[Edu-sig] modelling

[Arthur_Siegel@rsmi.com]

>All the so-called Visual products (Visual C++, Visual FoxPro, and yes, the 
>emerging Visual Python) are characterized by the floating toolbar 
>palette of surfaces and controls.  But then, so are the Java IDEs from 
>Borland and Sun.  I have nothing against these for what they are.  
>They can save a lot of time.

No question.  And I am not as against the grain as I might sound.  Am a fan of
Access, for example. Amazing how much I can get done  - without knowing much.
Nor am I questioning the value of such building environments in the Python
world. Efficiency is good, saving time is good, not re-inventing the wheel is
good, wizards are good.  But my first stab at learning Java for example was
to plunk down $99.999999999  for the MS Java environment - whatever it is
JBuilder, no , I forget.  And while it might be a perfectly reasonable way to 
develop
Java apps,  my testimmony is that it was a ridiculous way to try to learn Java.


Get a lot further a lot faster in learning Java by pulling up the demos in a 
plain vanilla
text editor and following along.  (there was of course the 4 month investment
in
getting my classpaths set - but that's now improved) 

So my  theorizing is really no more than generalizing/reporting my own very
real
experiences.  And it is because I have no reason to believe that I am  other 
than  
typical, that I present them as relevant.  Perhaps my only atypical aspect
was in my willingness  to wander a bit off the beaten track in finding 
alternative tools that work 
for me.  Was only a few interactive sessions into Guido's tutorial before I 
knew I
was on the right track.

And I think you are right. While  Python doesn't bring me to the real low 
levels, 
it does model well for me what is happening at those levels.

Which for my purposes has been quite sufficient.

ART