Feedback wanted on programming introduction (Python in Windows)

[Alf P. Steinbach]

[Cross-posted comp.programming and comp.lang.python]

Hi.

I may finally have found the perfect language for a practically oriented 
introductory book on programming, namely Python.

C++ was way too complex for the novice, JScript and C# suffered from too 
fast-changing specifications and runtime environment, Java, well, nothing 
particularly wrong but it's sort of too large and unwieldy and inefficient.

I don't know whether this will ever become an actual book. I hope so!

But since I don't know much Python -- I'm *learning* Python as I write -- I know 
that there's a significant chance of communicating misconceptions, non-idiomatic 
ways to do things, bad conventions, etc., in addition to of course plain errors 
of fact and understanding in general, to which I'm not yet immune...

So I would would be very happy for feedback.

But note: although I'm a complete Python newbie I'm not a novice programmer; my 
usual programming language is C++. So if you are a novice and think there's 
something wrong, then please do report it because it may help me explain things 
better, but since it's likely my explanation that is misleading, don't waste 
time on building up a case! This also goes for something that is simply 
difficult to understand. Then reporting that may help me explain it better. On 
the other hand, if you do have some experience, then chances are that what you 
think is an error, actually *is* an error! :-)

Unfortunately Google docs doesn't display the nice table of contents in each 
document, but here's the public view of ch 1 (complete) and ch 2 (about one 
third completed, I've not yet settled on a title so it's just chapter "asd"):

     http://preview.tinyurl.com/progintro

Cheers,

- Alf

PS: Please use the groups, this thread, for feedback; not e-mail. -DS