare python to other languages in sheer line count of code (see the <span style="font-weight: bold;">page bottom</span> of <a href="http://norvig.com/spell-correct.html">this example</a> from Peter Norvig), I like to compare the first three or four chapters of beginning programming books about Python to beginning books for other languages. <br><br>I remember finding a big pile of C++ "introductory" books in our schools storage room. After asking around I found out the school actually had a programming class in the past that "just didn't catch on". Looking at those texts, I can see why....<br><br>Luckily, enough time has passes that no students now remember that C++ class
anymore. I have more of a "blank slate" to introduce to Python and IDLE.<br><br>Richard<br><br><br><br><br><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">----- Original Message ----<br>From: kirby urner <kirby.urner@gmail.com><br><div><br>========snip snip=====================<br><br>What's cool about IDLE is you're free to interact with the<br>low level components without going to all the work of<br>writing a structured program.<br><br>The immediacy of the shell is what throws students for<br>a loop sometimes -- they're not used to prodding and<br>poking at this low a level, still think you "have to write<br>programs" in order to explore string....<br><br>========snip snip==================<br><br></div></div><br></div></div><br>
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