[Tutor] Getting Started

[Mark Lawrence]

On 17/12/2013 19:47, Chris Acreman wrote:
> I have programming experience using Fortran, Pascal, Modula 2, and some
> training in C++.  My nephew told me about Python and it sounded
> intriguing. I downloaded Python 3.3.0 from this website (www.python.org
> <http://www.python.org>) and installed it with no apparent difficulty.
> To learn the language I bought a book from Amazon.com, /Python
> Programming for the Absolute Begin/ner by Michael Dawson.  The book said
> the program could be downloaded from a particular website, but that
> website does not seem to be offering that service any more.
> Everything went well until I got to page 11 and the instruction “To save
> your program, Select File, Save As.”
> That is when I realized there are NO pull-down menus in the Python
> screen.  No file commands such as Save, Save As, Open, or Print.  No
> operational commands such as Compile, Run, etc.
> What else do I need to do to make this version of Python an actually
> usable programming environment?

I'd assume that the book is referring to IDLE.  If that is the case and 
if you only want to play, then you might as well stick with it.  It 
comes with all versions of Python, and a lot of work has been done in 
recent months to improve the user experience.

OTOH if you want to do some serious work, I'd use an IDE that you've 
previously used and like that also supports Python.  This can save some 
of the frustrations that you get with Python when compared to compiled 
languages such as Java and C++.  For example, I use Eclipse and Pydev 
and have the static code checker Pylint automatically look at my code as 
I type.  This prevents a substantial number of the common run time 
errors such as NameError.

> Thank you for your assistance.
> Chris Acreman
> Elgin, TX
>

-- 
My fellow Pythonistas, ask not what our language can do for you, ask 
what you can do for our language.

Mark Lawrence