Req. for comments section "Basic Data" in intro book

[Alf P. Steinbach]

I added a section on "basic data" to ch 2 of my writings, an introduction to
programming (with Python as main language).

The intended reader is someone who is intelligent and wants to learn programming
but knows little or nothing about it.

As before it would be nice with feedback on this.


Format: PDF
<url: http://preview.tinyurl.com/ProgrammingBookP3>


Current contents:

1 Getting started. 1
1.1 Python variants, implementations and distributions. 1
1.2 Download and install a Python implementation. 2
1.3 Test-drive the Python interpreter. 2
1.4 Create and run a Python console program. 4
1.5 Syntax highlighting and programmers' editors. 6
1.6 Create and run a Python GUI program. 7
1.7 About compilation. 9
1.8 About standalone Windows programs & other kinds. 10
1.9 Browse the local documentation. 11
EOT 12

2 Basic concepts. 1
2.1 Super-basic concept: why programming is not DWIM. 1
2.2 Reported errors. 4
2.2.1 Case-sensitity. 4
2.2.2 Syntax / compilation errors. 4
2.2.3 Runtime errors / crashes. 5
2.3 A programming exploration tool: turtle graphics. 6
2.4 Naming things. 8
2.4.1 Naming actions: routines. 8
2.4.2 Naming data part I: variables. 11
2.4.3 Naming data part II: routine arguments. 13
2.5 Controlling the flow of execution. 14
2.5.1 Repeating actions automatically: loops. 14
2.5.2 Basic comparisions & boolean values. 16
2.5.3 Interlude I: a function graph program / about types. 17
2.5.4 Automated action choices. 21
2.5.5 Value-producing (function-like) routines. 23
2.5.6 Interlude II: a graph with zeroes marked / about program structure. 26
2.5.7 Dynamically nested actions: recursive routines. 28
2.6 Basic data. 36
2.6.1 Basic fundamental types / strings & concatenation. 36
2.6.2 Indexing and single characters (+ vaguely about sequences in general). 39
2.6.3 Interlude III: a ROT-13 encryption/decryption program, refactoring. 40
2.6.4 Attributes, methods, objects. 43
2.6.5 Doc strings. 44
2.6.6 Interlude IV: attribute names as strings, listing str attributes. 45
2.6.7 References. 46
EOT 49

The section on "References", 2.6.7, is about references in Python, it's not a
list of references.


Cheers,

- Alf

 

[Alf P. Steinbach]

* Alf P. Steinbach:

I added a section on "basic data" to ch 2 of my writings, an
introduction to programming (with Python as main language).

The intended reader is someone who is intelligent and wants to learn
programming but knows little or nothing about it.

As before it would be nice with feedback on this.


Format: PDF
<url: http://preview.tinyurl.com/ProgrammingBookP3>


Current contents:

1 Getting started. 1
1.1 Python variants, implementations and distributions. 1
1.2 Download and install a Python implementation. 2
1.3 Test-drive the Python interpreter. 2
1.4 Create and run a Python console program. 4
1.5 Syntax highlighting and programmers' editors. 6
1.6 Create and run a Python GUI program. 7
1.7 About compilation. 9
1.8 About standalone Windows programs & other kinds. 10
1.9 Browse the local documentation. 11
EOT 12

2 Basic concepts. 1
2.1 Super-basic concept: why programming is not DWIM. 1
2.2 Reported errors. 4
2.2.1 Case-sensitity. 4
2.2.2 Syntax / compilation errors. 4
2.2.3 Runtime errors / crashes. 5
2.3 A programming exploration tool: turtle graphics. 6
2.4 Naming things. 8
2.4.1 Naming actions: routines. 8
2.4.2 Naming data part I: variables. 11
2.4.3 Naming data part II: routine arguments. 13
2.5 Controlling the flow of execution. 14
2.5.1 Repeating actions automatically: loops. 14
2.5.2 Basic comparisions & boolean values. 16
2.5.3 Interlude I: a function graph program / about types. 17
2.5.4 Automated action choices. 21
2.5.5 Value-producing (function-like) routines. 23
2.5.6 Interlude II: a graph with zeroes marked / about program
structure. 26
2.5.7 Dynamically nested actions: recursive routines. 28
2.6 Basic data. 36
2.6.1 Basic fundamental types / strings & concatenation. 36
2.6.2 Indexing and single characters (+ vaguely about sequences in
general). 39
2.6.3 Interlude III: a ROT-13 encryption/decryption program,
refactoring. 40
2.6.4 Attributes, methods, objects. 43
2.6.5 Doc strings. 44
2.6.6 Interlude IV: attribute names as strings, listing str attributes. 45
2.6.7 References. 46
EOT 49

The section on "References", 2.6.7, is about references in Python, it's
not a list of references.

Based on feedback I received in private communications I've improved (I hope)
the wording in various places, and expanded a bit on the last section.

I've placed the latest version also in Google Docs, without yet removing the
original -- the file names are the same but they have different dates.

Comments welcome.


Cheers,

- Alf