New to Python

[Alberto Monteiro]

Dustan wrote:
>
>> What is the best way to get documentation about the functions
>> and classes of python? I tried to google, but usually I can just
>> find the __doc__ of the objects, without examples or anything that
>> can help me use it.
> 
> Refer to this as a reference:
> http://docs.python.org/
> 
I guess I've been there :-)

> It includes a tutorial and documentation on the functions and classes
> in all the global modules, as well as builtin functions (http://
> docs.python.org/lib/built-in-funcs.html) and syntax. If you have 
> prior experience with programming, you may be able to learn python 
> from the tutorial, but otherwise, I would highly recommend you get a 
> good book for beginners on python 
> (http://wiki.python.org/moin/PythonBooks); there's plenty of them 
> out there.
> 
I do have previous experience with programming (much more than
it's reasonable for one lifetime, BTW. I have the curse of never
forgetting things I learn, so sometimes I catch myself thinking
in archaic and extinct languages), but I found python particularly
hard to learn (not as much as Haskell). Maybe I am not doing it 
the right way, trying to learn Python _and_ Python GUI interface 
at the same time.

For example, yesterday I wanted to open a window, draw some
image, and make it move. I tried it with tkinter and with pygame,
but I didn't succeed - there was no way I could find how to
begin the image in the center of the window (!!!).

Such basic things are usually solved with a google search, like
"python image position", but there was no inchantation I could utter
that would bring me the effect I wanted (oops. Bad example. I guess
"python image position" would give a useful answer...)

Another example, I found in pygame functions that would return
something called an "EventList". But whenever I searched for
"EventList" to see what is that, I got back to the page with
the functions that returned the EventList :-)

Also, basic things like how does "+" operate on object "xxx"
are impossible to google search.

Anyway, thanks for the help.

Alberto Monteiro