[Edu-sig] python in high school

[Doug Holton]

> I would like to use python as the programming language for the programming
> subjects we run. Ideally, it would be an easy task if Boa constructor were
> up to scratch (which I hope it will be soon, but not soon enough for our
> college) since having a graphical IDE is important. Price is important. I
> have come to python through plone (zope/cmf). We have a toss up between VB
> 6.0 and me pushing for python. The decision needs to be made soon for next
> year. We were using J++ (don't ask). Low price will push it past the 'all
> the other programming teachers like VB' hurdle, as long as it had an IDE
> that had drag and drop components. I think this would also be good for
> python in the long term in terms of increasing python use.

I'm very new to Python myself, but Qt seems to have an easy to use GUI 
builder that you can connect to Python using PyQt: 
http://www.trolltech.com/forms/eduprogram.html
See also the book:  http://www.opendocspublishing.com/pyqt/

I wrote a summary of some different rapid prototyping options, including 
the one you mentioned (Boa Constructor with wxPython):
http://edtechdev.org/blog/archives/001217.html

But I'm not sure if a GUI builder tool is necessary for your purposes. 
To use python for learning programming, the IDLE text editor is probably 
more appropriate.  Learning the principles of programming is different 
than rapid prototyping.

But I do agree with you that it would be nice to have a drag and drop 
Python GUI builder that kills VB.  You drag a button into a form editor, 
for example, then doubleclick the button and it jumps right to the 
"onclick" handler in the code editor.  This is how HyperCard and 
Supercard work too, but PythonCard and the other Python GUI builders do 
not do it this way.  Again though, for students in programming classes, 
it's better that they learn how to create the event handlers themselves.