Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!news.mixmin.net!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed2.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!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 0.007 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.99; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:Python': 0.06; 'compiler': 0.07; 'mouse': 0.07; 'beginners': 0.09; 'executed': 0.09; 'pretend': 0.09; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.11; 'language,': 0.12; 'wrote': 0.14; 'books': 0.15; '1985': 0.16; 'assembler': 0.16; 'assembler,': 0.16; 'cleaned': 0.16; 'edition.': 0.16; 'finished;': 0.16; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'handlers': 0.16; 'isbn': 0.16; 'lisa': 0.16; 'subject:programming': 0.16; 'weird': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'first.': 0.19; 'restrictions': 0.19; 'slightly': 0.19; 'thu,': 0.19; 'feb': 0.22; 'appears': 0.22; 'programming': 0.22; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.22; 'creating': 0.23; 'driver': 0.24; 'cc:2**0': 0.24; "i've": 0.25; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'am,': 0.29; 'tim': 0.29; 'wonder': 0.29; 'absolute': 0.30; 'experiences': 0.30; 'moved': 0.30; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'code': 0.31; 'getting': 0.31; '13,': 0.31; 'ones.': 0.31; 'front': 0.32; 'quite': 0.32; 'linux': 0.33; 'running': 0.33; 'device': 0.34; '"the': 0.34; 'could': 0.34; 'basic': 0.35; "can't": 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'there': 0.35; 'version': 0.36; 'crazy': 0.36; "didn't": 0.36; 'virtual': 0.37; 'handle': 0.38; 'bill': 0.39; "couldn't": 0.39; 'how': 0.40; 'skip:u 10': 0.60; 'tell': 0.60; 'back': 0.62; 'name': 0.63; 'real': 0.63; 'skip:n 10': 0.64; 'more': 0.64; 'different': 0.65; 'kept': 0.65; 'published': 0.71; 'christmas': 0.74; 'heh.': 0.84; 'interrupt': 0.84; 'setups': 0.84; 'amongst': 0.91; 'sitting': 0.91; 'to:none': 0.92; 'from.': 0.93; 'insane': 0.93 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:cc :content-type; bh=CHP+514KQueBH0VEDBqWfCFOFkYcNkY1nixF/5JIKFE=; b=rIKAPUKF6ctNc3J9u5JEp6DMJLrgI/wSjCs5amfOSHunbKbaJ/5RH9fg/XwQfVF7S+ JpXzMzb5rFsjBXD2NxgalwTvqrJj24ZpAdRoxXRviQYOIQvQk0zHHJD4t0LdcBkg11vz hVnzidOac5+/NO+umB8thnDfW6pDKT5hvoCp9C+kjWqp/gPAlYZrWBAMEid7tEq59FEY E57LxPn6JREWiBFEgsakXGrIfDwUt10VKNjYhY8pRqQ/xXko5aWySRN3Z+yykSQNjELD i9lqYeeTCi3lMSyffgxFmlbPKwDhfQ4qjg5o+1uHeRIvffiqR0ki0lXo8TynSJTmIyrp GDSQ== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.68.247.6 with SMTP id ya6mr53444767pbc.45.1392240841013; Wed, 12 Feb 2014 13:34:01 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: References: Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2014 08:34:00 +1100 Subject: Re: Python programming From: Chris Angelico Cc: "python-list@python.org" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 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: 31 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1392240850 news.xs4all.nl 2865 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:55101 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:66094 On Thu, Feb 13, 2014 at 8:02 AM, Tim Delaney wrote: > I received a copy of "The Beginners Computer Handbook: Understanding & > programming the micro" (Judy Tatchell and Bill Bennet, edited by Lisa Watts > - ISBN 0860206947) for Christmas of 1985 (I think - I would have been 11 > years old). As you may be able to tell from that detail, I have it sitting > in front of me right now - other books have come and gone, but I've kept > that one with me. It appears to have been published elsewhere under a > slightly different name with a very different (and much more boring) cover - > I can't find any links to my edition. Heh. I wonder if I could still find back the copy of "Bible BASIC" that I learned from. And yes, I learned BASIC first. Moved on from there to 8086 assembly language, using DEBUG.EXE as my assembler, and proceeded through a variety of setups with crazy restrictions on them. Let's see... I wrote non-TSR interrupt handlers that executed a subprocess and cleaned up when that process finished; used BASIC with CALL ABSOLUTE to handle a mouse pointer; got onto OS/2 but didn't have a C compiler, ergo wrote OS/2 code in Pascal; wanted to write a device driver but lacked both C compiler and assembler, ergo wrote a two-pass assembler in REXX that piped everything through DEBUG.EXE running in a virtual 86 session; couldn't get hold of a copy of the no-longer-supported VX-REXX, and so wielded a demo version with a weird system of creating executables... you know, getting onto a Linux system with a real toolchain was quite the luxury. (Okay, okay, I did have some slightly more normal experiences in amongst the weird ones. But it sounds more insane to pretend that the above was how _all_ my programming went.) ChrisA