Early-bird thread

[elz]

Welcome, everybody! On request, we're going to start with Lecture 1 next Monday, 11/9. However, there's quite a bit of reading associated with the first three lectures - here's what it says at the site:

Lectures 1-3

• Introduction: Chapter 1 of How to Think Like a Computer Scientist


• Variables and statements: Chapter 2 of How to Think Like a Computer Scientist


• Strings: Variables and strings section of Python Programming (also, the
  strings section)


• Python variables are names: Other languages have "variables", from Code Like A Pythonista: Idiomatic Python


• For PS0: Input/output section of Python Programming


• Conditionals: Chapter 4 of How to Think Like a Computer Scientist (through section 4.8), and the conditional statements section of Python Programming


• Iteration: Loops section of Python Programming


• Tuples: Tuples section from Dive Into Python and the tuples and sequences section of the Python Tutorial


• More on traversing and slicing strings: Chapter 7 of How to Think Like a Computer Scientist

You may want to wait until you've got more context, but if you want to start in on any reading or material this week, here's a place to talk about it!

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Yipes. Yep, that's a lot of reading.

Well, off I go then...

[rodo]

Question: Is it necessary to read the pages that more or less only explain the variables and how to use them from start to finish? I never can remember the stuff unless I'm using it to solve a problem, or at least that was how it worked with HTML for me.

[zing_och]

I already watched the first lecture because I couldn't wait, and it's not necessary to do the reading beforehand, so nobody needs to worry if they don't get to it immediately.

[zulu]

Doing well so far. I did the exercises on one of the reading chapters and found that helpful (lots of debugging included). Python Programming/Strings is just a bunch of gobbledegook until I know why those functions are going to be important. Still many open tabs to get through!

[yhlee]

Cautionary note to anyone else who foolishly downloaded Python 3.1.1 (short version is I had it d/l'd for another purpose, before I heard of this comm, and thought, How different can it be? *hollow laughter*): there are enough syntax differences between 2.6.4 and 3.1.1 that a bunch of examples won't work as written. All this just to say, stick with 2.6.4. I am currently having to unlearn a bunch of syntax (I eventually gave up and installed 2.6.4). :-D

[newrambler]

I will not be terrified just from looking at the list of readings. I will not be terrified just from looking at the list of readings.

[zulu]

My IDLE shell thingy has stopped working. When I try to start it, I get "Socket Error: connection refused", and then "IDLE's subprocess didn't make connection. Either IDLE can't start a subprocess or personal firewall software is blocking the connection."

Since I haven't changed anything since five minutes ago when it was working, I don't know what's happening here.

[ex_wicker969]

I did the reading out of the Think Like Computer Scientist but that lecture really helped to cement everything. His analogy of cooking recipes was excellent and I had at least two ohhhhhh, yeahhhhh, I get it now moments. One was the programming counter and the difference between interpreter/compiler (which was so abstract before I had no clue what was going on) and then also I appreciated his background info that basically put everything in context.

So yay! I am feeling way better about this whole adventure.

[badgerbag]

This is so awesome. thanks for organizing it!

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[(Anonymous)]

With the bases loaded you srutck us out with that answer!