Want to learn a language - is Python right?

[Aziz McTang]

Hi Group,

I am not an experienced programmer at all. I've learned html and css
well enough to hand-write simple websites. I'm now looking to move to
the next step. Initially, I'd like to do 3 things:

1) Generate web pages
This one's fairly obvious maybe.

2) Create a simplified translation package specific to my line of work:
The principle: French vocabulary is found in spreadsheet column A,
English equivalents in column B. The program selects the content of A1,
"bonjour", searches through the usually Word or Powerpoint document
and replaces all examples by "hi", then moves on to A2, etc.,
looping till the end, when I come back and start to work.

3) Help me learn Estonian.
I wrote a couple of rules in Excel. The idea was to create a
self-completion quiz where I must type the exact form of the word
(Estonian is a declension language like Latin, but with 14 cases
instead of 6) in the corresponding box.
If I get it right, I get a Y, if I get it wrong, I get an N.
If I can't remember, I type *, ** or *** to get the first to third
letter
If that doesn't help, I type ? and get the entire answer.
The table below gives an approximate picture. The Ans. on the right
should be invisible.

WordCase1   Case2   Case3   CaseN   Yes/No  ClueAns.1   Ans.2   Ans.3   
Ans.N
River   jõgi   jõejõge   jõgesidY   jõgi   jõe
jõge   jõgesid
Cabbage kapsas  kapsa   **  kapsaid ka  kapsas  kapsa   kapsast 
kapsaid
Shirt   ?   särk   särk   särgi  särki  
särke
Bread   leivN   leibleiva   leiba   
leibu

I'm looking for ways of developing the method, making it easier to
use, record right and wrong answers, and randomly re-present
troublesome words.

Is Python the sort of language that will let me do this sort of thing
(whether *I* can actually do it is another question :) )?

Best regards,

Aziz

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Re: Want to learn a language - is Python right?

[Aziz McTang]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your input.

As usual, hearing some answers helps formulate the question...

What I'm looking for is more to learn one good, comprehensive
programming language well than several approximately on an ad hoc
basis. What I also failed to mention is the desire to develop my
presently limited computer skills a lot further.

So although your answer to 1 suggests I'd be using a steam-roller to
kill a fly, if I do need to go further (or ask other people to help and
still understand what's going on: one site I may want to develop later
involves a number of languages including Japanese as well as audio) I
won't have to re-learn another program. Is this right?

As to 2, I have yet to find a canned program that does what I want, and
so far every programmer I've asked to write it has said "hey that's
easy" then escaped, never to be heard of again.

And 3: good! Actually, having learned half a dozen languages, I can
vouch for it being an excellent way to acquire and consolidate
vocabulary. Talking to (or, rather, understanding) the natives is
another kettle of fish!

Thanks again!

Any new slants from yourself or others are welcome.

Aziz

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Re: Want to learn a language - is Python right?

[Aziz McTang]

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all the helpful advice. Downloaded 2.4.1 and already have an
inkling of some of the things it can do. Time to start learning!
ATB
Aziz

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