Mailman 3 January 2002 - Edu-sig

A Portuguese translations of "One Day of IDLE Toying" now up
by Danny Yoo 30 Jan '02

30 Jan '02

Hi everyone, Fernando Manas Ferreira has contributed the Portuguese translation to the "One Day of IDLE Toying" tutorial. I'm very floored and happy about this. Fernando's translation has been linked to the main site here: http://hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu/~dyoo/python/idle_intro/index.html Thank you again for your help!

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FWD: drinking deeply at learning's open source
by Jason Cunliffe 27 Jan '02

27 Jan '02

http://it.mycareer.com.au/news/2001/06/05/FFX9ZT7UENC.html 2002-01-15 Fairfax IT: Trinity drinks deeply at learning's open source ["Trinity College at Melbourne University threw open its doors to open source in December 2000. The Windows network was replaced with Linux, and the Python programming language was adopted for teaching and operations."]

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re: leviated new book
by Arthur Siegel 27 Jan '02

27 Jan '02

My (non-Python) plug is for "Fractals Visualization and J" by Clifford A. Reiter. This is a second edition of a book of math visualization explorations using the J language - which is a terse but interesting mathematically (executable symbolic math) oriented language that has apparently been around some time. Despite the book's name, it covers areas well beyond fractals. Site is http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~reiterc/j/ I expect it to stimulate some ideas for extending PyGeo, my geometric visualization tool created in and scriptable with P(ython). Art >Math Creativity new book due out >http://www.levitated.net/exhibit/exhibitFlashmath.html >./Jason >PS. >a reminder to check out 'dbn' if you don't know it: >http://dbn.media.mit.edu/

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leviated new book
by Jason Cunliffe 26 Jan '02

26 Jan '02

Math Creativity new book due out http://www.levitated.net/exhibit/exhibitFlashmath.html ./Jason PS. a reminder to check out 'dbn' if you don't know it: http://dbn.media.mit.edu/ ______________________________________________ Jason Cunliffe [NOMADICS: Director art+design] tel/fax: +1 718 422-1078 jasonic(a)nomadics.org N 43:00.000' W 074:31.875' ALT:1144 ft 84 Henry Street #3C Brooklyn NY 11201 USA

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New problem with -Qnew and IDLE?
by Gregor Lingl 22 Jan '02

22 Jan '02

Has anybody an explanation vor this: I started IDLE with the -Qnew switch. (I have a copy of the IDLE-Icon with this switch on my desktop) Then I did the following in IDLE's Python-Shell-Window: >>>def ggt(a,b): while b: ##### WHEN NOW I HIT ENTER, ##### THE RESULT WAS: >>> Exception in Tkinter callback Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:\Python22\lib\lib-tk\Tkinter.py", line 1292, in __call__ return apply(self.func, args) File "C:\Python22\Tools\idle\PyShell.py", line 588, in enter_callback self.auto.auto_indent(event) File "C:\Python22\Tools\idle\AutoIndent.py", line 301, in newline_and_indent_event self.smart_indent_event(event) File "C:\Python22\Tools\idle\AutoIndent.py", line 208, in smart_indent_event self.reindent_to(effective + self.indentwidth) File "C:\Python22\Tools\idle\AutoIndent.py", line 455, in reindent_to text.insert("insert", self._make_blanks(column)) File "C:\Python22\Tools\idle\AutoIndent.py", line 442, in _make_blanks return '\t' * ntabs + ' ' * nspaces TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for *: 'str' and 'float' def ggt(a,b): while b: So the cryptic Error - backtrace appeard after the >>> - Prompt and BEFORE the two lines I just had typed in. Moreover, I only could return to the >>> - prompt by hitting ^C (Keybord-Interrupt) This strange behaviour doesn't appear in ordinarily started IDLE. It also does not appear when starting Python (with or without -Qnew) from the MS-DOS prompt. I feel more and more, that there is some strange instability in IDLE connected with the -Qnew switch . Gregor P.S.: I'm interested in these problems, because in my opinion it is an important, if not crucial point to have a not only simple but also stable and reliable programming environment, when working with highschool students, who are just beginning to learn to program.

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Re: Edu-sig digest, Vol 1 #457 - 4 msgs
by bchang＠artic.edu 16 Jan '02

16 Jan '02

> Absolutely. I wish--wish there were a fgeat opensource Flash-like tool. > Which could use scripting langauge of choice [Python, PHP, Javascript, > REBOL > ..]I think there will be. But I fear not very soon.. One of my students recently introduced me to SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), which is an open-format XML-based language that does pretty much everything flash does. it's W3C supported and also uses ECMAScript, but it seems you should be able to hook other scripting languages up to it. as a director & flash programmer i am indeed continuously infuriated by the closed-door approach macromedia uses - maybe this will be a viable alternative. --ben chang bchang(a)artic.edu art & technology studies school of the art institute of chicago

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High School Programming Competition
by Bryce Embry 16 Jan '02

16 Jan '02

Howdy, Middle Tennessee State University has been holding a high school programming competition for the last 20 years. I've been in contact with the director of the competition and they are going to include Python as a programming language choice this year. If you are in the area, teaching Python to high school students, and want to get involved, check out http://www.mtsu.edu/~csdept/HighSchool/. They currently do not have Python listed on the web site, but will add it as soon as they get a Python team signed up (I hope to get our school signed up in the next week or so). Enjoy, ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bryce Embry --- Geek of All Trades, Master of None --- Margolin Hebrew Academy --- 390 South White Station --- Memphis, TN 38117 --- (901) 682-2409

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Re: [Edu-sig] Great OOP tutorial [OT]
by Jason Cunliffe 16 Jan '02

16 Jan '02

Hi Kirby Thanks for your comments. "Kirby Urner" <urnerk(a)qwest.net> wrote > http://www.debreuil.com/docs/ch01_Intro.htm .. > Thanks Jason. I've been exploring Flash 5 recently and > the tutorial was useful, although I'm somewhat surprised > it doesn't also use Flash movies to teach OO. Yes I agree. There are other some tutorials out there that do some. http://www.moock.org/ http://www.moock.org/webdesign/flash/ http://www.moock.org/asdg/codedepot/ It would be very nice to see a good intro to OOP suitable for Python done in Flash graphics for example. Robin Debreuil's goal was really how do to use OOP to roll your own Flash. Robin Debreuil & co are the people who are increasingly by passing Flash's normal design interface. They are busy virtualizing the entire thing in code. It a bloody process, but I hpe the longer term results will go way beyond Macromedia empire and FLash as we know it.. Thye've come along way in the past year. 2002 is going to be very intense as they same people build and fuse event models, engines and socket servers of their own to override the default model as far as they can go. http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/flashcoders-wiki/http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/~ bhall/code/xmlnitro.as http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/ack/eventengine.php http://www.moock.org/unity/ http://www.natzke.com/ The deeper it goes, the more impressive is the effort, and the gerater the need/shame that Python is not there instead/also. It is facinating to see how Flash has developed and a vibrant openSource alter-ego. That seesm to be the real meme these days. .. meanwhile the player gets pushed onto more commercial devices: http://www.flashenabled.com/mobile/ which further motivates the alter-ego. A interesting case in point is the Sharp Zaurus, a linux based PDA [with micro keyboard]. http://developer.sharpsec.com/ It's a bold experiment to see how the openSource community can rise to the occasion. Trolltech have announced a comptetion as their QT windowing system runs on it. Qt has Python wrappers btw. http://www.thekompany.com/projects/pykde/ PDAs are cool I think ecause while still overpriced vanity gizmos, they are now teetering on the verge of greater embeded yechnolgy, and hopefully true usefullness ;-) At this juncture they reverse the trend for massively icnrasing RAM and isk pace which has egniifled softawer design. PDAs truly reward great software engineering: minimalism, footprint, portability, reusability, etc. And GUIs are the big test. There has been much topical debate on Flashcoders and elswewhere recently about compexity of OOP vs. real need vs. real use. Why OOP? Why build these big abstract constructs? Sometimes they seem to to take people further and furterh away from what hey aer really [originally] trying to do. they becom grails/goals + means in themselves. The answer seems to be that GUIs are where they are needed - the payoff. PythonCard - an contracting abtraction on top of an expanding abstraction. wxPython is massively generalized and meta-verbose. PythonCard steps up to bat and tries to make it more useful again by offering focus and simpification by understanding better the context in which these things are actually used. > Some of my very early forays: > http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/flash/reciprocal.html > http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/flash/group.html > http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/flash/sumtotients.html Very nice. There was great space PBS series on TV years ago that used dynamic typography and presentation of equations like that. It covered Netwon's laws of motion etc. > In any case, I agree with you that Flash potentially > provides a useful into to OO with immediate feedback/ > applications. The downside is it's far from free (unlike > Python) and the OO model is somewhat more complicated > I think (Python's is actually more sophisticated, but > conceals enough to make the basics easier -- or maybe > I'm just biased, being new to the Flash paradigm). Absolutely. I wish--wish there were a fgeat opensource Flash-like tool. Which could use scripting langauge of choice [Python, PHP, Javascript, REBOL ..]I think there will be. But I fear not very soon.. One can presently generate Flash SWF by raw scripting using MING [PHP, Python apis] http://opaque.net/ming/ And make-swf is a new one for REBOL :) http://sweb.cz/oliva.david/swf/ ASV is a famous tool for viewing Actionscript inside SF's for which one does not have the source .FLA http://www.buraks.com/asv/9.html flasm is a command line assembler/disassembler of flash actionscript bytecode: http://flasm.sourceforge.net/ > The hardest parts of the tutorial are the special add-on > functions the author has to introduce to make the Flash > language itself a little easier to use i.e. he's using > the language to complete the language (admittedly, lots > of successful languages do this). Yes true. I read that Robin is trying to improve those sections. There is forum about it and others have encouraged clarification there. I think it is partly a problem of explaining these things, partly that Actionscript has many flaws and is very young. Many have criticized Macromedia's programmers for not being open, rigorous or lucid enough. Others say it is mainly they are isolated by Macromedia marketing wonks brand of techno-politics. These critiques are naturally further strong arguments for why openSource, Python etc. ./Jason ______________________________________________ Jason Cunliffe [NOMADICS: Director art+design] tel/fax: +1 718 422-1078 jasonic(a)nomadics.org N 43:00.000' W 074:31.875' ALT:1144 ft 84 Henry Street #3C Brooklyn NY 11201 USA

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Great OOP tutorial [OT]
by Jason Cunliffe 16 Jan '02

16 Jan '02

>From time to time here I have championed Flash5 as a great intro to Object Oriented Programming. Flash5 offers a unique hands-on paradigm combining interactive visualization accesible through ActionScript, its built-in language [almost = Javascript]. There is a brilliant on-line tutorial by Robin Debreuil, one of Flash5's oop gurus and avid participant of the thriving Flashcoders mailing list: http://www.debreuil.com/docs/ch01_Intro.htm I recommend it on several counts: - For those of you intested to know more about Flash5 oop, but wishing to avoid $45 color glossy designer coffe-table Flash progamming books. - For anyone interested in OOP tutorials - For students working with Python but wondering how to apply skills and ideas developing there in other [non-python] contexts. {What's the BIGGER pattern?} - ... ./Jason ______________________________________________ Jason Cunliffe [NOMADICS: Director art+design] tel/fax: +1 718 422-1078 jasonic(a)nomadics.org N 43:00.000' W 074:31.875' ALT:1144 ft 84 Henry Street #3C Brooklyn NY 11201 USA

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Basic number theory w/ Python
by Kirby Urner 10 Jan '02

10 Jan '02

A result of number theory is any positive integer is the sum of the totients of its factors. What does that mean? The totient of n is the number of positives less than n, including 1, and which are relatively prime to n, i.e. have no factors in common with n other than 1. So, for example, 28 has no factors in common, other than 1, with the following positive numbers < 28: [1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 23, 25, 27] The number of such numbers is the totient of n, and is simply the length of this list, i.e. 12. So totient(28)==12. Defining totient(n) is easy (for small n) if we have a way to assure gcd(i,n)==1, 0<i<n. That's where the gcd function comes in (see below -- a paradigm Python program [1]). If you take all the factors of 28 (including both 1 and 28), compute their totients, and add 'em all up, you should get 28. And so for any positive integer. >>> factors(28) [1, 2, 4, 7, 14, 28] >>> map(totient,factors(28)) [1, 1, 2, 6, 6, 12] >>> 1+1+2+6+6+12 28 Here are some functions to check this out for low (small) positive integers: from operator import add def gcd(a,b): "greatest common divisor of a,b" while b: a, b = b, a%b return a def factors(n): "return list of factors of n" return [i for i in range(1,n+1) if n%i==0] def sumtots(n): "sum the totients of n's factors" return reduce(add,[totient(i) for i in factors(n)]) Usage: >>> sumtots(28) 28 >>> sumtots(100) 100 >>> sumtots(120383) 120383 Kirby [1] my recollection is this simple Pythonic form of Euclid's Algorithm was first presented by Guido himself -- is this correct?

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