[Tutor] Beginner Noob

[DL Neil]

On 6/06/20 12:19 PM, 1611kjb at gmail.com wrote:
> I am very green with Python. In fact, Hello World is it so far. I'm
> reading/learning from a book called Python Programming for the Absolute
> Beginner. My first question is real simple, looking at the UI and reading
> the beginning pages, Python seems to follow in the steps of Visual Basic.
> BASIC was written in the 1960's and I first ran into it in 1983 on a VIC20
> computer, where I also bought a stand alone a cartridge and learned about
> machine language. In any event, when it started, BASIC was an interpreted
> language. You couldn't run a program stand alone. You had to buy an
> interpreter, then create a numbered, formatted ASCII text file which the
> interpreter read and executed line by line. Eventually Microsoft created
> Visual Basic with a graphical UI and a runtime package and now you can do
> most things in VB if you like. Python seems to be running this same
> gauntlet. I can run/test it through a Python Interpreter or it can be
> compiled into a runtime. At the moment I am learning using the Python 3.8.3
> shell from the Microsoft Store and I have installed the Python branch to
> Visual Studio Community Edition.
> 
>   
> 
> Whew, I'm long winded, I say all that to ask, what are the advantages to
> jumping over to Python from VB? I am simultaneously working on C# and
> wondering if it's worth taxing myself to learn another language. I started
> it because I am working with Mindstorms EV3 robotics kits, there educational
> platform for K12 education, Arduino controllers and Raspberry PI computers.
> They all seem to like Python and C, C++ and C#. I'm an old retired guy
> stretching the grey muscles and just wondering if this is a good way to
> apply myself. Thanks for any input. I'm sure I'll br here a lot.


Further to Alan's comments:-
(I often cast myself as offering a contrary view to his - fortunately we 
live far-enough apart that he can't toss his caber at me. Such is one of 
the advantages of the community here - ask one question but receive 
answers from different perspectives or based upon different 
interpretations!)

There is a MicroPython which works well on Raspberry Pi SBCs, whereas 
there is a version of C which is native to the Arduino.

Another 'trick', which may be open to you, is developing code on a 
larger (lap-top or desk-top) machine (with many more 
dev/debugging/testing facilities) and only transferring the code into 
the SBC once it is basically (or completely) working!

A concern is that it can be confusing trying to learn two languages at 
once - and a fairly-similar, but significantly-different, pair at that. 
Recommend one at a time! So, depending upon which SBC you've already 
purchased/plan to buy first, go with the applicable language (and then 
pick-up the other when you move-on to the next project)...

As Alan said, having learned one language it is relatively easy to learn 
another. However, try to resist the temptation to 'see' Python in terms 
of VB. Even where the commands are the same word, they may not perform 
in exactly the same way. On top of that, we talk about "idioms" which 
are quite different - implementing a noticeably different set of 
philosophies from VB specifically, and MSFT in general.

I like Python because there is no intermediate step - one writes some 
code and it will runs. The benefits of immediacy can hardly be 
under-stated. The only issues in the environments you've mentioned, are 
things like running-out of storage space - but there are multiple ways 
to deal with such challenges...

Yes, good to keep the grey-cells receptive, and we'll look forward to 
seeing more of what you get up-to (Silver-surfers of the world unite!)
-- 
Regards =dn