4 ms·

It seems like understanding how to setup the environment is a key to really understanding Python.

• analog31 5y ago
  Unfortunately, that's the case. An issue for Python is that there's no the environment, meaning that approaches to setting it up vary in accordance to its anticipated use, local standards, and even personal preference. When all is said and done, the "Python" that I use for scientific programming is a different beast than the "Python" that my office mate uses for deployment on a cloud based server. Of course this is a blessing of Python but an obstacle for teaching a language to beginners, if you're spending a lot of time troubleshooting installations and wondering why a program runs on one computer and not another. It may explain the staying power of Matlab, which all comes from one place and installs the same on everybody's machine. From talking to people who have learned programming recently, almost every course starts with walking the student through a specific, prescribed installation and making sure it works. It suggests a possible opportunity for another book along the lines of: How to install Python, which explains a variety of scenarios, what they are for, how they work, etc. One benefit of a web based IDE is that it works for K-12 students who are on Chromebooks and can't install software. When my son brought home his school issued Chromebook, my first response was: "Great, let's install Python." He gave me a sad look.