Programmer-Wanna-Be (Is Python for me?)

[Steve]

fifeclub at my-deja.com wrote:
> 

> 1.  First of all, is Python what I'm looking for:  a way to create
> Windows (or other OS's) applications?

Yes.

> 2.  Is Python RELATIVELY one of the easiest ways to do this?

Yes, and I will cautiously say absolutely, not just relatively.

> 3.  What about Visual Basic? (the most commonly used) Why should I not
> choose VB instead?

Visual Basic ties you to the Microsoft and their platforms, which you
indicated you may not want to do.  Python is cross platform, Open
Source, and supported by a group of enthusiastic and knowledgeable
programmers.  Python's syntax will be better preperation if you want to
learn Java, C, or C++.

> 4.  Is there a WYSIWYG editor (like Frontpage is for HTML)?  Is this what
> Tkinter is?  Is there a 'better' WYSIWYG editor for Python that I should
> use instead?

Programming is unlike document mark-up (HTML), so "What You See Is What
You Get" doesn't really make sense to me in this context.  The analogous
tool in programming might be an Integrated Development Environment, or
IDE.  Python comes with a helpful editor, IDLE, but it is not a full
IDE.

> 5.  What's the deal with Tk/Tcl?  Why is this so closely tied with Python
> and Tkinter if Python is it's own language?  (The install instructions
> say I may need to install Tk/Tcl too (what ever that is))

Tkinter is the Python interface to the graphical user interface Tk,
which is based on the Tcl language.  Tk is the primary (but not the
only) GUI used with Python.  It is also cross platform.

> 6.  Where should I start?  (I've already downloaded and installed
> Python2.0b2 but haven't attempted to write anything)  Do I need to
> download anything else?

You probably should start by downloading and installing version 1.6
rather than the beta of 2.0.  The installation includes Guido's
tutorial, but if you haven't programmed before, first try Josh Cogliati
tutorial: http://www.honors.montana.edu/~jjc/easytut/easytut/ or Alan
Gauld's excellent tutorial:
http://members.nbci.com/alan_gauld/tutor/tutindex.htm

After doing one or both of these, then the tutorial and the
documentation that comes with the Python download will make more sense. 
After that, there are many excellent books on Python, and their authors
frequent this newsgroup.

Best of luck!

-Steve-
> 
> -Thanks
> -Mike
> 
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.