[Events] Fwd: Boston Python Workshop: Additional Resources

Tue Mar 8 15:58:12 UTC 2011

This is what I sent to the attendees. Meetup's unkind e-mail-via-web-form is
the reason for the bad formatting.

-Jessica

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jessica McKellar <info at meetup.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 9:22 AM
Subject: Boston Python Workshop: Additional Resources
To: jessica.mckellar at gmail.com

 (As you requested, below is a copy of the email you just sent.)
Your Organizer, Jessica McKellar, sent the following message to some members
of The Boston Python Meetup Group:

Hello attendees!

Thank you all for coming. We had a great time teaching, and learned a lot.
Here are some additional resources we recommend as you continue to develop
and exercise your Python and general coding skills. Feel free to respond
with your own recommendations, and don't hesitate to contact the organizers
with questions. We'll send a follow-up e-mail with feedback information and
more ways to contact us.

-Jessica

*1. Development environment improvements*

Writing code in any programming language is a lot more pleasant with a good
development environment -- preferably one that takes care of things like syntax
highlighting <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syntax_highlighting> and
automatic indenting, which make code easier to read and write.

Here are some suggestions for good text editors and Integrated Development
Environments<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_development_environment>(IDEs)
for coding in Python:

   - All platforms: KomodoEdit ( <http://www.activestate.com/komodo-edit)>
   http://www.activestate.com/komodo-edit)
   - Windows: Notepad++ ( <http://notepad-plus-plus.org/)>
   http://notepad-plus-plus.org/)
   - Linux, OSX: IDLE.
   <http://selinap.com/2009/04/how-to-install-idle-in-linux/)>
   http://selinap.com/2009/04/how-to-install-idle-in-linux/ has instructions
   for installation on Linux. IDLE is also okay on OS X, and should already be
   installed, so you can launch idle by typing "idle" at a Terminal prompt. I
   don't recommend IDLE on Windows because it crashes often.

If you didn't love your text editor during the workshop, I'd encourage you
to experiment with some of these.

*On Windows: adding Python to your PATH*

If you were developing on Windows, you probably had to type in something
like C:\\Python27\\python.exe at the Terminal prompt to start Python, unlike
on OS X or Linux, where you are able to type just "python", anywhere.
Windows users can get the same effect -- being able to type "python" or
"python.exe" anywhere without specifying the full path to the executable, by
adding the Python path to your PATH environment variable. Here are two
guides for how to do this:

   -
   <http://docs.python.org/using/windows.html#excursus-setting-environment-variables>
   http://docs.python.org/using/windows.html<http://piratepad.net/ep/search?query=excursus-setting-environment-variables>
   #excursus-setting-environment-variables<http://docs.python.org/using/windows.html#excursus-setting-environment-variables>
   -
   <http://docs.python.org/using/windows.html#excursus-setting-environment-variables><http://geekswithblogs.net/renso/archive/2009/10/21/how-to-set-the-windows-path-in-windows-7.aspx>
   http://geekswithblogs.net/renso/archive/2009/10/21/how-to-set-the-windows-path-in-windows-7.aspx

I 100% recommend that all Windows users do this.

*2. Continuing learning Python*

* *Online material

   - The official Python tutorial:  <http://docs.python.org/tutorial/>
   http://docs.python.org/tutorial/. I used this tutorial while learning
   Python, and I like it, but I do think it throws in unnecessarily advanced
   ideas sometimes. If you use this tutorial, skip parts that are boring or
   seem complicated and go back to them.
   - How to Think Like a Computer Scientist: Learning with
Python:<http://openbookproject.net/thinkcs/python/english2e/>
   http://openbookproject.net/thinkcs/python/english2e/ this text does a
   particularly good job of introducing programming terminology.
   - Learn Python the Hard Way:  <http://learnpythonthehardway.org/index>
   http://learnpythonthehardway.org. Despite the name, some people find this
   to be a gentler introduction than the official Python tutorial.

Printed material

To be honest, if you go to Amazon and browse the highest rate intro to
Python books, most aren't actually appropriate for people with no prior
programming background. If you like learning from printed material and have
no prior programming experience, here's what we recommend:

   - How to Think Like a Computer Scientist also ships as a book:
   <http://greenteapress.com/thinkpython/>
   http://greenteapress.com/thinkpython/
   - <http://greenteapress.com/thinkpython/>Learn Python the Hard Way also
   ships as a book:  <http://learnpythonthehardway.org>
   http://learnpythonthehardway.org

*3. Applications*

If you're looking for ways to apply your Python skills, here are some
suggestions:

   - Data analysis and graphing with matplotlib:

homepage: <http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/>
http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/

<http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/>tutorial:
<http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/users/pyplot_tutorial.html>
http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/users/pyplot_tutorial.html

<http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/users/pyplot_tutorial.html>tutorial:
<http://shreevatsa.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/matplotlib-tutorial/>
http://shreevatsa.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/matplotlib-tutorial/

<http://shreevatsa.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/matplotlib-tutorial/>example
screenshots with code:
<http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/users/screenshots.html>
http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/users/screenshots.html

   - Getting a mentor on OpenHatch and working on an open source project:

homepage:  <https://openhatch.org/>https://openhatch.org/

<https://openhatch.org/>IRC <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRC> channel:
#openhatch on freenode <http://freenode.net/>

   - Writing games:

An introduction to Python through writing games:
<http://inventwithpython.com/chapters/>http://inventwithpython.com/chapters/

   - Django, the web frameworks that was used for the web app:

The official Django tutorial:
<http://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.2/intro/tutorial01/>
http://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.2/intro/tutorial01/

   - Continue with the ColorWall:

The ColorWall lives on GitHub, which some of you used while working on the
web app. Like with the web app, you can clone and work on a versioned copy
of the ColorWall. The GitHub ColorWall repository is at
<https://github.com/jesstess/ColorWall>https://github.com/jesstess/ColorWall.

<http://help.github.com/>http://help.github.com/ has a tutorial and links to
other resources for getting started with
git.<https://github.com/jesstess/ColorWall>

To visit The Boston Python Meetup Group, go here:
http://meetup.bostonpython.com/

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