I don't believe in adding special notation specifically designed for beginner's sake - even though I am dedicated in making Python as easy to learn as possible.
André
Right. Also, math notations which went to the trouble to be self-executing on a machine (like APL), in some sense deserve our respect for their precision and consistency. Maybe it's plain old, non-executing (dead) algebra that should change. Phase in Python notation much earlier and discuss the old pre-Python use of the assignment operator as "from a different namespace" (perhaps deprecated). Just because a bunch of oldies used typography the way they did, doesn't mean we have to warp everything we do in future to be backward compatible. I look at self-executing math notations as defining a cutting edge, not as poor imitators of some obsolote text book way of doing things. In fact, why do we teach "algebra" at all in the old fashioned sense? In my view, tackling this set of topics without a computer language is indefensible except in cases where some invading/conquering power has an agenda of keeping the kids dumb (in which case, the *real* schools have to go underground, as is happening in the USA). Kirby
-Winston
______________________________________________________ winston wolff - (646) 827-2242 - http://www.stratolab.com learning by creating - video game courses for kids in new york
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