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February 2021

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[issue43056] Use of dicts in sections 4.2 and 4.7 of Python tutorial a bit confusing
by Jesse Silverman Feb. 1, 2021

Feb. 1, 2021

New submission from Jesse Silverman <jessevsilverman(a)gmail.com>: The Python tutorial was not my first introduction to Python, but I see things in sections 4.2 and 4.7 that likely would have confused me a lot if it was. In 4.2 near the end, we have great advice about how to avoid problems with modifying a collection while iterating thru it. Unfortunately, it both makes use of a dict despite not having introduced it before at all within the tutorial (I wasn't shocked because it was NOT … [View More]my first introduction to Python) and in fact, the .items() method which is beautifully explained in section 5.6, which hasn't been read yet. I got thru it a bit shakily, and in a reference, rather than an introductory tutorial, it is quite literally impossible to present everything in a strict sequence, but I would definitely have been thrown for a loop if it was actually my first introduction to Python. All was good again until I got to section 4.7.2, where I was again glad I had previously consumed tutorial materials concerning dict. There is a forward reference to: https://docs.python.org/3.9/library/stdtypes.html#typesmapping Which every Python programmer should undoubtedly be familiar with eventually, but "why not?" to the more novice-friendly: https://docs.python.org/3.9/tutorial/datastructures.html#dictionaries The forward reference from this section to tuples in section 5 of the tutorial suggests that this might have been appropriate as well. The dict, the tuple and parameter passing are all very basic topics indeed, but I would have found 4.7 very rough going if I had no prior exposure to dict and tuple. This isn't a complaint demanding a refund for the cost of the tutorial, so much as an indication of where I think true novices attempting to follow the tutorial in sequence would likely be thrown for a loop. I understand there is a healthy ecosystem of free and paid introductory tutorial material for Python, as evidenced by the fact that I was only working thru the tutorial just now, having been referred to it as a pre-req for other material I will be moving on to soon. ---------- assignee: docs@python components: Documentation messages: 385870 nosy: docs@python, jessevsilverman priority: normal severity: normal status: open title: Use of dicts in sections 4.2 and 4.7 of Python tutorial a bit confusing versions: Python 3.9 _______________________________________ Python tracker <report(a)bugs.python.org> <https://bugs.python.org/issue43056> _______________________________________ [View Less]

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