[plt-scheme] HtDP in Python!

On Feb 16, 2009, at 1:41 PM, Neil Van Dyke wrote:

> Arthur Nunes-Harwit wrote at 02/16/2009 01:31 PM:
>>
>>   I'm interested in getting reactions to doing programming HtDP  
>> style but in Python.  Here is an example.
>
> Speaking as a non-PLT person...  I suspect that trying to do HtDP  
> with anything other than DrScheme would compromise the experience  
> for the students.

Well, yes, but sometimes you have to.  My department, for example,  
has made clear that CS1 for majors WILL be in Java from beginning to  
end.  So I spent the first two weeks writing static methods involving  
int, double, and String, then introduced a Posn class and showed how  
to write methods on Posns, both statically and non-statically.  Today  
I'm introducing booleans, again starting with static methods on int,  
double, and String, then writing some non-static methods that return  
booleans or require conditionals.

It's not ideal, but I think it's a lot better than starting with  
assignment statements and System.out.println on Day 1.


Stephen Bloch
sbloch at adelphi.edu