[Edu-sig] Python as Application

[David Handy]

On Tue, Oct 25, 2005 at 04:26:26PM -0400, Arthur wrote:
> ... I realize that my approach to learning Python has been closer to
> learning a software application than the traditional approach to learning
> to program and learning a programming language.
>
> ...
> 
> I focus on having a dialog with Python's behavior.  And that is 
> conducted mostly by throwing code at it, and then registering the result 
> - until I zone in more and more finely on controlling the result by 
> controlling the code I throw at it.
> 
> ...
> 
> And it seems to me that if the approach to teaching Python was more 
> toward Python as an application, than as a "programming language", 
> better results might be achievable for a wider range of people.
> 
> FWIW.
 
Thank you for your comments, that is worth something to me.

Question for you: How much did Python's interactive mode (the >>> prompt
thingy) help you in your explorations? As you threw code at Python, how
often did you create scratch .py files and run them, vs. trying something at
the interactive prompt?

-- 
David Handy
Computer Programming is Fun!
Beginning Computer Programming with Python
http://www.handysoftware.com/cpif/