Hello Arthur, FWIW, being a fairly old hacker (started with FORTRAN in the 70s, then learned PL/I, APL, C, Lisp, C++, Java, Python, ML, Prolog -- probably missed a few), I'd like to make what I'm sure is an oft-repeated comment: Python is awesome! I see it as an ideal entry point to programming, but it is also very rich and incredibly powerful for most any task. I have been studying in depth "Python in a Nutshell", "Practical Python", and "Learning Python", and have decided that I could use Python as the key language in a senior-level analysis of programming languages course at the college. Even though I've used Python casually for over 3 years, going to the next level has been a real eye-opener. Knowing Lisp was very helpful, but I can easily see how going the other way would work just dandy.
Thursday, May 26, 2005, 6:54:05 AM, you wrote: A> Got through the first few chapters of "Practical Common Lisp". A> Whether I end up liking Lisp remains to be seen, but I have seen enough A> already to begin to appreciate Lisp. A> And have more confidence that my instincts where sensible - taking this A> detour as a way of getting to the next stage as a Python programmer. A> And the experience, so far, also reinforces my instincts about Python - as a A> learning language. With little other than some Python under my belt, I can A> make my way through the Lisp presentation feeling prepared and competent. A> So in my case, Python has been foundation for exploring first Java - and A> getting far enough into it that I felt I understood its fundamentals, and A> that I could become competent in it should I choose (and chose not to) - A> and now Lisp. A> I would think that the fact that Python has provided a foundation that could A> take me in each of these directions says a lot its utility as a learning A> language. A> I just wish, as always, we could disassociate "learning language" from the A> notion of "easy". I wouldn't expect an effort that provides the foundation A> for learning of approaches to programming as diverse as Java and Lisp to be A> easy. My sense is that in some important senses learning Java is easier A> than learning Python. But at the end of it I also suspect that one is a A> Java programmer - and little else. Which is why it is not a particularly A> good learning language. A> Art A> _______________________________________________ A> Edu-sig mailing list A> [email protected] A> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig -- Best regards, Chuck _______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list [email protected] http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
