[Tutor] Python and Delphi

[alan.gauld@bt.com]

> I am a long-time Delphi programmer who is trying to learn the Python 
> programming language.  

Been there, done that! :-)
Now I only use Delphi for hard core Windows or, occasionally for a more 
sophisticated GUI than I can do with Tkinter...

> I learn best by example and would like to post small 
> trivial Delphi code snipplets here and see the translation from Delphi 

Thats not a bad strategy to start with but you'll soon find that the
diffrences 
in level between the two languages mean that you have to adopt a new mind
set.
Object Pascal is a great language but its still a factor of 2 or 3 times
more verbose 
than Python.

> At any rate, I have been totally spoiled by the ability to click on a term

> and hit F1 to get very specific help on a function or method along with 

The help function in Python is pretty good but the results depend on the
quality of documentation that the developer provided, which varies a lot. So
you can 
always type help(foo) at the >>> prompt and mostly find what you need. 
But no F1 shortcut i'm afraid.

But adding that wouldn't be too hard a project and the beauty of open source
 means you could do it for IDLE and submit the change as a contribution...

OTOH you may find that once you get used to having an interpreter to 
try out code in a playpen as you write it without going through a full 
compile/run/debug cycle means you don't miss it as much as you thought. 
I certainly don't, and I use F1 a lot in delphi!!

Although there are many similaritiers between Delphi(OP) and Python there
are 
some fundamental differences in how they provide programmer productivity. 
Python is far more about experimenting at the >>> prompt till it works 
then "writing it up" as real code. delphi by contrast makes it easy to do 
"online research" while coding then seeing iof you understood it after you 
compile. now while delphi compiles fast you still need a syntactically
complete 
file. The >>> prompt just needs a syntactically complete line!

HTH,

Alan g.