On Jan 15, 3:43 pm, Michael Hunter <tahoe...@gmail.com> wrote: > I think you are probably coming at this from the wrong direction. > Either you want to solve your family tree problem in the easiest way > possible in which case there are already packages available or you > want to develop this because you want to do the project to learn > (more) python, etc. Assuming the later the fact you have to ask the > question in the way you did means you are short on software design > experience and don't know much about the problem domain (genealogy). > Additionally you probably havn't written much code although you came > here so you probably have a little experience. That is triple death. > You need to hold a couple of those variables stable. I'd suggest > finding a existing open source genealogy program and use bug fixing as > a way to learn basics about the package and then try to add a feature > as a way of learning something about software design.
While i mostly agree with this statement i must also whole-heart-ly disagree. I have many projects that i am currently "developing" that are far beyond my skill set at this time. However this "lack of experience" within the problem domain does not scare me away. Actually i want to learn how many things work "under the hood". So what i do is develop and design until i hit a wall. Then i move over to another project and develop and design until i hit another wall. Sometimes i have to go back and re-write the hole thing, but hey, its part of the learning curve. And in the process something interesting always happens... I find that solving one problem lends knowledge and insight into another completely different problem. This technique may not be for the weak of heart but it works well for me. I like a challenge. I also like to learn. So this drives me to keep going. I can tell you that i have written code i previously thought was impossible for me to create. Nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough or if you can manage to live long enough! :). Sadly even if your thirst for knowledge is unquenchable, your life will be quenched in due time :(. But i do not want to image a world where we all live forever, what a nightmare! -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
