Python for Kids

[Niklas Frykholm]

In article <3910CDEF.73746A35 at cosc.canterbury.ac.nz>, Greg Ewing wrote:
>I've had some ideas floating around in my mind for a few
>years on what a "Hypercard done right" would be like.
>They revolve around a programming language which bears
>many similarities to Python, although Python wasn't
>around then. Now that it is, maybe I'll get around to
>implementing them.
>
>I'd be happy to share my ideas on this if anyone wants
>to collaborate.

It sounds like a very good project to me. I've been thinking
about similar ideas for quite some time. HyperCard had
some very good ideas.

Actually, I wrote an (extremely simple) HyperCard-like
program many years ago (called SimpleCard). Mainly out of
frustration with the fact that HyperCard remained B&W for
many years, even though "everyone" was using color screens.
A mutlimedia program that only runs in B&W???

I believe HyperCard was a victim of severe mismanagement.
If I remember it right, the program was shuffled back and
forth between Apple and Claris like a hot potato.

Back then, I wanted to add scripting capabilities to my
program, but since Python wasn't around and I didn't really
have time to write my own programming language (even though 
I thought about it), the only possibility seemed to be to do
it in AppleScript. Unfortunately, AppleScript sucked even
more than HyperTalk. (No other programming language has
made me so frustrated.)

Now, with Python around, it seems possible to do
"everything right". Do you think each screen object should
(transparently) run in a separate microthread? This
would make it possible for naive users to do complicated
things, such as running several animations simultaneously.

// Niklas