Feedback wanted on programming introduction (Python in Windows)

[Alf P. Steinbach]

* tm:
> On 28 Okt., 07:52, "Alf P. Steinbach" <al... at start.no> wrote:
>> [Cross-posted comp.programming and comp.lang.python]
> 
> Looking at your topic '(Python in Windows)', without taking a
> glimpse at your actual introduction, I have the following to say:
> I think it is not a good idea to teach programming with a focus
> on a specific operating system. Programming should IMHO be taught
> without reference to an operating system. Otherwise you just teach
> how to write unportable programs.

I think you're trolling a little. :-)

Without reference to an OS you can't address any of the issues that a beginner 
has to grapple with, including most importantly tool usage, without which it's 
not even possible to get started, but also, very importantly, a file system.

Learning programming without tools and without using files (or only using the 
common denominator for file systems in OSes X, Y and Z) is sort of vacuous...

In addition there's the motivational factor.

Doing only academic examples, utilizing only a language's more or less portable 
functionality, is very de-motivational, while the opposite is motivational.



>> Hi.
>>
>> I may finally have found the perfect language for a practically oriented
>> introductory book on programming, namely Python.
> 
> What is considered 'perfect' depends on the point of view. Languages
> have assets and drawbacks and I don't even use the term 'perfect'
> for my own language. :-) There is always room to improve. Some of
> the features I consider important are discussed here:
> 
>   http://seed7.sourceforge.net/faq.htm
> 
>> 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.
> 
> While many people consider Java inefficient they do so in comparison
> to C/C++. I doubt that Java is inefficient compared to most
> interpreted languages.
> 
>> 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
> 
> Normally I prefer books written by people who already know the
> stuff they are writing about. I would consider that it is not a good
> selling argument when a book was written to *learn* a language. :-)

Yes, it would be silly to write a book or whatever about Python. This text is 
primarily about programming, at the novice level, not about the Python language. 
The programming language is only a vehicle.

However, as a vehicle the language needs to be suited for transport of the 
novice. :-)

And it seems that Python is very well suited for that.


> Seed7 Homepage:  http://seed7.sourceforge.net

I'm not familiar with Seed, sorry.


Cheers, & thanks for your thoughts,

- Alf