Feedback wanted on programming introduction (Python in Windows)

[Alf P. Steinbach]

* Jon Clements:
> On 28 Oct, 08:58, "Alf P. Steinbach" <al... at start.no> wrote:
> [snip]
>> Without reference to an OS you can't address any of the issues that a beginner
>> has to grapple with, including most importantly tool usage, without which it's
>> not even possible to get started, but also, very importantly, a file system.
>>
>> Learning programming without tools and without using files (or only using the
>> common denominator for file systems in OSes X, Y and Z) is sort of vacuous...
>>
>> In addition there's the motivational factor.
> 
> I certainly agree that focusing on Windows, you may be able to suggest
> certain tools. IDE's, RAD environments, etc...

I'm more thinking of things like the command interpreter.

It's rather different in Windows and *nix.

The first exploratory programs a novice makes almost have to be text-oriented, 
thus, some exposure to the command interpreter from the start. And most 
programming languages' text i/o facilities, including those of Python, are 
oriented towards standard streams and redirection of them, done from some 
command interpreter. And most Windows users, those who'd like to learn 
programming, know nothing about that, so unless they learn in a setting with 
knowledgable people around, it needs to be addressed in the text they're using.


> However, I'm sure you
> would consider that if you were writing a C++ guide, you would promote
> portability and the STL. Of course, both languages offer platform-
> specific libraries. Maybe a 'down side' with Python is that the
> "batteries included" also include some functions marked in the
> documentation as "Available on Windows only" etc... And specifically
> suggesting an ActiveState install

I suggested ActiveState because I know from earlier that their packages are easy 
to install and provide documentation in reasonable Windows CHM help file format. 
I did try the IronPython .NET implementation first :-). But my experience with 
*nix folks' porting efforts is that they create Windows ports that don't handle 
spaces in paths, don't even handle backspace in dialogs they present, require 
undocumented environment variables set up (and explaining such takes a lot of 
pages & is demotivating), and just generally without any forethought or any 
reasonable automation, requiring a lot of explanation and hand-holding which 
would run to many pages, so I didn't even look at the CPython implementation.

Perhaps I should.

However, since ActivePython is said here to be just be CPython + packaging + 
stuff, I don't think there's any point in suggesting CPython, except perhaps to 
get version 3.x but that would currently have its own problems wrt. libraries 
and such, wouldn't it?


> which includes COM interop etc...
> (although I hope this would appear much later, if at all).

I haven't looked at that part of things yet in Python but I guess it's the same 
as with other languages, some Automation-interface.

I can't think of anything useful to do with that, though, except that some 
hardware is supplied with Automation interface drivers.

For example, if I wanted to automate Excel (Microsoft's spreadsheet) I'd rather 
do that in VBA in Excel than in Python with COM interop driving the Excel 
Automation model.

Microsoft has discontinued all the fun beginner's stuff that earlier was 
available via Automation.

The only thing left in XP is the Microsoft assistant with an animated Wizard 
figure on the screen, but IIRC that's discontinued already in Vista.


> PS. Can I suggest PSpad as an editor for the Windows environment, I
> much prefer it to Notepad++ and it may well be worth mentioning.

He he, it supports Esperanto!

Great!

Thx.


Cheers,

- Alf