[Tutor] Converting problem sets from other languages into Python?

[Rob Andrews]

Daniel Yoo wrote:
> 
> Hiya everyone,
> 
> A while back, some people asked for sample problems that they could do to
> test out their fluency in Python.  Usually, self-motivated projects are
> idea at letting people make their knowledge relevant, but sometimes,
> people don't know where to start!
> 
> Perhaps we should also provide a small "problem set" repository.  Sorta
> like mini-exercises, with some hints at how to approach a problem.
> Useless Python already does a little bit of this with its Python
> Challenges at:
> 
>     http://www.lowerstandard.com/python/pythonchallenge.html
> 
> and perhaps this can be extended with more problems.
> 
> In short: why not stea... er... convert problems from some textbooks to
> make them Python-relevant?  By providing these practical problems, we'd
> let people gain more confidence as they find they can do these things.
> Extending "Useless Python", we can have "Useless Python Problems".
> *grin*
> 
> I have a few problems written in Scheme, which I should be able to convert
> into Python:
> 
>     http://hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu/~dyoo/cs3/doublets.pdf
>     http://hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu/~dyoo/cs3/wordprocessing.pdf
> 
> (which have too much of a CS flavor, admittedly, but I have to start
> somewhere.)
> 
> What do people think?
> 

This is just the sort of thing I had in mind. I'd thought of
swip^^^^converting some of the problems from my books on other
languages, partly so I could figure out how to actually get them
accomplished in Python (which is easier) so I'd have a frame of
reference on how do do them in the other languages.

But I think the bottom line is that newbies, teachers, and other people
interested in the Python learning process NEED good CS-type problems and
some proposed solutions. I believe that every ACM problem we can solve
in Python, and every good classical or practical problem we can do it
with, will help us learn the language and add significantly to the
Python legacy.

Rob
-- 

Useless Python!
Kinda like the AOL of the Open Source Community 3;->
http://www.lowerstandard.com/python/index.html