[Microbit-Python] Oxford workshop.

[Dave Ames]

Hi

My thoughts after briefly getting to try out MicroPython on the micro:bit
at our training the other day.

1) I couldn't get the REPL to work with screen (which I'd used with the
MicroPython board previously), had to install picocom as mentioned in the
Readme. Any idea whether there is a specific reason?

2) Running the local file on a micro:bit required me to install pyserial (I
was on a relatively recent install), but there is no mention of this
requirement.

3) Is there a way of putting a copy of your python file onto the board
(drag it across into the USB drive) with a specific name so that
MicroPython can interpret and run it (in the same way we can with the
MicroPython boards)? If so is it documented as I couldn't see it in the
Readme?

I'm sure it's all written up somewhere but a nice overview of what's
available in the API would be nice too, if it's already there then
signposts pointing to it might need to be more explicit.

Making the whole experience as slick and easy as possible, needs to be a
goal.

Cheers
Dave

On Fri, 23 Oct 2015 08:08 Nicholas H.Tollervey <ntoll at ntoll.org> wrote:

> Hi Folks,
>
> Some observations and comments that fall out from the Oxford PUG
> workshop I ran yesterday.
>
> * About 20 people turned up.
>
> * People love Python (obviously) and are "gunning" for us. This may be a
> reflection of the attendees at a Python User Group but I got the
> impression that a significant minority were not Pythonistas but had come
> along to find out more.
>
> * Have clear and accurate help docs is important.
>
> * We have to make it as simple as possible to access MicroPython on the
> device. Things I saw:
>
>   - No one read the README's for the editor, repl or MicroPython repos.
>   - One guy complained he couldn't connect to the REPL without realising
> he had to first flash the device.
>   - Inexperienced users don't understand the difference between a REPL
> and code editor.
>   - USB cables are a big pain point. Several people couldn't connect
> their device, spent 1/2 hour faffing about with their computer only to
> discover that they had a knackered lead. (This happened twice.) :-(
>   - Once connected people had a lot of fun. Ergo, getting people
> "connected" is a "bump" we should address.
>   - People really REALLY enjoyed the examples (Mark, your compass was a
> big hit). Having a library of existing simple example code to adapt to
> your own purposes is A GOOD THING. People feel positive about cutting
> and pasting code and then massaging it to something else.
>
> * A university professor from Australia attended
> (sydney.edu.au/engineering/it/about/people/staff/curran.shtml). AFAICT
> he's on some sort of secondment to Oxford University and is responsible
> for this rather amazing site: https://groklearning.com/ He wants to get
> involved. He especially would like to be introduced to Damien and
> perhaps say "hello" when he's next in Cambridge visiting the RPi
> Foundation. He appears to be the driving force behind Australia's
> equivalent to "Make it Digital". He'd like to integrate the MicroPython
>  / micro:bit offering into GrokLearning.
>
> * Once people "settled" into the device they were having lots of fun and
> enjoyed using MicroPython.
>
> When I get time over the weekend I'll try to turn the above into user
> stories we can work at.
>
> All the best,
>
> Nicholas.
>
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