Re: [Tutor] Starting with Python

[Magnus Lycka]

> I am a beginner to the Python languasge and after spending many hours behind the screen with MS Excel I have finally came to the realisation that I need to take the next step by learning a computer language.

I can certainly see your point! :) Excel is very useful for some
things, but you tend to hit walls when you want to break out of
its bonds. Welcome to the free world! :)
 
> Let's say, for now, I wish to create a simple line chart from a static table plotting X & Y values (something which is simple for me to do in Excel).. where best to dive into (databases? wx?...)?

This depends a lot on what you want to do with the plot.
Andrei gave you some suggestions mainly for on-screen
plotting, but if you want to make your plots available
on the web, or put in some document, it's probably better
to use a tool that creates a file, for instance a GIF or
(better) PNG file.

See for instance 
http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Yasushi_Saito/pychart/index.html
For line charts, see 
http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Yasushi_Saito/pychart/doc/node2.html

Just as with Excel, it's important not to reinvent the wheel! :)

A complication with Python compared to Excel in a case like this
is that you get som many different options to do these peripheral
things that aren't in the core of Python. But you only need to
learn one way if that way does what you need! :)

See also
http://starship.python.net/crew/jhauser/plot-res.html
and
http://www.thinkware.se/cgi-bin/thinki.cgi/PythonForImaging

-- 
Magnus Lycka, Thinkware AB
Alvans vag 99, SE-907 50 UMEA, SWEDEN
phone: int+46 70 582 80 65, fax: int+46 70 612 80 65
http://www.thinkware.se/  mailto:magnus at thinkware.se