Learn Python


Trip

Sorry, but I suck at explaining stuff :P
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Post here all the resources you've found useful for learning Python and PyGame to make it easier for new users
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********Unless otherwise specified, all information is regards to version 2.6 of Python or lower.********




Python Home Page! - Beginner's Guide to Python


PyGame Home Page! - PyGame Tutorials


Google has been kind enough to put up an On-line Python Class. The classes are geared for people with very little programming experience and provided downloadable content includes written materials, lecture videos(YouTube), and downloadable coding exercises.


There is also a course on-line from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Introduction to Computer Science and Programming which is aimed at students with little or no programming experience. It aims to provide students with an understanding of the role computation can play in solving problems and the downloadable content includes assignments, videos(YouTube or MP4) and exams + solutions.


Python Tutorials


Easy:


Learn Python The Hard Way is a very beginner book for people who want to learn to code.


Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python was written to be understandable by kids as young as 10 to 12 years old, although it is great for anyone of any age who has never programmed before.


Think Python - How to Think Like a Computer Scientist is a little heavy on the maths for my liking but still a very good way to learn Python.


Python for Informatics - Exploring Information is an updated version of Think Python that concentrates more on information rather than maths.


Python Programming Tutorials - YouTube playlist of 43 high quality beginner video tutorials.


Python Programming for Beginners - In this tutorial, you will learn how to write applications that use command-line options, read and write to pipes, access environment variables, handle interrupts, read from and write to files, create temporary files and write to system logs. In other words, you will find recipes for writing real applications instead of the old boring Hello, World! stuff.


Full circle magazine (a free digital magazine about Ubuntu) has had a feature on learning Python for quite a while.


Part 1 is in issue 27 and it keeps going past issue 40. it's not that thorough but it covers basic programming, creating GUI's and dealing with things like databases.


Python Cheat Sheet - Useful one sheet print out to help you remember the important stuff.


Building Skills Books.. "How do you build skills in programming? By doing a series of programming exercises that are focused on showing language features one at a time. These books build skills without asking you to assimilate too many technical concepts in a single sitting."


Programming for Non-Programmers: How to Write Your Own Software Using Python.


Python for Programmers: Building Skills in Python.


Object-Oriented Design and Programming: Building Skills in Object-Oriented Design.


Medium:


Dive Into Python is a Python book for experienced programmers.


Hard:


Design Patterns in Python - In this paper we implement some of the better known design patterns in Python, whose object model is quite different from that of conventional object-oriented languages.


Pygame Tutorials


Easy:


Computer Game Development Tutorials - YouTube playlist of 17 beginner video tutorials, concentrating on game development using Python and Pygame.


Medium:


SJBrown's Writing Games Tutorial - Should be everyone's first step before they begin serious game writing.


A Newbie Guide to Pygame - This should be your second step.


Hard:


Books to buy


Learning Python, 4th Edition by Mark Lutz covers both Python 3.1 and 2.6.


This book is designed to be an in-depth introduction to the core Python language, and work much like a self-paced class on Python fundamentals.


Beginning Game Development with Python and Pygame: From Novice to Professional is written with the budding game developer in mind, introducing games development through the Python programming language and the popular Pygame games development library.


Other Info


Tutorialspoint.com - Lots of Python tutorials, although without the hand holding the new users might need.


Extending and Embedding the Python Interpreter - This document describes how to write modules in C or C++ to extend the Python interpreter with new modules.


Amit’s Game Programming Information - Information for game designers regardless of what language they want to write it in.


Other Python Forums


TheNewBosten Python Forum


Coding Examples


Popular Python recipes - Contains hundreds of coding examples and small scripts. If your not sure how to code something, check here to see if it's already been done before and save yourself the hassle.


Python alternative game libraries/frameworks


Cocos2d is a framework for building 2D games, demos, and other graphical/interactive applications.


****Warning: OpenGL not OpenGL ES****


Pilas?
 
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Python:


-> http://www.python.org/workshops/1997-10/proceedings/savikko.html (some design patterns in Python)


Pygame:


-> http://www.pygame.org/docs/tut/newbieguide.html (really like this one :D )


-> http://ezide.com/games/writing-games.html


-> some more: http://www.pygame.org/wiki/tutorials


General info on games:


-> http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~amitp/gameprog.html


I've got some more bookmarks on my main computer, I'll post them tuesday or wednesday if needed...


Edit: remove diveintopython link (ninja'ed)
 
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TRIP: You have broken links in your last post.


ALL: Have anybody suggestion for nice and fitting Python IDE for Pandora? I mean for developing in Python directly on Pandora. I'd like code highlighting, code competition and integrated debugger. Thanks in advance.
 
ALL: Have anybody suggestion for nice and fitting Python IDE for Pandora? I mean for developing in Python directly on Pandora. I'd like code highlighting, code competition and integrated debugger. Thanks in advance.

Geany is very good for python but not python specific, very light, and is already in the Angstrom repo. (it lacks a python debugger)


Another good and specific for python is eric, but has to be ported.
 
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Is Python fast enough to make a platformer or shooter with parallax scrolling?

I suggest just starting your python platform/shooter and worrying about speed when you actually hit a bottleneck


It will depend on what you use to do the actual drawing


/me thinks:


X11 - Linux: too slow


GDI - windows: somewhat workable


Open Glide - All platforms: ridiculously fast


EDIT: also, what EvilDragon said


EDIT2: basically what he said is the current python, uses to much X11, too little Open Glide (simplified vision)
 
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I suggest just starting your python platform/shooter and worrying about speed when you actually hit a bottleneck


It will depend on what you use to do the actual drawing


/me thinks:


X11 - Linux: too slow


GDI - windows: somewhat workable


Open Glide - All platforms: ridiculously fast


EDIT: also, what EvilDragon said

Thanks, this will be one of the FUN things I want to do with my Pandora once it arrives :)
 
"Dive into python" shouldn't be in category 'hard'. It should be in category 'boring'. This is one of the worst computer language books that I have ever (attempted) to read (and I've read a dozen at least). Python online docs are far better, and "Invent your own computer gamnes with python" is entertaining and interesting.
 
I noticed before but had to nip out for a couple of hours.


Don't worry. I'll check through all the off site tutorials etc. and try to make sure that I give a quick review of each one :)


That layout ok for everyone then?

OK for me :D


I've been writing a web radio player and a little game for another ARM platform in the last few months, just waiting for my Pandora (second batch, hoping I'll get it before end of year, I'm a late enthusiast), my experience is that writing fast application for "slow" platforms is quite hard in Python. That only makes the challenge more interesting!
 
"Dive into python" shouldn't be in category 'hard'. It should be in category 'boring'. This is one of the worst computer language books that I have ever (attempted) to read (and I've read a dozen at least). Python online docs are far better, and "Invent your own computer gamnes with python" is entertaining and interesting.
I've got to agree from what I've seen of it. I read the first couple of chapters and realised it would be way too much for my current level of understanding and put it back on the shelf so to speak.


"Invent your own computer games with python" looks interesting but I've not read it yet. Been concentrating on the language itself at the moment but it will be next on my list I think. Cheers for the quick reviews :)

..my experience is that writing fast application for "slow" platforms is quite hard in Python. That only makes the challenge more interesting!
Well we wouldn't want people to get bored would we? ;)
 
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I read a few chapters from Diving into Python and it made me to like the Python. So I now looking for some spare time to learn Python into deep. I must confirm that this book is for programmers already using other (object oriented) programming language.


----


I take look on Eric IDE and I'm not sure if it can be simply ported on Pandora. It depends on Qt 4.4.0, PyQt 4.4.0 and QScintilla. Although I think I read that somone port something in Python and Qt depended (hmm, Anki? I guess).


I'll try Geany too and then I see where to go :) Thanx for suggestion.


EDIT: Yes, Anki uses PyQt too and Drack already compile "real" Qt for Pandora. So, if I decide for Eric and want to Qt for Pandora, I know where to ask :)
 
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Full circle magazine has had a feature on learning Python for quite a while if it's of any use to anybody?


Part 1 is in issue 27 and it keeps going past issue 40. it's not that thorough but it covers basic programming, creating GUI's and dealing with things like databases.
 
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