[Pythonmac-SIG] Good way for beginner to get started with Python?
Henry Olders
henry.olders at mcgill.ca
Sun Apr 7 18:11:04 CEST 2013
Have a look at this free online course offering from Coursera:
https://www.coursera.org/course/interactivepython
Learn to program python games entirely through your browser!
Henry
On 2013-04-06, at 19:22 , John Velman <velman at cox.net> wrote:
> Reply-To:
>
> I'm looking for a way to get a bright (of course) high school student
> started with Python. He has a recent iMac. He is pretty computer literate,
> and knows the names of some computer languages, but no experience in
> programming, and little experience with text editing per se. He is
> particularly interested in games. Is at a stage of trying to decide what he
> is going to do in college, and was asking me about getting started with
> computer programming.
>
> I recommend Python as a good starting language. It would be nice if there
> was a simple IDE that works with python without a lot of setting up
> options, moving things around in the file system, and so on. I don't want
> to throw him into Vim or Emacs.
>
> I'd like him to get to something interesting (GUI, very simple games) soon.
> I showed him some examples from Pythonista on my iPad, and he was impressed
> at what could be done in ~ 100 lines of Python.
>
> For now, it would be really nice if he could work with the Python already
> on his iMac, and minimal other setup. Maybe the TKInter that comes with the
> iMac would also be a place to start GUI. It looks like installing
> TextWrangler might be a good choice for an editor. Or just plain TextEdit?
>
> I've looked at PyGames, and done a little other googling, and every place
> I've looked says install this, install that, use Home Brew, use Ports,
> don't use Ports, be sure and set such and such an option, be sure and get a
> version greater than x.y...Things that I might do, but I've been at this,
> at least part time, more or less forever.
>
> We need something than one can just do, and then learn while doing. Well,
> something Mac like.
>
> (I myself haven't used Python much for a while, am trying to develop one
> good app in Objective C on an hour or so a day. I use the Xcode IDE, Vim
> outside of Xcode. Am personally a dynasaur, am mailing this via Mutt.)
>
> Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
>
> John V.
> _______________________________________________
> Pythonmac-SIG maillist - Pythonmac-SIG at python.org
> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/pythonmac-sig
> unsubscribe: http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/Pythonmac-SIG
More information about the Pythonmac-SIG
mailing list