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Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 23:30:23 -0600
Subject: Re: My son wants me to teach him Python
From: Modulok <modulok@gmail.com>
To: Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com>
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>> *Everything* these days revolves around graphical interfaces. The
console,
>> which was once the dark and mystical battlefield where knighted geeks
would
>> slay the plagues of exception demons, has been reduced to a mere:
"little black
>> box of nostalgia".

>>  1. Rock is dead...
>>  2. The console is dead...

I use a console every day and I'm 28 years old. I write code for everything
from Autodesk Maya to web API's to database backends. (Yes, GUI code too.)
The
console is far, far from dead. It has a steeper learning curve than a GUI
but
even in 2013 it's still invaluable. To date I have not met a good programmer
who doesn't use a console on a regular basis. It's not the only tool in the
box
but, properly configured, it's a heck of a good one. I don't see this
changing
anytime soon.

Back on topic...

If he wants to learn game programming, teach him game programming. Don't
push a
bunch of prerequisites on him that he has to learn first. You'll only kill
the
spirit. There's plenty of time to learn the other stuff as needed. You might
look at the Unity game engine. There's a lot of UI to start with for
tweaking
assets and a *lots* of programming. There's a free version and tons of
documentation. You might consider signing up for www.digitaltutors.com/ for
additional sources of documentation on both Unity as well as digital content
creation software you'll be using along the way. This will feed his desire
to
learn due to the instant gratification of making a 3D "game" in an hour.

Unfortunately, with Unity you don't get to write code in Python, but there's
Boo script which is Python inspired, as well as JavaScript if he's already
comfortable with that. (Eww... but even it has good parts.) If you decide to
get seriously invested in digital content creation software (i.e. Maya, etc)
most of those are scripted in Python. Maya used to be all MEL (and the MEL
interpreter is still supported) but most new code for proprietary tools is
done
in Python. (MEL is kind of perverse in comparison.)

Most important of all - keep it fun!
-Modulok-


On Wed, Jun 12, 2013 at 10:47 PM, Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com
> wrote:

> On Wednesday, June 12, 2013 11:08:44 PM UTC-5, Chris Angelico wrote:
>
> > No. Definitely not. Programming does NOT begin with a GUI. It begins
> > with something *simple*, so you're not stuck fiddling around with the
> > unnecessary. On today's computers, that usually means console I/O
> > (actually console output, with console input coming along much later).
>
> Chris, you're a dinosaur, only thing is, somebody forgot to tell you.
>
> *Everything* these days revolves around graphical interfaces. The console,
> which was once the dark and mystical battlefield where knighted geeks would
> slay the plagues of exception demons, has been reduced to a mere: "little
> black box of nostalgia".
>
>  1. Rock is dead...
>  2. The console is dead...
>  3. Welcome to the 21st century Chris!
>
> PS: Although i'll bet you think the "rock is dead" mantra is relatively
> recent, nope! Jim Morrison was singing about it waaay back in 1969!
> --
> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>&gt;&gt; *Everything* these days revolves around grap=
hical interfaces. The console,</div><div>&gt;&gt; which was once the dark a=
nd mystical battlefield where knighted geeks would</div><div>&gt;&gt; slay =
the plagues of exception demons, has been reduced to a mere: &quot;little b=
lack</div>
<div>&gt;&gt; box of nostalgia&quot;.</div><div><br></div><div>&gt;&gt; =A0=
1. Rock is dead...</div><div>&gt;&gt; =A02. The console is dead...</div><di=
v><br></div><div>I use a console every day and I&#39;m 28 years old. I writ=
e code for everything</div>
<div>from Autodesk Maya to web API&#39;s to database backends. (Yes, GUI co=
de too.) The</div><div>console is far, far from dead. It has a steeper lear=
ning curve than a GUI but</div><div>even in 2013 it&#39;s still invaluable.=
 To date I have not met a good programmer</div>
<div>who doesn&#39;t use a console on a regular basis. It&#39;s not the onl=
y tool in the box</div><div>but, properly configured, it&#39;s a heck of a =
good one. I don&#39;t see this changing</div><div>anytime soon.</div><div>
<br></div><div style>Back on topic...</div><div style><br></div><div>If he =
wants to learn game programming, teach him game programming. Don&#39;t push=
 a</div><div>bunch of prerequisites on him that he has to learn first. You&=
#39;ll only kill the</div>
<div>spirit. There&#39;s plenty of time to learn the other stuff as needed.=
 You might</div><div>look at the Unity game engine. There&#39;s a lot of UI=
 to start with for tweaking</div><div>assets and a *lots* of programming. T=
here&#39;s a free version and tons of</div>
<div>documentation. You might consider signing up for <a href=3D"http://www=
.digitaltutors.com/">www.digitaltutors.com/</a> for</div><div>additional so=
urces of documentation on both Unity as well as digital content</div><div>
creation software you&#39;ll be using along the way. This will feed his des=
ire to</div><div>learn due to the instant gratification of making a 3D &quo=
t;game&quot; in an hour.</div><div><br></div><div>Unfortunately, with Unity=
 you don&#39;t get to write code in Python, but there&#39;s</div>
<div>Boo script which is Python inspired, as well as JavaScript if he&#39;s=
 already</div><div>comfortable with that. (Eww... but even it has good part=
s.) If you decide to</div><div>get seriously invested in digital content cr=
eation software (i.e. Maya, etc)</div>
<div>most of those are scripted in Python. Maya used to be all MEL (and the=
 MEL</div><div>interpreter is still supported) but most new code for propri=
etary tools is done</div><div>in Python. (MEL is kind of perverse in compar=
ison.)</div>
<div><br></div><div style>Most important of all - keep it fun!</div><div st=
yle>-Modulok-</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"g=
mail_quote">On Wed, Jun 12, 2013 at 10:47 PM, Rick Johnson <span dir=3D"ltr=
">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">ran=
tingrickjohnson@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div class=3D"im">On Wednesday, June 12, 201=
3 11:08:44 PM UTC-5, Chris Angelico wrote:<br>
<br>
&gt; No. Definitely not. Programming does NOT begin with a GUI. It begins<b=
r>
&gt; with something *simple*, so you&#39;re not stuck fiddling around with =
the<br>
&gt; unnecessary. On today&#39;s computers, that usually means console I/O<=
br>
&gt; (actually console output, with console input coming along much later).=
<br>
<br>
</div>Chris, you&#39;re a dinosaur, only thing is, somebody forgot to tell =
you.<br>
<br>
*Everything* these days revolves around graphical interfaces. The console, =
which was once the dark and mystical battlefield where knighted geeks would=
 slay the plagues of exception demons, has been reduced to a mere: &quot;li=
ttle black box of nostalgia&quot;.<br>

<br>
=A01. Rock is dead...<br>
=A02. The console is dead...<br>
=A03. Welcome to the 21st century Chris!<br>
<br>
PS: Although i&#39;ll bet you think the &quot;rock is dead&quot; mantra is =
relatively recent, nope! Jim Morrison was singing about it waaay back in 19=
69!<br>
--<br>
<a href=3D"http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list" target=3D"_=
blank">http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list</a><br>
</blockquote></div><br></div>

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