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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Hey group,<br>
<br>
I have a bit of a non-technical question.<br>
<br>
I've seen quite a bit recently about the rise of software
apprenticeships. As a self-taught developer, this looks quite
appealing for a number of reasons. I'm wondering if anyone in the
group knows of any apprenticeships (or, if not a formal
apprenticeship, a shop that's looking for a very self-motivated
Junior Dev that is quite eager to learn, contribute, and be
mentored). <br>
<br>
I apologize if this is an improper request for this forum.<br>
<br>
Many thanks in advance!<br>
<br>
Malcolm Newsome<br>
<a href="mailto:malcolm.newsome@gmail.com" target="_blank">malcolm.newsome@gmail.com</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On 09/29/2012 06:16 PM, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:tutor-request@python.org">tutor-request@python.org</a> wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:mailman.5493.1348960610.27097.tutor@python.org"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Send Tutor mailing list submissions to
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When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Lotka-Volterra Model Simulation Questions (Oscar Benjamin)
2. Re: Lotka-Volterra Model Simulation Questions (Alan Gauld)
3. Re: Lotka-Volterra Model Simulation Questions (Oscar Benjamin)
4. Re: Lotka-Volterra Model Simulation Questions (Brett Ritter)
5. Re: generic repr method? (Oscar Benjamin)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2012 22:20:46 +0100
From: Oscar Benjamin <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:oscar.j.benjamin@gmail.com"><oscar.j.benjamin@gmail.com></a>
To: Jim Apto <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:jimmyapt0@gmail.com"><jimmyapt0@gmail.com></a>
Cc: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:tutor@python.org">tutor@python.org</a>
Subject: Re: [Tutor] Lotka-Volterra Model Simulation Questions
Message-ID:
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On 28 September 2012 21:32, Jim Apto <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:jimmyapt0@gmail.com"><jimmyapt0@gmail.com></a> wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Hello folks,
I'm relatively new to python, and was asked to program a lotka-volterra
model (predator and prey relation) simulator. The program basically will
basically have a menu that takes user input, collect data, and then create
a graph. Currently i've been working on the simulator section; I can't
seem to get the lists right.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
Jim, I apologise if the responses to your original post seem to have gotten
distracted from the problems you're having. Also I'm sorry if my first post
was a bit abstract.
Have the responses so far been helpful?
Oscar
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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2012 22:57:09 +0100
From: Alan Gauld <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:alan.gauld@btinternet.com"><alan.gauld@btinternet.com></a>
To: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:tutor@python.org">tutor@python.org</a>
Subject: Re: [Tutor] Lotka-Volterra Model Simulation Questions
Message-ID: <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:k47qrk$5er$1@ger.gmane.org"><k47qrk$5er$1@ger.gmane.org></a>
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On 29/09/12 11:42, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">On 29/09/12 19:16, Alan Gauld wrote:
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">I did say I had no idea about the original algorithm so yes, if the
variable names are industry standardised and the people working with the
code are familiar with them then it may be better to stick with them,
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">As to using short names to keep things on a single line, there is a huge
body of research in Comp Science that shows that meaningful names
outweigh single line expressions every time in terms of...
</pre>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Yes, but "meaningful names" is relative to the reader,
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
Absolutely, see the first para above. This latter comment was explicitly
in response to the snipped (by me) context:
"Also there are good reasons for using short names in equations. It
makes it much easier to see the whole equation at once, which makes it
easier to understand the equations and easier to check your code. If you
make the variable names too long, even simple equations like these will
have to split over several lines and be more difficult to read/check."
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">To a mathematician, "pi" or "?" is meaningful, and
"constant_ratio_of_diameter_to_circumference" would be much harder to read.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
Totally agree.
My point is that we should not choose short names just to keep an
expression on a single line. The evidence suggests that the advantages
of longer names outweigh the advantage of a single line. But in the
cases here where single letters evidently have expressive power in their
own right the familiar term is preferable over a longer descriptive name.
Of course, care is needed when splitting an expression over multi lines
to keep the readability so if the terms can be naturally split by
operator then that's the place to split them. But this is the same in
written math too. (Most of the equations I remember reading from my
quantum mechanics days were split over at least 3 lines... trying to
force them into a single line would not have made them any more palatable!)
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">p = m*v*(1-(c/v)**2)**-0.5
they aren't likely to be much enlightened by:
momentum = rest_mass*velocity*(1-(speed_of_light/velocity)**2)**-0.5
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
I'm slightly less convinced by that. I rarely learned Physics formulae
by wrote because I could usually work them out from first principles
easily enough. So knowing what the variables represent would help me
more than an equation of single letters if it was an equation I hadn't
seen before. But where it is an industry standard equation using
industry standard symbols then for sure, stick to the standard.
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">and of course, the longer names aren't likely to help the programmer find
the bug in the expression if he doesn't know the subject well.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
Agreed, but if he knows the subject area but not the specific algorithm
it might help (again assuming standard symbology is used appropriately).
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Meaningful names are vital. But short names, even single letters, are not
necessarily less meaningful than longer, more descriptive names.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
Absolutely.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
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