[K12OSN] Programming Languages

[Huck]

Shawn posted a few really good links in regards to Python for students...
unfortunately I've moved computers and all my old saved mails didn't 
come with me ...

I get my python from http://www.activestate.com...they have it available 
for many platforms...

Python is easy enough to learn and works on multiple platforms...has 
wxPython which lets you make "windows" programs...
here's a little commandline script I've developed to make usernames for 
me =)
Those of you who are programmers thank you for disregarding the lack of 
optimization and succinct commenting =)

Input is a textfile with <firstname> <lastname> of user each entity on 
seperate lines

Example follows:

#Funkified by Huck on 20/06/04 dd/mm/yy
#string required for the manipulation of strings
import string
#making a nifty menu system below
def print_menu():
   print '1. Press 1 to (i)mport the namelist.txt file'
   print '2. Press 2 to (g)enerate usernames'
   print '3. Press 3 to (p)rint new usernames.txt file'
   print '4. Press 4 to E(x)it the Program'
numbers = {}
menu_choice = 0
print_menu()
while menu_choice != 4:
   menu_choice = input("Type in a number (1-4):")
   if menu_choice == 1:
      #Open the file "namelist.txt"
      in_file = open("c:\\namelist.txt","r")
      #variable "textfile" gets filled with info from namelist.txt
      textfile = in_file.readlines()
      #Close the file "namelist.txt"
      in_file.close()
     
   elif menu_choice == 2:    
      #The Loopy Loopy
      namenum = 0
      out_file = open("c:\\my documents\pythonscripts\usernames.txt","w")
      print namenum
      while namenum < len(textfile):
         #Manipulate the namelist into pieces we can handle
         mystring = textfile[namenum]
         newlist = mystring.split()
         fname = newlist[0]
         lname = newlist[1]
         fname = fname[:2]
         lname = lname[:4]
         #Concatenate and Write to File
         out_file.write(lname+fname+"\n")
         print lname+fname+" has been written to file."
         namenum = namenum+1
         print namenum
      out_file.close()
      namenum = 0
   elif menu_choice == 3:
      #Gimme some output baby!
      in_file = open("c:\\my documents\pythonscripts\usernames.txt","r")
      funkytext = in_file.readlines()
      in_file.close()
      print funkytext
   elif menu_choice == 4:
      pass
   else:
      print_menu()
print "Goodbye!"

#That's All Folks!

enjoy!
--Huck


Liam Marshall wrote:

> In the past years, while working with the evil empire of Microsoft, I 
> was teaching among other things, two programming classes.  One Grade 
> 11 class using the medium of Visual Basic, and one grade 12 class 
> using the medium of Java.
>
> I have managed to convince the school to let me break away from the 
> evil empire and go to linux in the lab completely.  Specifically, I am 
> using K12LTSP with thin clients.  I have 32 workstations all 
> connecting to my server now,( a bit of work but worth it compared to 
> the wiping out of workstation hard drives and reloading from scratch 
> that I do every year during the summer)
>
> I have Java workable on the workstations and am using an IDE from SUN 
> (NetBeans IDE 3.6)  it works great!
>
> Now I am looking for a replacement for Visual Basic, which will never 
> work under Linux.  It doesn't have to be Visual Basic, I was just 
> using it before because frankly, it was an easy to learn language with 
> alot of mouse work.  The operative word is EASY.  That way I could 
> focus on the concepts of programming without having to focus on 
> learning the mechanics of the programming language.  With Visual Basic 
> the mechanics comes more or less naturally.
>
> What I would like is some language usable with linux that is of a 
> similar nature.  I would prefer a language that has a nice visual 
> component (IDE, read EASY) so that the students introduction to 
> programming is not like throwing them into the deep end of the pool of 
> programming.
>
> Does such an animal exist?  And did I mention that it should be free, 
> at least for schools?  I convinced them to let me go to Linux at least 
> partially with the argument that cost was minimal, if anything.
>
> Please advice.  I appreciate all your help, in advance
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>_______________________________________________
>K12OSN mailing list
>K12OSN at redhat.com
>https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn
>For more info see <http://www.k12os.org>
>  
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listman.redhat.com/archives/k12osn/attachments/20040722/61d61097/attachment.htm>