Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder4.news.weretis.net!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed2.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!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 0.042 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.92; '*S*': 0.00; 'beginner': 0.05; 'subject:Python': 0.06; '21,': 0.07; 'class,': 0.07; 'back.': 0.09; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'scripts,': 0.09; 'jan': 0.12; 'macros': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'reedy': 0.16; 'regression': 0.16; 'tends': 0.16; 'language': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'looked': 0.18; 'later': 0.20; 'written': 0.21; 'programming': 0.22; 'saying': 0.22; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.23; "haven't": 0.24; 'looks': 0.24; "i've": 0.25; 'excel': 0.26; 'primary': 0.26; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.27; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'am,': 0.29; 'bigger': 0.30; 'programming.': 0.30; 'websites,': 0.30; "i'm": 0.30; 'code': 0.31; 'getting': 0.31; 'helpful.': 0.31; 'class': 0.32; 'languages': 0.32; 'worked': 0.33; 'everyone': 0.33; 'running': 0.33; 'ago': 0.33; "i'd": 0.34; 'could': 0.34; 'basic': 0.35; 'etc': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'google': 0.35; 'html,': 0.36; 'tech': 0.36; 'doing': 0.36; "didn't": 0.36; 'subject:?': 0.36; 'january': 0.37; 'url:microsoft': 0.37; 'project': 0.37; 'easily': 0.37; 'tasks': 0.38; 'to:addr:python- list': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:org': 0.40; 'how': 0.40; 'even': 0.60; 'most': 0.60; 'new': 0.61; 'received:173': 0.61; 'simply': 0.61; 'complete': 0.62; 'myself': 0.63; 'today': 0.64; 'interest': 0.64; 'biggest': 0.67; 'dont': 0.67; 'url:pdf': 0.68; 'person,': 0.68; 'url:en-us': 0.68; 'sales': 0.69; 'industry': 0.73; 'day': 0.76; 'saw': 0.77; 'alone.': 0.84; 'received:fios.verizon.net': 0.84; 'spreadsheet': 0.84; 'undergrad': 0.84; 'url:um': 0.84; 'habit': 0.91; 'pricing,': 0.91; 'subject:Best': 0.91; 'url:people': 0.93 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: python-list@python.org From: Terry Reedy Subject: Re: Diving in to Python - Best resources? Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2014 12:57:18 -0500 References: <39adb03e-95b8-4049-bfbc-f7c5fce2d08f@googlegroups.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: pool-173-75-254-207.phlapa.fios.verizon.net User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:24.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/24.2.0 In-Reply-To: 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: 40 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1390327052 news.xs4all.nl 2858 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:42136 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:64431 On 1/21/2014 11:00 AM, Rustom Mody wrote: > On Tuesday, January 21, 2014 1:04:16 AM UTC+5:30, Matt Watson wrote: >> Getting in the habit of dropping in a google group for any new project - >> everyone tends to be so helpful. > >> I work in the automotive sales industry(management) and find myself >> doing so many day to day tasks that could easily be automated. I'm a >> very tech saavy person, but after running in fear from a Javascript >> class in undergrad 8 years ago I haven't ever looked back. I simply >> had no interest because I saw no applications. > >> Now that I have a solid career I see SO many applications for >> programming in my industry alone. Automating data >> movement/calculations from websites, spreadsheets, pricing, etc will >> be my primary use.I'm OK saying I didn't retain 1% of what I >> learned in the Javascript class, I've dabbled in HTML, I've tweaked >> code in Excel macros or AutoIt scripts, but I'd classify myself as a >> complete beginner in programming. > > It looks like > 1. You are familiar with spreadsheets > 2. Your work is spreadsheet-like > > Why not develop that into a bigger strength? > > Most people -- even those using spreadsheets -- dont seem to think of > the spreadsheet macro language/VBA as a programming language but it > is Definitely. I once worked out how to do nonlinear regression with a spreadsheet, after doing it with Basic (and later C). > and it may well be all you need. This is written by one of the > biggest names in programming languages today > > http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/simonpj/Papers/excel/excel.pdf -- Terry Jan Reedy