[Python-Dev] xturtle.py

[Jim Jewett]

Raymond wrote:

> One other thought -- at PyCon, I talked with a group of
> educators.  While they needed some minor tweaks to the Turtle
> module, there were no requests for an extensive rewrite or a
> fatter API.  The name of the game was to have a single module
> with a minimal toolset supporting a few simple programs, just
> rich enough to inspire, but small enough to fit into tiny slots in
> the curriculum (one sixth grade class gets is allocated three 55
> minute sessions to learn programming).

This argues against xturtle as it stands today.

By all means, mention it in the docs as a possibly superior
replacement that people can install themselves.

Consider it for 2.6.

But give it some time to mature before freezing it into the stdlib.

(1)  The API got much bigger.
(2)  Despite minor backwards compatibility problems, such as no longer
re-exporting math.*
(3)  The auto-generation of code is clever, but probably not the best
example to start with when teaching a raw beginner.

I think that by 2.6, it probably will be ready to replace the existing turtle.py

But I also think that if it goes in today, there will be at least a
few decisions that we regret.  These are much easier to fix while it
is still an independent project.

-jJ