[Idle-dev] An IDLE extension for Google Summer of Code

[Chas Leichner]

David,

Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I looked up doctest, and it seems
like an excellent jumping off point for a metafile processor such as the one
I am planning.

Chas

On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 2:12 PM, David Handy <david at handysoftware.com> wrote:

> On Wed, Apr 07, 2010 at 03:24:45PM -0400, David Handy wrote:
> > I wrote a tool, called "demotest" for presenting Python lessons with
> > embedded Python code.
> >
> > http://trizpug.org/Members/dhandy/newclass
> >
> > Download demotest.py from the above page and run it. It prints each
> > executable statement suite in the module's doctests and then pauses. Just
> > keep hitting Enter to step through it.
>
> If I were to do this over again, I'd use/extend doctest.testfile(), which
> reads code examples from a plain text file instead of from a Python module.
> Which is even closer to what you want.
>
> David H
>
> > On Wed, Apr 07, 2010 at 11:20:28AM -0700, Chas Leichner wrote:
> > > Tal,
> > >
> > > Although I think that Sikuli is an interesting project, it is still a
> > > research prototype rather than a well developed project, like IDLE.
> > > Programming with screenshots is a novel approach, but using a metafile
> would
> > > allow a teacher easily and directly convert existing code to a tutorial
> or
> > > lesson just by adding the appropriate tags. Using a commands to drive
> the
> > > IDE would also allow the teacher to precisely dictate actions and tweak
> them
> > > easily instead of having to re-record screenshots, like in Sikuli.
> > >
> > > In addition, adding an extension to IDLE would make it accessible to
> anyone
> > > with a basic Python install, because there is a version of IDLE easily
> > > available on all platforms that Python is.
> > >
> > > ~Chas
> > >
> > > On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 2:57 AM, Tal Einat <taleinat at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > On Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 12:18 PM, Chas Leichner <
> chaoslichen at gmail.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > > IDLE developers,
> > > > >
> > > > > I have been in contact with Greg Wilson of Software Carpentry,
> discussing
> > > > > possible projects for the Google Summer of Code. He brought up
> adding a
> > > > > record and playback function as an addition to IDLE so that
> students
> > > > could
> > > > > work through writing code dynamically, in the same manner they
> would with
> > > > a
> > > > > TA or mentor. To facilitate this, I would like to add an extension
> > > > module,
> > > > > changes to the core code, or an alternate education version of IDLE
> that
> > > > > would read from a metafile with instructions to drive the IDE for
> them,
> > > > > writing code, stopping to explain or ask questions and wait for
> answers,
> > > > and
> > > > > highlight sections of the code. As per the advice on the Python
> GSOC
> > > > page, I
> > > > > wanted to contact this list, to keep you updated and for your
> feedback,
> > > > > before I got too far into writing my proposal.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > Chas Leichner
> > > >
> > > > Hi Chas,
> > > >
> > > > This sounds like a great project! I really hope this goes well, and
> > > > would love to receive updates on it, e.g. if you start a mailing list
> > > > or blog about it.
> > > >
> > > > May I ask, why not develop something more generic, which allows
> > > > various types of guided interactive learning, not just via IDLE? On
> > > > first reading it seems that what you suggest could be achieved with
> > > > something like Sikuli, without requiring any changes to IDLE.
> > > >
> > > > - Tal
> > > >
> >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > IDLE-dev mailing list
> > > IDLE-dev at python.org
> > > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/idle-dev
> >
> >
> > --
> > David Handy
> > Computer Programming is Fun!
> > Beginning Computer Programming with Python
> > http://www.handysoftware.com/cpif/
> > _______________________________________________
> > IDLE-dev mailing list
> > IDLE-dev at python.org
> > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/idle-dev
> --
> David Handy
> Computer Programming is Fun!
> Beginning Computer Programming with Python
> http://www.handysoftware.com/cpif/
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/idle-dev/attachments/20100407/d4829ffc/attachment.html>