Learn Python the Hard Way

Week 1: Exercises 1-4

M. Volz on Thu, 2011-01-20 18:38

Go back to: General discussion

Exercise 1: A Good First Program, page 11

Exercise 2: Comments And Pound Characters, page 13

Exercise 3: Numbers And Math, page 15

Exercise 4: Variables And Names, page 17

These exercises are due January 30th (but you don't have to submit anything). Make sure to do the extra credit too!

Steve Phelps

Thu, 2011-01-20 19:19

cool!

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nada A.S

Thu, 2011-01-20 19:23

Hello Miss.Mvolz,

How we can make extra credit? And why we don't need to submit the solutions?

Thank you,
Nada

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Omar Chavez Rodri...

Thu, 2011-01-20 19:23

Ok those were my questions too, do we wait until you do an announcement?

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Rodrigo Zerbini

Thu, 2011-01-20 19:31

What extra credit?

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Shabab Mustafa

Thu, 2011-01-20 19:50

Each exercise of the textbook we are following has a section titled as 'Extra credit' at the end. Please follow page 12 to get a clear idea.

Thanks.

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Steve Phelps

Thu, 2011-01-20 20:04

If everyone wants to "submit" their assignments, I am sure we could create a forum thread for each exercise and the associated extra credit. We could post our work there as "proof" we completed the assignment, and perhaps share anything we might have learned.

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pborzel

Thu, 2011-01-20 20:10

I like Steve's idea or something similar, sort of a brain dump to compare our work to someone/everyone else's, make sure we are on the right track and then setup a questions forum or something.

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brandon plemon

Thu, 2011-01-20 20:25

I am completely onboard with steve and pborzel... what better way to learn than do it and get ur peers help/advice.

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Steve Phelps

Thu, 2011-01-20 20:26

Ok...I created a Forum for (I like pborzel's phrase) a brain dump about Exercise 4, since that is what I just completed.

Might be good...I need this to hold me accountable. I would like to actually LEARN Python, you know?

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Steve Phelps

Thu, 2011-01-20 20:27

Perhaps someone else can start a Forum for the the other three exercises?

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adam balcom

Thu, 2011-01-20 20:39

but the first two are simple 4 is where it starts to get good but

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adam balcom

Thu, 2011-01-20 20:39

but the first two are simple 4 is where it starts to get good but i know if i dont stop my sef im well do them all in a night or so

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pborzel

Thu, 2011-01-20 21:42

Exercises 1-3 are up.

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Steve Phelps

Thu, 2011-01-20 21:53

Thanks, pborzel

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Saurabh Bansal

Fri, 2011-01-21 11:49

@steve: u wrote uve taught python to 7th graders...is that really true?

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Steve Phelps

Fri, 2011-01-21 17:44

I have taught programming on the TI-83/84 to 8th graders. Not python to 7t graders.

However, I DO think it could be done.

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jennifer karmon

Sat, 2011-01-29 06:40

FWIW, there *is* a book on computer programming for children, using Python as the language. It's good.

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John Owens

Fri, 2011-01-21 16:28

Complete first four excercises. Windows users may find it useful to add Python to their environment path. It means the .py files will run anywhere on your computer not just in your Python folder. Details on how to do this here:

http://www.imladris.com/Scripts/PythonForWindows.html

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Steve Phelps

Fri, 2011-01-21 17:44

Thanks, Paul!

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ZM L

Sat, 2011-01-22 16:02

Hi, new to this course. However my computer already has python 3 (My sister use it for her work). I'm not sure if I could install python 2.7 without causing any conflicts. I did beginning exercise with python 3 actually. Would it be okay as long as I continue the course knowing the difference between python 2.7 print and python 3 print()?

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M. Volz

Sat, 2011-01-22 16:28

You're welcome to try it! You may run into other problems, however, since python 3 isn't backwards compatible with 2 in other ways as well (not just print statements!). But you'd probably be fine.

Another thing to consider is try installing a virtual environment for python, which allows you to run the version of python that you need without interfering with your sister's installation. I don't know what operating system you're using, but if you're using linux or mac os I use this: http://www.doughellmann.com/docs/virtualenvwrapper/install.html#python-v...

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Amene Katanda

Sat, 2011-01-22 17:31

I run 3 versions of Python on my machine: versions 2.6, 2.7 and 3.
There is no conflict at all. Python 2.7 will install in a separate directory and you will still be able to run Python 3.

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Guntis L

Sat, 2011-01-22 15:50

I couldn't type a single quote in gedit without setting English as Windows default input language, so I used Virtualbox to run openSUSE. In Seamless Mode I don't even notice I'm running Linux.
I guess this could also be a solution to running two Python versions on one PC.

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ZM L

Mon, 2011-01-24 11:01

Hi peeps, unfortunately I will be moving house on 26 of January, so I might not be around for a while (hope the progress isn't too fast!). But I will catch back fast when I'm back. I did my work to exercise 8 for now just in case.

See you all soon!