[Edu-sig] Python for non-programmers

[Dennis E. Hamilton]

I found this interesting in terms of what might be possible for a graphic
manipulation system.

It is a big reach from what I meant by toy applications, because of the need
to understand a lot of analytical geometry to express things.  Also, I
wouldn't want to modify the IDE.  I'm concerned that could get in the way.

Learning how pyGeo works and is built by taking it apart seems like a big
thing too.

I downloaded the thin distribution to see if I could get a better sense of
it from your code.  I haven't looked at it yet.

I think geometry work might be very interesting at some point.  Have you
considered introducing it along with objects for geometric representation,
sort of how it showed up in the early Smalltalk work?  Something like

	p1 = mkPoint(0.0, 7.3)
	p2 = mkPoint(-3.7, 1.5)
	p3 = mkPoint(2.4, -12.7)
	s1 = mkPlain(p1, p2, p3)
	s2 = ...
	linex = mkIntersection(s1, s2)
	linex.draw(parameters)

like that?  Or little turtle stuff?

Thanks for showing me this.  It is something to think about.

-- Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Arthur Siegel [mailto:siegel@eico.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2000 13:29
To: infonuovo@email.com; CP4E Edu-Sig
Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] Python for non-programmers


Dennis E. Hamilton, wrote -
> If there were any good toy
> applications that did useful things around, I could have him doing
engaging
> things at the console shell and python level that he could learn to
analyze
> and replicate later.  (I don't care if it is simply playing Hangman, or
> tic-tac-toe or How Many Petals Around the Rose, something that is a
complete
> thing which can be used without having anything to do with building
> software.)


I like to think the PyGeo app I wrote
http://starship.python.net/crew/kernr/PyGeo/ fits well into this category.
You're writing actual Python code and getting immediate feedback as 3D
graphics.

So far I am a chorus of one who sees it as on point to what EDU-SIG is
about.

But as the guy who spent a good number of hours getting it to the point
where I thought it
was presentable, its hard to be objective.

I'll take any feedback at this point - good, bad, or indifferent.