[Tutor] Debugging skills

[Alan Gauld]

On 04/01/2024 21:58, dn via Tutor wrote:
> Prefacing these remarks with the comment that I don't (currently) teach 
> Python-from-scratch, nor for that matter, procedural coding from-scratch 
> (and why would I, given the wide-availability of materials?).
> 
> Many of the issues-raised and under-lying themes, apply at a variety of 
> 'levels' of learning...

I'm hoping to respond to this more thoroughly later (busy, busy!)
but it strikes me that this (and several more of your recent posts)
might be of greater interest on the Python Edu SIG? Are you a
member of that community? They have a mailing list which is
active but quiet.

I don't mean you should not post this stuff here, just that
the SIG has members who might be actively interested and are
not on Tutor....

>>> Interestingly the paper book version of my tutorial has a chapter on
>>> debugging. However, I've never got round to adding that chapter
>>> to the online version. I probably should...> +1

OK, I'll add it to my list. I'm already working on a new book
project(or more accurately resurrecting an old book project
from 20 years ago!)


> This ties-in with the above discussion because a casual look-around 
> reveals very few courses or books which start-off in the Python REPL 
> despite its characteristics of immediate-feedback

Me, me! :-)
The first 5 chapters/topics in my tutorial are all from the REPL.
(Although 3 of those are really about concepts and getting Python
installed ec!) I introduce the idea of an editor and saving your
work in a file in chapter 6.

But I do regularly refer back to the REPL as a way of testing
functions and classes etc in later topics.

> (whereas to quote Joni Mitchell, others don't know what they've got 'til 
> it's gone?)

Now I'm humming along to "...put up a parking lot!"

> Known unknowns: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_are_unknown_unknowns
> A reasonably-readable article: 
> https://www.learning-mind.com/known-unknowns-unknown-unknowns/

I always felt Rumsfeld got unfair criticism for that comment.
He was absolutely correct in what he said. (Albeit using the
statement of fact to blow a smokescreen over the Iraq question
of the day) But it seems the journalists at the time just
didn't get the concept!

-- 
Alan G
Author of the Learn to Program web site
http://www.alan-g.me.uk/
http://www.amazon.com/author/alan_gauld
Follow my photo-blog on Flickr at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alangauldphotos