[Edu-sig] "dynamic geometry" application

[Arthur Siegel]

> http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/oop.html is a seven chapter
> web publication which details my progress from Xbase, to Java,
> to Python.

I will definitely check it out.

> My approach is not to build applications, but simply to use IDLE
> as is, and Povray as is, with a few simple modules.  The idea
> is to have students understand all the guts -- nothing is hidden
> "under the hood".  Nothing up the sleaves...
>
> This isn't to say I'm not interested in alternative approaches.
> Just wanted to explain my technique.

To "sell" what I have attempted:

I have tried to layer the complexity in modules.

There is a top level module - PyElements - which contains most of the
simpler analytics on which the app runs. The simplicity of Python syntax
allows the module, I hope, to be transparent, and would allow the student to
follow the connection between graphical output and the analytics running it.

The matrix math is a level below the simpler analytics . It is in fact a
port to Python of the vecmath Java module that is distributed with Java3d.
As such the extensive Java documentation basically works for it, and it
should be accessible to the students looking into the analytics a bit
deeper.

Most of the GUI stuff which would be of programming interest only is
isolated in  separate modules.

> Edu-sig seems moribund.  I sent this last reply to the list as
> well (twice, as I didn't see it echo back the first time).
> The archives doesn't have any more messages in it since yours.
> I wrote to Guido about it, making enquiries.

This does seem like a private conversation.
Too bad. I think we are into some interesting and potentially significant
stuff.
How might we collaborate to generate some excitement??

> Thanks again for the screen shots and the .py modules.
> Gives me a much better sense of your project.  I think
> you're rather too modest saying you're not a Python
> guru.  Clearly you've done a lot with it.

Thanks for your interest and encouragement