Python for non-programmers

[Dennis Lee Bieber]

On Wed, 1 Mar 2000 08:06:48 -0800, "Dennis E. Hamilton"
<infonuovo at email.com> declaimed the following in comp.lang.python:

> to do more and learn how people do multi-media, game animation, and so on.

> eye-opener for me.  I have a list of all the terms (from shell to
> object-oriented) that have no context for non-programmers.  I just skip past

	Much of what he does with the SB/CD-RW may have buzz-words that
don't mean much to a non-musician... Just using my old CZ-101
control-panel as an example, how many "programmers" would understand
what ADSR (or pitch envelope, wave envelope, volume envelope), ring
modulation, bend, key-follow, velocity sensitivity, and patch might
mean.

	The buzz-words are a toll for entering the world...

	Using the subject of "game animation" for example, it is easy to
relate "object oriented" techniques.

	Assuming a role-playing type game (Diablo, perhaps) you have
different opponents. All of the opponents have common elements -- X/Y
location on the floor, hit points, speed, etc.

	OO would model those as an "opponent" class. Subclasses may be
created for "skeleton", "troll", "zombie", etc. The subclasses could
have attributes for the image files used for static poses, death,
damage, weapon type, attack rate... Behavior (seek/avoid)... Some of
these may still be common to the "opponent" class. The imagery would be
specific to the subclass, but the opponent.Display() function might be
common to all, via referencing the actual object image specification.

> He knows to make __init__.py files but not why.  I wanted him to have a
> basic setup where he could begin self-guided activity and see useful results
> that can also be grown to bigger projects and organized work.
>
	In a way, creating "packages" is what I'd consider advanced
work... Much can be done without ever creating a personal
module/package.
 
> with the GUI and the fledgling IDEs available for Python).
>
	PythonWin seems well developed, and with a color-coding editor
built in, should be easier to work with.

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