Mailman 3 May 2001 - Edu-sig

The Register - interview with Monte Davidoff
by Jason Cunliffe 21 May '01

21 May '01

Microsoft Altair BASIC legend talks about Linux, CPRM and that very frightening photo http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/18909.html <quote> His other passion, he tells us, is Python. "Hats off to them. It's an extremely well designed language. It's object orientated from the get-go. They've really succeeded there," he says, and commends it as the ideal teaching language. That used to be BASIC, of course. </quote>

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Python teaching syllabi
by Timothy Wilson 20 May '01

20 May '01

Hi everyone, Summer is almost here which means that the start of school next fall isn't far behind. As I've mentioned previously on the list, I'll be teaching two sections of a new "Introduction to Computer Programming" course featuring Python. I'm new to teaching C.S. and I'm wondering if anyone has any syllabi or other similar general course information they could share? (If any C.S. teachers find themselves teaching physics or chemistry I'd be happy to return the favor :-) -Tim -- Tim Wilson | Visit Sibley online: | Check out: Henry Sibley HS | http://www.isd197.org | http://www.zope.org W. St. Paul, MN | | http://slashdot.org wilson(a)visi.com | <dtml-var pithy_quote> | http://linux.com

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Auto Reply to your message ...
by dorothea＠impressions.com 20 May '01

20 May '01

----- The following text is an automated response to your message ----- Dorothea Salo is no longer at Impressions Book & Journal Services. So that we may respond to your e-mail, it has been forwarded to Vicki Sullivan. ----- Original message follows -----

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Auto Reply to your message ...
by dorothea＠impressions.com 20 May '01

20 May '01

----- The following text is an automated response to your message ----- Dorothea Salo is no longer at Impressions Book & Journal Services. So that we may respond to your e-mail, it has been forwarded to Vicki Sullivan. ----- Original message follows -----

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Auto Reply to your message ...
by dorothea＠impressions.com 18 May '01

18 May '01

----- The following text is an automated response to your message ----- Dorothea Salo is no longer at Impressions Book & Journal Services. So that we may respond to your e-mail, it has been forwarded to Vicki Sullivan. ----- Original message follows -----

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IDLE and VPython
by Arthinator＠aol.com 14 May '01

14 May '01

Noting Sheila's problem discussed on the Python list and here re: VPython installation breaking stuff for her; Noting my concerns related to trying to distribute my PyGeo which has now evolved essentially into a VPython library. Noting my own opinion that VPython will, or at least should, become an almost standard part of a Python installation geared toward educatinal use. Noting that the VPython footprint, except as to its own IDLE version, is extremely small and will co-exist easily with a standard Python installation. Noting that the VPython IDLE fork is falling further behind the Python release version. Agreeing that the interactive IDLE is an essential piece of an installation geared toward educational use. Feeling strongly that a standard Python installation that could accept VPython out of the box would be a boon to Python for educational use. Finally, not understanding what of significance running in its own Process Space brings to the table for standard IDLE, and certainly feeling that other than that single issue the VPython forked IDLE adds nothing essential to VPython's use for educational purposes. Going as far as to wish that a future VPython might become part of the standard Python distribution. Trying to see, encourage something to be worked out here by David and Guido, is to me, core EDU-SIG. ART

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IDLE and VPython
by HotToPot＠aol.com 13 May '01

13 May '01

While not seeing much activity on the IDLE fork sourceforge site, further research indicates the BDFL is on the case: http://mail.python.org/pipermail/idle-dev/2000-December/000251.html BTW- sorry for coming at the list as one person from different e-mail addresses. Probably confusing. Home logistics. My wife, among other pursuits, is a potter - which I hope explains her AOL log-on. ART

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IDLE and VPython
by HotToPot＠aol.com 13 May '01

13 May '01

Markus writes > >I think it is easier to step-through a script with a debugger if it is = >startet in the same process. Otherwise you had to communicate with the = >script via some sockets or something like this. Efforts are well under way on various fronts to provide the professional Python developer with powerful environments, including advanced debugging. There are and will be continue to be, it seems clear, almost an embarrassment of riches to choose from for the Python pro - the process driven by commercial competition. IDLE was conceived from day one as an introductory IDE for educational purposes. I guess since I have gotten a decent way into Python without having touched a debugger - a strategically placed "print" command usually is sufficient to tell me what I need to know - I would suggest that some marginal loss of performance or features of the IDLE debugger to achieve more "openness"" is well worth it. Though I am saying this not understanding exactly how far those trade-offs might go. And certainly I am not suggesting an IDLE without some decent debugging capabilities. I can in fact understand how the debugger could be used quite effectively in an educational setting, allowing folks to get a sense of what is happening behind the scenes. Probably could have shortened some of my own learning curves significantly had I availed myself of it. And of course my argument ignores the necessary install of Numeric in any case. It has always been the first thing I reach for in doing a Python install, and this from early on. So I guess to me it has become almost a quasi-official part of a standard Python configuration. But it would be great to see something get done here - as they say down on Mulberry Street - "for the kids". ART

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graphics programming with Python
by Daniel Yoo 12 May '01

12 May '01

Here's a preliminary version of a simplified interface to a Tkinter canvas. It's simple enough so that the user just needs to type: ### from graphics import * def drawBox(x1, y1, x2, y2): """Draws a box where the upper left is (x1, y1), and the lower right is (x2, y2).""" positionPen(x1, y1) drawLineTo(x2, y1) drawLineTo(x2, y2) drawLineTo(x1, y2) drawLineTo(x1, y1) drawBox(-100, 100, 100, -100) ### to get a box drawn. By default, the Canvas is 400x400, and the user can send commands like: drawLine drawPoint setRGBColor without having to worry about creating a canvas. Also, it uses normal rectangular coordinates, so (0, 0) is at the center, (200, 200) is the upper right corner, and (-200, -200) is the bottom left. Please give suggestions on this; I just typed this up yesterday, so it surely has room for improvement and clarity. I hope this is useful!

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SciTE config question on Win32
by Jason Cunliffe 12 May '01

12 May '01

I need a jump start... SciTE will not run my python scripts yet. Does not respond to 'F5: Go' I opened python.properties ... if PLAT_WIN command.go.*.py=pythonw -u $(FileNameExt) command.go.subsystem.*.py=1 ... How should I set this up for running 1.5.2, 2.x etc.. I quite often need to switch between python. Various applications including Zope have their own python. thanks ./Jason ___________________________________________________________ Jason CUNLIFFE = NOMADICS['Interactive Art and Technology']

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