[Tutor] Need Help with Source Code [please tell us what you want us to look at] (fwd)

[Danny Yoo]

[Forwarding to tutor at python.org.  Can someone else try to help Chris?
Thanks.]



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 12:10:32 -0500
From: christopher lavezza <clavezza at hotmail.com>
To: dyoo at hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: [Tutor] Need Help with Source Code [please tell us what you
    want us to look at]

I am getting an error message when I run the script.


>From: Danny Yoo <dyoo at hkn.eecs.berkeley.edu>
>To: christopher lavezza <clavezza at hotmail.com>
>CC: tutor at python.org
>Subject: Re: [Tutor] Need Help with Source Code  [please tell us what you
>want us to look at]
>Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 16:25:28 -0700 (PDT)
>
>
>
>On Tue, 17 Aug 2004, christopher lavezza wrote:
>
> > could someone take the attachments and run the source code in python and
> > see where I made the mistakes.  I am trying to get the source code into
> > an telephone database using python.
>
>
>[Long rant ahead; my apologies!]
>
>
>Hi Chris,
>
>Again, please try to explain why you think the program is broken.  It is
>not helpful enough to say "It's broken." and ask us to do a global search
>throughout the program.
>
>
>What problems do you want us to look at?  Are you getting a particular
>error?  Is there a problem with syntax?  Or does the program behave in a
>way that you don't expect?  These are the kinds of things we need to know
>before we dig through code: otherwise, there's no motivating reason that
>drives our search.
>
>
>In previous correspondence on the Tutor list, folks have asked for more
>specific information to your questions.  If you look at:
>
>     http://mail.python.org/pipermail/tutor/2004-June/029902.html
>     http://mail.python.org/pipermail/tutor/2004-June/029899.html
>     http://mail.python.org/pipermail/tutor/2004-August/031241.html
>
>all responses have a particular pattern.  Each asks the equivalent of:
>"Show us an error message."  That's not just because we like seeing error
>messages, but because it's a crucial part of the problem-solving process.
>
>
>Please try not to treat us like a magical black box that takes in buggy
>code and churns out unbuggy code.  It's very demotivating for me
>personally; it reminds me too much of what's worst about school and the
>question->answer mentality that goes with it.
>
>We would rather collaborate together with you.
>
>
>
>The guide, "How To Ask Questions the Smart Way":
>
>     http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
>explains, in more detail, ways to improve your questions so that people
>will be happy to answer them.
>
>
>Good luck to you.
>

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