[Edu-sig] Setting a variable's value

[Andrew Harrington]

Winston,
I like the pedogogy for a math teacher.  I think I could even see it in 
a regular Python course for maybe the first day.

I don't think it could be misinterpreted by interpreter or human.

I would suggest including in the proposal an optional directive that 
would force the use of :=  like we have now for // and /.

The question comes, then what about equality testing?

Going to single = from double = would never fly, but I guess giving a 
meaning to unusual symbols like := and == is much less confusing than a 
nonstandard (mathematically) use of =.

Andy

Winston Wolff wrote:

>I'm considering a proposal for Python 3000 and want to get some other  
>opinions.  I propose adding an alternative syntax for assigning a  
>value to a variable so that the Python statement:
>	a = 1
>could also be written:
>	a := 1
>The reason is to help students who are familiar with the Algebraic  
>meaning of "a = 1" (a is always equal to one) and get confused when  
>the Python meaning of "a = 1" (put the value of one into the variable  
>a).
>
>I teach middle and high-school students who are learning Algebra at  
>the same time as Python, and it is very confusing to them when the  
>same symbols mean two subtly different things.  I would propose that  
>the second syntax (a := 1), be available so that I could introduce  
>that in the first semester course.  Later, once they understood the  
>meaning of "a := 1", they could switch the shorter syntax "a = 1".
>
>Any opinions?
>
>-Winston
>
>
>
>______________________________________________________
>winston wolff - (646) 827-2242 - http://www.stratolab.com
>learning by creating - video game courses for kids in new york
>
>
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  Andrew N. Harrington
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