[Edu-sig] Using objects early was Procedural front end for Zelle's graphics.py

[Brian Blais]

John Zelle wrote:
> I think it's important here to differentiate between doing OOP, that is, doing 
> design with classes vs. just using objects. Unlike Kirby, I personally see 
> nothing wrong with going the procedural route with these students, but I 
> don't think that using some objects in this context is particularly confusing 
> to students. I can only make sense of the statement "OO is way more powerful 
> than you need to get into" in the context of teaching OO design 
> (encapsulation, polymorphism, inheritance). Using pre-existing object types 
> requires no more conceptual machinery than function calls, and is really just 
> more procedural programming.   

I agree entirely.  In fact, I use the math module early on (for simple trig) or the 
random module, each with the dot notation.  I don't think the calling syntax is the 
problem, and as you point out is just like function calls.  I don't consider that 
OOP, even though in the background it is implemented that way.  To carry it that far, 
you'd have to admit that:

a=1

is OOP, which I think is a bit far.  I consider OOP when you start looking at class 
definitions and design with classes as you say above.


				bb


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