[Python-Dev] Ph.D. dissertation ideas?

[Steve Holden]

Brett Cannon wrote:
> On 1/12/06, Bill Janssen <janssen at parc.com> wrote:
> 
>>Brett,
>>
>>How about building a system that compiles a Python program (possibly
>>annotated) to an AJAX program?  That is, it analyzes the program to
>>determine what's appropriate and possible for client-side and
>>server-side, figures out the optimal network API (reduce latency,
>>reduce calls, reduce data transfer, increase responsiveness),
>>generates server-side Jython to run in Tomcat (or Python for
>>mod_python), and client-side XHTML, CSS, and Javascript to implement
>>the browser-based portion of the application.  Oddities of browser
>>implementations and Javascript VMs would be contained in the compiler
>>and automatically pushed into the generated code.
>>
>>This would be a tremendously useful advance in building distributed
>>systems that work with the Web.  The current approach to AJAX is a bit
>>like carpentry with old hand tools.  You'd probably also push Python
>>to higher levels of language-ness.
>>
> 
> 
> Hmm.  It's an idea.  I also thought of Python -> JavaScript compiler
> since JavaScript is not fun and getting to test using Python might be
> cool.  But not sure how useful that would be.  Plus I bet someone has
> does this with Java or something.
> 
If you can persuade your supervisor to be interested in educational 
games, a Python learning system might be an interesting project with 
lots of scope for user modelling and goal-directed behaviour.

There's been some work done on bomb-proofing the interpreter to offer a 
"try-python" type site, but nobody seems to have thought about how to 
engage a neophyte with an specific teaching strategy (possibly based on 
personality analysis) and then present problems to verify comprehension 
and offer appropriate feedback.

That would be a terrific game!

regards
  Steve
-- 
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