[Edu-sig] the string type (was: making types matter (notes for beginners))

[kirby urner]

Thanks Wes, especially for the URLs relating type theory to "HoTT" by way
category theory.

My friend and co-podcaster Alex, a math-physics-philo guy, has been pushing
me to bone up in that area [1].  Those links really helped.

I'm squeezing some of this in while reading the OSCON 2019 proposals, a big
job, but I always learn a lot by so doing. [2]

When it comes to Beginner Python and types, people have a strong grasp of
number types coming in, especially ints, but think they know more about the
string type than they really do, thanks to the whole coding/decoding
business.

i.e. strings are always "encrypted" (encoded) a specific way, even if only
as plain ASCII text.  K-16 doesn't do a lot to introduce Unicode, even
though it's fundamental.  I'd teach Unicode in language arts, along with
fonts and old fashioned printing and book binding.

What I find works well with kids and adults alike is a lot of emphasis on
Emoji, which are now a part of Unicode after all.  They're colorful and
ubiquitous in modern life.

There's something satisfying about being able to have

["😉", "🐋", "🚂"]

as a Python list.

We can also use non-keyboard characters in identifiers, though emoji won't
work (there's no making your emojis callable in other words).

*** testing 1-2-3... how did that list come through in the Mailman
archives? Displayed as Emoji, not as missing glyphs?  I see Wes already
used a yellow hand pointing down, so I'm confidant the glyphs should be
there ***

Contemporary IDEs and web browsers are up to showing emoji.

When you think about Unicode as a database with records (fields as
attributes) you realize that the string type alone is a huge door opener.
It's also about number bases and HTML entities.  Lots to know.

About half of my students are middle schoolers [3], the other half are
adults [4].

The Emoji (Unicode) stuff works at all levels.

I notice the Rust docs are into it.

Show your language is Unicode savvy that way, good PR.

Kirby Urner
4dsolutions.net
cascadia.or.pdx

[1]
It's something of a joke how everyone starts a Monad tutorial the same way,
by decrying the dearth of coherent Monad tutorials, hah hah.

The emphasis on composing functions in category theory takes me to this
decorator class, my Monad in progress:

https://repl.it/@kurner/MakingMonads

https://youtu.be/caSOTjr1z18  (functional programmer speaking to his
community)
https://youtu.be/SknxggwRPzU  (Dutch prof with several relevant interviews
on computerphile channel)
https://youtu.be/IOiZatlZtGU  (good overview of how logic and CS come
together over time, focus on lambda stuff).

FYI, I've used "λ-calculus" (Church, Turing et al) to loosely brand an
alternative track through high school, that could in theory count with
future employers and colleges as much as today's prevelant "Δ-calculus"
(Newton-Leibniz).

Here's how I use λ-calc in contrast with Δ-calc (against a STEM backdrop --
I've since done more to map out PATH).
https://youtu.be/eTDH7m4vEiM

I'm simply sharing a vision (heuristic, gestalt), akin to science fiction,
not proposing legislation nor composing any "thou shalt" edict -- so no
need to get too political about it I'm hoping.  Food for thought.

[2] a Medium story (be me) that gives a big picture broad brush stroke
history leading up to the resurrection of O'Caml, the language:
https://medium.com/@kirbyurner/stories-from-cyberia-fc857867e147

[3]  middle school: next Coding with Kids gig starts tomorrow:
https://youtu.be/6qlj_AZqpto (a look at Codesters)

[4]  adults: next SAISOFT gig starts in February:
https://github.com/4dsolutions/SAISOFT
(lots of Jupyter Notebooks; we also use Spyder and vs code, both with
Anaconda)
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