[Chicago] How did you learn Python? (was: Where Can I Find Python Training?)

[James Snyder]

Also, if you're a fan of screencasts, ShowMeDo has quite a few python  
tutorials as well:
http://showmedo.com/

I've not looked through the latest set of things they've got up there,  
but it looks like they've added some learning paths that might be  
useful.

This discussion makes me curious about something though...

1. How many people here started as self-taught Pythonistas vs.  
learning it from some sort of course/workshop/guided instruction?
2. Regardless of how you got started, have you taken some  
instruction?  Was it useful/helpful?
3. Did any of the educational institutions you went to offer any  
python-related classes?

I'll answer myself, since I'm posing the questions :-)

1. I'm self-taught using a variety of sources including books (mainly  
just for reference), screencasts, web tutorials, hacking / attempting  
to figure out pre-existing projects and by writing my own projects.  I  
think the most useful thing I've done is hacking on other projects,  
since it's a great way to see lots of examples.  I think this is  
especially the case for understanding how to build larger pieces of  
software.
2. I haven't, unless one counts listening to talks.  I can certainly  
see the value, though, having spent large amounts of time figuring out  
things that might have been resolved with a simple question.
3. I've not actually seen any advertised at Northwestern, though there  
may be some outside of the departments I took classes from.  I  
certainly have done things like use Python instead of MATLAB if the  
instructor was OK with it.

Best.

-jsnyder


On Mar 5, 2009, at 9:23 AM, sheila miguez wrote:

> Not sure if you are being snarky, but in case you didn't know about
> it, http://www.diveintopython.org/
>
> On Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 10:28 PM, Craig  
> <fasteliteprogrammer at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> I wish someone made a pdf handbook on python would be nice.:)
>>
>> --- On Wed, 3/4/09, Allan Spale <allan2600 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> From: Allan Spale <allan2600 at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Chicago] Where Can I Find Python Training?
>> To: "The Chicago Python Users Group" <chicago at python.org>
>> Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 5:24 PM
>>
>> Hi Bryant,
>>
>> If you are interested in personalized one-on-one tutoring sessions,  
>> I would
>> be happy to give you full Python training plus any extra modules  
>> that may be
>> useful. I have a reasonable hourly rate that is probably lower than  
>> what
>> most personal tutors would charge or we can work out a different
>> arrangement. If you are interested, please send e-mail me directly  
>> and we
>> can discuss options.
>>
>> I have used Python in a variety of areas including web services,  
>> database
>> design, program concurrency, user interface design, data  
>> visualization, and
>> more areas. I am also very knowledgeable about many aspects of core  
>> Python
>> including object-orientated programming, operator overloading, and  
>> many
>> other system level constructs.
>>
>>
>> Allan
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 4:26 PM, Bryant <bhardy at inbox.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I was forwarded the ChiPy user group meeting email a few weeks  
>>> back from a
>>> colleague.  I am curious to know where in the Chicagoland area I  
>>> could
>>> possibly receive training on it.  I am familiar with other  
>>> programming
>>> languages but have not extensively used Python.  Please advise.   
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> --Bryant
>>> bhardy at inbox.com
>>>
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>
>
>
> -- 
> sheila
> _______________________________________________
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--
James Snyder
Biomedical Engineering
Northwestern University
jbsnyder at fanplastic.org
http://fanplastic.org/key.txt
ph: (847) 644-2322

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