[Tutor] Python Tutorials: How to create useful programs after learning the syntax?

[Luis Galvan]

Thanks for the responses! :)  Hopefully Gmail's quoting feature shows up
just fine.

 1.      http://www.challenge-you.com/
>> 2.      http://projecteuler.net/index.php?section=logout
>> 3.      http://www.spoj.pl/problems/classical/
>> 4.      http://codegolf.com/
>> 5.      http://www.codechef.com/
>>
>> These will certainly keep you occupied for many hours, days, weeks, etc
>>
>
Simply a very interesting way to learn Python!  Thank you for these links!
Definitely will have to check them out.

Try the Case Study in my tutorial, iot tales you through what is
> supposed to be the typical evolution of an idea from a simple concept
> (a word counter) to something grander (a grammar counter) then
> adding a GUI front end. It is still somewhat contrioved since it is a
> beginners tutorial adfter all, but it might give you some ideas.
>
> There are also two rolling examples throughout the tutorial:
> - a simple multiplication table printer in the early topics
> - an address book which extends all the way to a full client-server
> database driven program. (Eventually it will have a GUI and web
> front end too! :-)


Can't believe I've never bumped into your tutorial, simply a very
informative read.  I've skimmed over some and I've got to say that it does
help quite a bit, being an aspiring "hobbyist" programmer.  Once I get more
free time I'll definitely have to give it a deeper read.  Thanks!


  Whether it be a text editor, a simple browser, etc,
>>
>
> Neither of those is particularly "simple"! You probably want to
> moderate your expectations for your first projects.


Sorry about that.  Being a new programmer, you tend to underestimate the
difficulty various applications take to write.  Point taken though, I'm
definitely starting small.  I guess what I meant by that small string of
text you quoted is "Where can I start?", though your Case Study seems to be
a very descriptive text on this subject.

What sorts of things do you want to make?  The most successful projects are
> usually borne from people's desire for a tool that doesn't exist yet.
> Or have you always wanted to make a video game?  Those can be very
> satisfying first projects.  There are very good tutorials available for
> beginning game development with Python + Pygame, and also look into Pyglet.
>

Thanks for that question actually, forgot to mention what my goals are.  The
reason I became interested in programming is from my desire for an XML
editor for a PC game I enjoy playing (Zoo Tycoon 2).  The game's various
attributes such as life, hunger, cost for adoption, etc are stored as XML
elements and by modifying these elements it's possible to create new animals
or other content (I just add the 3D models).  All this isn't new in PC games
of course, but the modding community for ZT2 doesn't really have any
programmers that I know of, so any similar editor such as the one I want to
make doesn't exist for us.

To achieve this goal, apart from starting small with simple applications, I
began to study XML parsing.  It's a bit daunting to  me for now, but I think
I can make it if I refer to my Python notes (I took notes while watching the
Python video series) to keep my knowledge "fresh" :).  What else would you
recommend I study aside from XML parsing? (Am I doing good in learning XML
parsing for this to begin with?)
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