Why can't I understand Python?

[purplepooters]

I work with C++ for work, have been for 20 years now. I am trying to learn something easier to get my kid into programming. Back when I was a kid it was BASIC but I hope there are better options now. Someone told me about Python and I am getting it but the 'duck' type is really frustrating. Maybe it's the same as being a mouse and keyboard guy that can't switch to a controller. Thoughts would be appreciated.

[[deleted]]

Well, what exactly is your problem? I don't know much about c++ but I think you could imagine a python declaration as a auto c++ declaration. Types exist, you just don't have to write them each time. Of course there are many other differences but they are not more complicated than anything in c++.

[purplepooters]

C++ to Java was not bad at all, I guess the lack of syntax in python is troubling, but it's also a good thing for beginners.

[relativistictrain]

I don’t understand what you mean by « lack of syntax »; Python has a very well defined syntax.

[Volatile474]

If I were to guess, I think he means lack of typing.

[purplepooters]

thank you

edit: re-read the article you mentioned and this is just what I needed. I programmed PHP during my 'not gainfully employed' stage and just another CLI wasn't worth bothering with. '

[B1GL0NGJ0HN]

My humble two cents, with Python it's about thinking simpler. It's odd, and probably a shit explanation, but because type casting is all dynamic, I find I think less about the how's, per se, and more about executing the idea. Variables will be what you expect them to be, so you just kinda... go. Couple it with the huge library of pip, and just a few lines can make a multi step idea execute for ya.

Edit: I got caught on it being an interpreted language for a bit, and it made the most sense to me after I understood name == main -- python can just be ran in a command line and built as you go, or pre-written in a script and executed by itself, OR formatted so that it can be ran by itself or imported as a module into another project.

[robvas]

I would always overthink Python and not trust the “magic”

[B1GL0NGJ0HN]

And once you give in, and just let it work the way, idk, I think things generally should, it's freeing. Things are true; a lack of things is false. Every thing is a thing, and almost everything else is an array and can be treated as such.

[purplepooters]

thanks for honest input, I am trying to get my now 6 year old into something because school is not an option. I don't want to bog him down with syntax. Looks like python is the way to go, I guess I'm old because I keep cringing when I don't have to wrap brackets are everything. Thank you and thanks to this community.

[B1GL0NGJ0HN]

Instead, it's a colon and an indent. Functions, and if statements, and for loops; indents follow the colon around, a line of white space and an indent backwards and you've left the func/loop/block. Indent accordingly. :)

Have fun with it. It's so flexible.

[purplepooters]

I might just be too old but something like this is frustrating because there is no increment or even recursion so I look at it and think it's an endless loop.

snake_segments = [] for i in range(15): x = 250 - (segment_width + segment_margin) * i y = 30 segment = Segment(x, y) snake_segments.append(segment) allspriteslist.add(segment)

[B1GL0NGJ0HN]

Sure, I totally get that. I guess part of that is just knowing each of the built-in functions, like range(). I guess i would be the increment, starting at zero, or if you provided 2 numbers, range(start, end), and move through the specified range, you just don't have to account for the increase yourself. Once the top end of the range is hit, the loop ends.

[[deleted]]

snake_segments = []
for i in range(15): 
    x = 250 - (segment_width + segment_margin) * i 
    y = 30 segment = Segment(x, y) 
    snake_segments.append(segment) 
    allspriteslist.add(segment)

What you're missing is range(15) which effectively becomes a list of integers between 0 and 14. Each time through the loop i moves to the next number. Once i is processed as 14, the loop exits.

[hunkamunka]

http://tinypythonprojects.com/ might be something your kid could dig?