[Edu-sig] docs.tutorial function example - too complicated

[Jurgis Pralgauskis]

Hi,

currently more and more schools are trying Py,
so studens read tutorial docs from time to time...
and one of main programming (architecture) subjects starts with quite
a mathematical and unpractical example..

http://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/controlflow.html#defining-functions
It's like teaching to pilot airplane, prior to bicycle and car :)


I'd propose some simple examples at first:
like in http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Non-Programmer%27s_Tutorial_for_Python_3/Defining_Functions
or http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/functions/

def greeting( person ):
       print( "Hello", person )

def add(a, b):
      result = a+b
      return result

z = add(3, 5)
# could aslso graphically show, how data (arguments/results) travel
# as in C++ example


def absolute_value(n):
    if n < 0:
        n = -n
    return n

def count_down( n ):
     while n > 0:
        print( n )
        n = n-1

def average( mylist ):
    return sum(mylist) / len(mylist)

def decide_on_scholarship( marks ):
    avg = average(marks)
    if avg > 9.5:
        return 1000
    elif avg >= 8:
        return 200
    else:
        return 0


Maybe there is some other list, where it would be more appropriate to
discuss this?
--
Jurgis Pralgauskis
tel: 8-616 77613;
Don't worry, be happy and make things better ;)
http://galvosukykla.lt