[Edu-sig] python satacad: class 2 (rescheduled)

[Kirby Urner]

> Ice storm in PDX on 2004.1.15 caused us to cancel Saturday Academy classes
> across the board.  I was going to (and will, next time) show how Python is
> used to support the generation of VRML files using these utilities:
> http://packinon.sourceforge.net/
> 

2004.1.22:  good class today; everyone showed.  Mostly just went over core
Python, with an eye to developing reading fluency.  As with any language,
reading code is easier than writing it -- and we did some of that too.
Focused on data structures and class/object syntax.  Dog and Monkey
subclasses of Animal.  self.state set to 'sleep' by sleep() method, and if
you ask a monkey to swing while asleep, it falls out of its tree.  Dog barks
random number of times (investigated randint and shuffle in response to cues
from students).

I'm pretty strong on "everything is an object" paradigm in that I'm careful
to link dot-notation vis-à-vis both builtin types and user types, i.e.
Python revolves around core types, and is extensible by the user.

Also:  I updated the class re that 'pc of the future' really being some old
sub bridge mockup.  VRML demo was inspiring, including tour of Eden Project
using Quicktime VR (in addition to the VRML).  However, command line use of
Adrian's polyform.py dies on a popen3 method with 'broken pipe' error (I
found this out before class -- not a show stopper in any way).  I'm thinking
this might be specific to Win2000, as I've never encountered this on WinXP.

The optional Yahoo group has only been joined by one student.  As I've
stressed its being entirely optional, I'm not stressed that it's not really
flying at this time.

Ate a large amount of sushi after class, at one of those conveyor belt
places.  Good feature of Beaverton, Oregon is that Asian food establishments
tend to be staffed and patronized by bona fide Asians, meaning they don't
dumb it down or cut a lot of corners.  Just your basic, yummy, all American
sushi.

Kirby