On Tue, 08 Aug 2017 14:19:53 +0000, Stefan Ram wrote:
> I am planning a Python course.
>
> I started by writing the course akin to courses I gave in other
> languages, that means, the course starts roughly with these topics:
>
> - number and string literals - types of number and string literals
> (just giving the names »int«, »float«, and »string«)
> - using simple predefined operators (+, -, *, /)
> (including 2*"a" and "a"+"b")
> - calling simple predefined functions (len, type, ...)
>
> . This is a little bit boring however and might not show off Python's
> strength early in the course.
>
> So, I now think that maybe I should start to also include list (like
>
> [1,2,3]
>
> ) right from the start. A list conceptually is not much more difficult
> than a string since a string "abc" resembles a list ["a","b","c"].
> I.e., the course then would start as follows:
>
> - number, string, and list literals - types of number, string and list
> literals
> (just giving the names »int«, »float«, »string«, and »list«)
> - using simple predefined operators (+, -, *, /)
> (including 2*"a", "a"+"b", 2*["a"], and [1]+[2])
> - calling simple predefined functions (len, type, ...)
>
> However, once the box has been opened, what else to let out? What
> about tuples (like
>
> (1,2,3)
>
> ). Should I also teach tuples right from the start?
>
> But then how to explain to beginners why two different types (lists
> AND tuples) are needed for the concept of a linear arrangement of
> things?
>
> Are there any other very simple things that I have missed and that
> should be covered very early in a Python course?
>
> (Especially things that can show off fantastic Python features that
> are missing from other programming languages, but still only using
> literals, operators and function calls.)
if these are beginners with no basic programming knowledge then
try not to confuse them with anything unduly complicated, I would even go
so far as to start with psuedo code on a pen & paper processor & only
introduce the concepts of different data types only when they have
progressed to the point that they need to know.
--
Round Numbers are always false.
-- Samuel Johnson
--
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
