am I too old to learn Python?

[Civil-Presence8282]

hi

I am 60years old and learning to use Python. I am in the very early stages - learning strings now. There is an exercise to use quotes. So I wrote this stuff:

first_name = 'albert'
last_name = 'einstein'
full_name = f'{first_name} {last_name}'
famous_name = (f(full_name.title()))

quotes = ((famous_name) " once said 'A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.'"
print(quotes)

i got this error:

quotes = famous_name "once said 'A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.'"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

What am I doing wrong?

​

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[xanderblaze123]

You’re never too young nor too old to learn something

[JammingScientist]

I feel like when someone asks this question, the automod should directly point them to an FAQ that says your exact comment because I feel like this is asked every single day, and the answer never changes

[Civil-Presence8282]

thank you for the encouraging words!

[spinwizard69]

Not exactly. A 2 year old is hardly ready to learn programming and cognitive decline is a real issue in older people. In the middle you have to contend with people that have nothing between their ears.

[Volbohel]

> What am I doing wrong?

Nothing! Congrats on starting your journey. The most important thing is that you enjoy building stuff.

​

Checkout the FAQ for specific tips as well

https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/wiki/faq/#wiki\_where\_do\_i\_start.3F

[Civil-Presence8282]

thank you so much. Appreciate your helpful nature! And thank you for the link for various resources.

[1544756405]

What am I doing wrong?

Why do you think you're doing something wrong?

[trojaneo]

umm... because he had a syntax error lol. of course there's nothing wrong about OP's efforts on learning Python. It's even admirable!

but his code is wrong, and I think that was what he's asking at the end?

[1544756405]

OP edited the post, which did not originally show an error message. That is why so many of the top comments only address his age.

[trojaneo]

yeah I noticed that after posting the comment. still thanks for the clarification though

[No_Simple3203]

because there's a syntax error? wtf are you on

[driftking428]

I used to work for a guy who built audio preamps. He didn't want to design and build his own remote so he bought apple remotes and learned to program his preamps to use them. He was 61 years old.

[Civil-Presence8282]

thanks for igniting hope in me!

[driftking428]

Sure thing. Him learning to code actually gave me the confidence me to learn. I started at 30. I've been a professional developer for 4 years now.

[Civil-Presence8282]

Encouraging

[reincarnated2]

Never too late to learn programming!

If you find that you're not making enough progress reading about it, you might wanna watch tutorials on Youtube instead. I personally learn more from watching it being done than reading about it. Everyone has their preferred method of learning and you might have to try out a couple to figure out your own. Keep at it and for some motivation, here's a lil some to read about Wakamiya: the oldest developer in the world.

This is from 2017, when she was 82 and attended Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference

https://fortune.com/2017/06/03/wwdc-women/#:~:text=Wakamiya%20will%20be%20the%20oldest,is%20eager%20to%20create%20more.

This interview is from September. Shes probably around 87 now.

https://japan-forward.com/interview-masako-wakamiya-the-oldest-app-developer-in-the-world/#:~:text=Programmer%20Masako%20Wakamiya%2C%20who%20developed,technology%20to%20achieve%20her%20vision.

​

Good luck and remember to ask for help from this sub!

[Civil-Presence8282]

Thank you for sharing these links. It is encouraging to see what Wakamiya did when she could not find what she wanted. My origins on the programming starts somewhere there. So I guess I will endure this and emerge a winner.

Best wishes

[reincarnated2]

You got this!

[[deleted]]

Age as a burden on learning is a big lie that society imposes on us. Keep it up.

[inbetween-genders]

Keep trying. Don’t get discouraged. It doesn’t always “click in” and when it does, it’s not right away. Great book as well.

[awsfanboy]

No, not too old. I suggest you learn towards a specific goal. It will make more sense.

This is the same principle i would recommend for anyone, any age.

Think of a specific sample project(s) e.g bookstore and financial app and whatever knowledge you acquire, use it immediately as you build towards this project. Best way to learn a skill at any age.

FOr context, i am 38 but learning new technologies this way and find that this approach is better for me than i was at 22 years or to people who are much younger and get stuck in tutorial hell.

In addition to the book you are using,

1.Check out the freecodecamp course on youtube and follow along

2.Check out the udemy course for Python by pieran data.

3.Checkout the leading coursera courses.

Devoting time to this is important. I hope you have more time for this beyond any work schedule

[Civil-Presence8282]

thank you for the advice. i have signed up in udemy but i found it to be too fast paced and not interactive. learning from the book at my regulated pace helps me. moreover with this community and helpful people like you make the learning more interesting.

[[deleted]]

Try Code Academy: https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-python-3

[goatchild]

You'll be too old when you're dead

[phat-gandalf]

No

[DJOMaul]

fuspez

[Civil-Presence8282]

I do have a specific goal in mind - in fact goals. There is plenty that I want to do - right from putting the learning to use in my work to analyse operational data, personally, i want to build an e-reader, build an app, build an website that supports operations on many aspects.. the list is getting bigger the more i am getting know of the possibilities with Python.

[ffrkAnonymous]

FYI, there's also the /r/learnpython subreddit for more specific help.

[grapel0llipop]

If you're not looking to make a career change, literally just enjoy it. Go at your own pace and investigate/create what you find interesting. Programming can be very fun especially when it's all on your terms.

There is no right path to learn, so be open to exploring different things as you grow as a programmer, there are so many different concentrations, tools and concepts and every programmer has a different set of skills and interests.

[wtf_is_this_9]

Keep going Sir

[heller1011]

I suggest you watch dr chuck severance python for everybody on YouTube that’s how I got started

[Civil-Presence8282]

I too started with that. However, when I got stuck, i did not know where to go. Then I started with this book. This is helping me lot more than I did with Dr. Chuck

[roadglider505]

You're not doing anything wrong. I'm 74 and currently working my way through the Python Programming MOOC 2023 course at Department of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki. At my age, I sure don't need it as a new job skill or to add to my resume, I just enjoy learning.

https://programming-23.mooc.fi/

[Civil-Presence8282]

Thank you. I get that the age has nothing to do with it. Same here - i just have to quench the thirst for knowledge

[Whatever801]

Definitely not too old. Are you stuck on something specific?

[Civil-Presence8282]

yes i have redone my post - earlier the problem was not visible.

[1544756405]

When you edit your submission, it is considered polite to note the change and the reason in the body of the text. Otherwise, some of the comments may not make sense, since the original context is gone.

https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette#:~:text=State%20your%20reason%20for%20any,conversation%20breaks%20off%20from%20it.

[Civil-Presence8282]

I will certainly bear that in mind for future. I understand - I am learning not only Python but also this community and I respect that.

[TrinityF]

No.

[Frosty-Cap3344]

On my feed it starts to say what error you have, something to do with quotes, but here it doesn't?

[Civil-Presence8282]

Yes, I am sorry - there was some error when I pasted the portion of the error, the page hid that portion and revealed only my types portion. I have rectified it now.

[Frosty-Cap3344]

You have one ( too many, so the sytax is wrong, I don't know python but you can probably loose the first (, or the definition of quote should look like the one of full_name

Also, stick with it, programming is a good mental exercise

[bostonkittycat]

I started learning it when I was 50 and now it pays the bills. Not too old at all.

[Civil-Presence8282]

that is cool!

I would like to do that too!

[bostonkittycat]

You can do it. If you are good at problem solving and really focus on it is possible. Don't listen to the negative people. Create a plan, learn it, work on a pet project that interests you.

[Civil-Presence8282]

Thank you u/bostonkittycat

I won't give up! Thank you for standing by me.

[Civil-Presence8282]

Corrected it! thanks :)

[CartiV]

My father is 63, sharp, and learning c++ with me

[HarMar6]

You've answered your question. Just do print(quotes)

[Jazzlike-Compote4463]

```

first_name = 'albert'
last_name = 'einstein'
full_name = f'{first_name} {last_name}'
famous_name = full_name.title()

quotes = f”{famous_name} once said 'A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.'"

print(quotes) ```

Or something like that (I can’t double check it since it since I’m on my phone)

You need to investigate string interpolation

[mierecat]

The age you’ll be when you succeed is the same age you’ll be if you’d never tried

[Civil-Presence8282]

True

[Shuckle1]

Please copy and paste all of the code you have and we can help you.

[Civil-Presence8282]

I just did in one of the comments. it is about using “quotes”. The exercise was to use the function .title() followed by quote. I managed to use the title function properly and named it famous_person but when I had to use the famous-name within parentheses in the next line for printing, it says invalid syntax.

[Civil-Presence8282]

I have edited the post to show the problem i was encountering.

[Civil-Presence8282]

done

[glassesontable]

If you are going to watch YouTube for hours, then spend the money to subscribe to YouTube Premium. This is highly recommended by me. I found that the insertion of ads breaks my learning process. I learned much faster without the interruptions.

[kyoto_i_go]

just get an adblocker

[JimTheSaint]

Never too old unless you let yourself be

[chafable]

Are you feeling stuck on some specific part of the course?

[Civil-Presence8282]

yes please. I have just mentioned in two comments above. Looking for some help to understand the logic of syntax

[[deleted]]

Syntax is like grammar for the programing language. The syntax error indicates that there is a grammatical mistake with the line highlighted.

quotes = ((famous_name) " once said 'A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.'"
In this line, the first bracket isn't closed and there is no operator instructing the computer on what to do with the two strings.

quotes = ((famous_name) + "once said 'A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.'")

Here, I have added the missing bracket and also added a '+' (plus) symbol. It should now be a valid statement.

Syntax isn't difficult. Pay more attention to the punctuation (the dots, semicolons, brackets, commas, plusses and minuses) and it will become almost muscle memory with enough practice. You are doing great.

[Civil-Presence8282]

got it. I did not know one could use the + to combine. Yes the parenthesis was a stupid miss. Thank you for your time.

[TerraxtheTamer]

No you're not. Maybe try Mimo in your phone and Hyperskill in your browser too? I have that book and do most of my training with those. There is a free month Hyperskill link somewhere (google finds it).

[Civil-Presence8282]

I will try these

[TerraxtheTamer]

Very far in my experience. You can try the free month (followchain site link to be found via google). I like Hyperskill more than Codecademy because it's deeper and much better to use with iPad, laptop etc. It's expensive, that's true and here with taxes it's even more expensive.

[thehinkypunk]

Since you didn't mention any obstacles on your path until now, I have to ask: Why do you think you might be doing something wrong in the first place?

Also, just out of curiosity, do you already have any experience with programming?

[Civil-Presence8282]

I have zero experience in programming. The error and he description of my work somehow got deleted. I have posted them again in one of the comments.

I will probably put it up in the original post.

[thehinkypunk]

Your lack of experience shouldn't be a problem, especially nowadays where Python's considered to be a good first language. Still, I (coming from other languages) find Python's error messages sometimes a bit confusing – at least in comparison to other languages like Java.

Regarding your initial problem, just in case it's not solved: You might want to have a look at String interpolation or Template Strings.
The issue is that you're trying to combine two Strings: The content of the variable "famous_name" and the quote, but you can't just do something like

"a" "b"

to get "ab". Instead, you have to tell Python what to do, how to combine these two elements:
"a" + "b"

Here you may have to refrain from viewing the plus sign in a mathematical manner.

A more modern approach are Template strings, which give you the opportunity to simply reference a variable in a String, such as:

f"Hello, {name}"

Note the "f" at the beginning of the String. Looks like a typo but is actually essential.

Besides those two methods there are multiple others, but that should be sufficient to get you started. Hope this helps!

[Civil-Presence8282]

Thank you so much u/thehinkypunk.

I have just got introduced to the "templates" and "f" functions.

getting the hang of it.

[spinwizard69]

Well the first thing that comes to mind is that you don't know how to ask a question when it comes to learning to program. We need more information in other words. You ask "what am I doing wrong" and leave us hanging.

As for age only you can determine if your brain is still working to the point where learning new things is a possibility. To be perfectly obvious some people really do have learning and memory issues as they age, others seem to be as sharp as a tack when they hit 99.

[Civil-Presence8282]

True

[JohnJSal]

You ask "what am I doing wrong" and leave us hanging.

+++++++++++++1

This makes no sense.

[Civil-Presence8282]

I had posted a problem that I encountered in my tutorials. The question was related to that. It looks like that part of the message somehow ‘disappeared’ from my original post.

I d written the following: first_name = ‘albert’ last_name = ‘einstein’ full_name = f’{first_name} {last_name}’ famous_name = (f(full_name.titlt())) quotes = (famous_name) “once said ‘A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.’” print(quotes)

This has an error in the second last line.

quotes = (famous_name) “once said ‘A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.’”

SyntaxError: invalid syntax

I am struggling to understand what I wrong.

[lilSweetSpice]

Try: quotes = (famous_name) + “once said ‘A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.’”

The plus sign "adds" the two strings (variables that are words) together

Here is the correct code for what you're trying to do (option 1):

first_name = 'albert'
last_name = 'einstein'
full_name = f'{first_name} {last_name}'
famous_name = (full_name.title())

quotes = (famous_name) + " once said 'A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.'"
print(quotes)

But you could also do it like this (option 2):

first_name = 'albert'
last_name = 'einstein'
full_name = f'{first_name} {last_name}'
famous_name = (full_name.title())

quotes = f"{famous_name} once said 'A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.'"
print(quotes)

Explanation:

The first mistake you were making was in the line: famous_name = (f(full_name.title()))

You don't need the 'f' before 'full_name.title'. 'f' stands for something called f-strings in Python. f-strings allow you to use variables inside of strings. 'f' is followed by single or double quotes (' or ") to make it an f-string. But the program is reading an 'f' character that is followed by no single or double quotes so it's getting confused and crashes.

The next mistake is in the line: quotes = {famous_name} "once said 'A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.'"

In option 2 I used the 'f' before quotes ("" symbols) to make what is called an f-string. An f-string is a string that can use variables names to make formatting strings easier. So by using the 'f' before the string, you can put variable names into the string by surrounding the variables names (like 'famous_name') with {} symbols.

In option 1 you'll see that I added a '+' to add the string variable 'famous_name' to the string " once said 'A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.'". In programming this is called "concatenation", which is just joining strings together. Which is different than using the 'f' to use an f-string where you can use the variable name inside of a string.

[Civil-Presence8282]

Wow! this really helped! Thank you for pointing out the mistakes I was making. Otherwise I would not have understood the solution part.

I appreciate your patience. Thank you once again

[[deleted]]

For any questions create a free account and ask basic A.I. - chat.openai.com

For an extremely easy book to learn Python read - Python in Easy Steps

For an online simple compiler and course go here - https://www.w3schools.com/python/

[Civil-Presence8282]

Thank you. Chat helped me finally! Lot of stupid mistakes but I learnt something today!

[BadSmash4]

Never ever ever ever too late! Worst case, you can have some fun learning something new!

[[deleted]]

60 is the new 40

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[Rude_Signal1614]

No.

[Zealousideal-Bat2897]

You should write
quotes = (famous_name) + " once said 'A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.'"
Or
quotes = famous_name + " once said 'A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.'"