Tutorial Structure
last updated 2 years ago by taleinat #
This page is not part of the tutorial. Inline comments are okay!
Current Structure
Introduction
Contents
Whetting Your Appetite
Purpose: Describe possible uses targeting reader's current needs. Currently targets power computer users and sys-admins (automation of tasks), and professional developers (gaps in regular development). Does not include: The fact the Python can actually be used for a lot of 'core' development replacing developers current language. Leave that to self discovery, that is not a current need.
Using the Python Interpreter
Purpose: Get the reader familiar with the Python interpreter and prepare her for trying out examples.
Suggestion: There is too much information here, the reader can easily discover advanced command line options later. Currently all she needs is a way to run examples (interactive as well as script). - Shalabh
An Informal Introduction to Python
Purpose: Introduces numbers, strings, slicing/indexing, unicode strings, lists, a simple while loop, multiple assignments.
More Control Flow Tools
Purpose: Introduces if, for, range, break, continue, pass and functions. For functions, describes function is an object, default values, keyword arguments, *name and **name def syntax (there is some confusion here), lambda forms, docstrings, decorators.
Suggestion: Remove decorators.
Data Structures
Purpose: Covers more on lists - using as stacks, using as queues; del statement; tuples and sequences; operations on sequences - functional tools (map, filter, reduce), max, min, sum, list comprehensions; dictionaries; sets; looping techniques; more on conditions - chained conditions, short circuit operations; Comparing sequences and other types;
Suggestion: What are chained conditions and short circuit doing here? -Shalabh
Suggestion: seems like looping techniques should be in "More Control Flow Tools", or in a later chapter.
Modules
Purpose: Introduce 'save to file and reuse' concept....
Suggestion: Should the 'save to file' feature and walk-through be earlier in the tutorial? An honest reader is to go through all the data structures without the ability to edit and re-run?
Suggested solution #1: Explain how to run Python files from the command line early on and have readers use that Suggested solution #2: Endorse the use of IDLE, which makes running code from a file in an interpreter very easy, especially edit-and-re-run (see Using the Python Interpreter)
Modules
- Input and Output
- Errors and Exceptions
- Classes
- Brief Tour of the Standard Library
- Brief Tour of the Standard Library - Part II
- What Now? A. Interactive Input Editing and History Substitution B. Floating Point Arithmetic: Issues and Limitations C. History and License D. Glossary
New Chapter suggestions:
- Advanced Function Features - includes closures, generators, decorators
