Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!xlned.com!feeder5.xlned.com!news2.euro.net!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.020 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.96; '*S*': 0.00; 'url:pypi': 0.03; 'exercise': 0.04; 'subject:Python': 0.06; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'python': 0.11; 'random': 0.14; 'dice': 0.16; 'finney': 0.16; 'mechanics.': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'simulate': 0.16; 'stallman': 0.16; 'tables,': 0.16; 'elements': 0.16; 'language': 0.16; 'library': 0.18; 'projects,': 0.19; 'subject:project': 0.19; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.23; 'tables': 0.26; 'header:X-Complaints- To:1': 0.27; 'moved': 0.30; 'getting': 0.31; 'subject:that': 0.31; 'writes:': 0.31; 'extend': 0.32; 'handled': 0.32; 'url:python': 0.33; 'sense': 0.34; 'subject:the': 0.34; 'board': 0.35; 'common': 0.35; 'etc.)': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'done': 0.36; "i'll": 0.36; 'subject:?': 0.36; 'url:org': 0.36; 'project': 0.37; 'being': 0.38; 'ben': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'rather': 0.38; 'little': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:org': 0.40; 'eventually': 0.60; 'free': 0.61; 'first': 0.61; 'different': 0.65; 'skip:\xe2 10': 0.65; 'home': 0.69; 'social': 0.69; 'felt': 0.74; 'batchelder': 0.84; 'cards,': 0.84; 'game,': 0.84; 'games.': 0.84; 'resulted': 0.84; 'routines': 0.84; 'subject:made': 0.84; 'unifying': 0.84; 'subject:you': 0.87 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: python-list@python.org From: Ben Finney Subject: Re: What was the project that made you feel skilled in Python? Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 23:05:58 +1000 References: <5198B7E9.7050505@nedbatchelder.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: rasputin.madmonks.org X-Public-Key-ID: 0xBD41714B X-Public-Key-Fingerprint: 9CFE 12B0 791A 4267 887F 520C B7AC 2E51 BD41 714B X-Public-Key-URL: http://www.benfinney.id.au/contact/bfinney-gpg.asc X-Post-From: Ben Finney User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/23.4 (gnu/linux) Cancel-Lock: sha1:QVp3gytTwTpEsORSfitmO+IIe3E= X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 30 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1369227971 news.xs4all.nl 15943 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:48924 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:45730 Ned Batchelder writes: > as you moved from exercises like those in Learn Python the Hard Way, > up to your own self-guided work on small projects, what project were > you working on that made you feel independent and skilled? What > program first felt like your own work rather than an exercise the > teacher had assigned? I wanted to simulate a particular board game, and had others in mind with some common mechanics. This resulted in a library for rolling dice in different combinations, and looking up result tables . Eventually I wanted to extend it to know about custom decks of cards, and the different ways those are handled in board games. The unifying theme was a library of routines for simulating the random elements (dice, cards, tables, spinners, etc.) in any board game. A little over-engineered, I'll freely admit. But it did give me a sense of being at home in Python and knowing that this is a good language for getting things done the right way. -- \ “Creativity can be a social contribution, but only in so far as | `\ society is free to use the results.” —Richard Stallman | _o__) | Ben Finney