[Edu-sig] The fate of raw_input() in Python 3000

[kirby urner]

On 9/8/06, Toby Donaldson <tjd at sfu.ca> wrote:

> Teaching is filled with IOUs. We often use things before we completely
> understand them.
>
> Toby

I would like a deeper discussion of why we still need to prompt
ourselves for input.

I think the model today is "a person writing code for him or herself"
i.e. "self as client" -- at least in an early context.  We're not
guiding the unknowing through a menu tree.  We're computer literate,
fluent.

Why would we ask ourselves for raw_input, when it's much easier to
just pass arguments to functions?

If you're *really* coding for a complete newbie, then learn GUI
programming, meet them where they want to be met.  Otherwise, just
import and use a namespace, like a real grownup.  All this "ask myself
for degrees centigrade" stuff is just too 1970s, too BASIC (yech!).

Hey, I'd think about putting self-prompting I/O in a more obscure
context, like copy (also out of reach as a built-in), maybe making it
part of sys or something. :-D

Look how C# handles I/O.  That's a good example I think.
System.console -- would that have been better?  No one asked me, I
offered no opinion.  End of story then.  The work is done.

Python3000 shouldn't be derailed by politicians, some of whom would,
in their heart of hearts, like Python to fail (just as many USA
congressman actually *hate* what the USA is exposing about them).

As soon as I thought "C#" I felt better.  CPython -> C -> C# ->
IronPython looks like a dynamite CS sequence.

I'm looking forward to seeing which schools have guts enough to try it.

Kirby