SICP in Python
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SICP in Python
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Re: SICP in Python
#2Previous discussion of the book:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3718364
And the course: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3491142
Re: SICP in Python
#3"Processing Recursive Lists" is a good example of how Python is abused for all sorts of things.
If this is actually taught, I'm no longer surprised by the code that I encounter in the wild.
Re: SICP in Python
#4I'm so used to syntax highlighting that it feels odd to try to read code without highlighthing
A bit off-topic, now that legacy.gitbook.com will be read-only from next month, anyone else just giving up on the platform? I used it mainly to allow readers to easily get pdf/epub versions and as far as I know, that won't be possible with new gitbook site.
Re: SICP in Python
#5"Processing Recursive Lists" is a good example of how Python is abused for all sorts of things. If this is actually taught, I'm no longer surprised by the code that I encounter in the wild.
I concur, this book is a terrible way to introduce anybody to Python.
I imagine they want to teach general programming skills, and hence want to give you a "way to think" that is low level enough to let you work with any language, using Python as a pseudo-code to demonstrate it.
This approach is doomed to fail.
It's much better to teach the language properly, then introduce other languages as a comparison point, if this is what you want.
I don't get the stellar reputation of this text, maybe it was great when it was written for Scheme, but as-is, I can't see most of my students even finding the motivation to reading it.
Re: SICP in Python
#6Manual of Ice-Fishing rewritten for desert nomads.
Re: SICP in Python
#7"Processing Recursive Lists" is a good example of how Python is abused for all sorts of things. If this is actually taught, I'm no longer surprised by the code that I encounter in the wild.
I concur, this book is a terrible way to introduce anybody to Python. I imagine they want to teach general programming skills, and hence want to give you a "way to think" that is low level enough to let you work with any language, using Python as a pseudo-code to demonstrate it. This approach is doomed to fail. It's much better to teach the language properly, then introduce other languages as a comparison point, if t…
SICP shouldn't really be taught in any language other than Scheme, or a language designed specifically for teaching SICP.
It doesn't make sense otherwise.
Re: SICP in Python
#8Manual of Ice-Fishing rewritten for desert nomads.
in the software world, one can avoid the monster that is c++ rather successfully, but it's gotten to the point that no matter what, python is thrust upon you to deal with. "hey here's this thing that is barely working" (in large part because it's written in python) "and we'd like you to maintain it but not switch from python" (because anything besides python makes us uncomfortable). meanwhile, python makes me uncomfortable and is such an unprincipled language, it feels like it fights you every step of the way to write error-free code.
Re: SICP in Python
#9Next it will be SICP for Java. Is nothing sacred?
Re: SICP in Python
#10Manual of Ice-Fishing rewritten for desert nomads.
in the software world, one can avoid the monster that is c++ rather successfully, but it's gotten to the point that no matter what, python is thrust upon you to deal with. "hey here's this thing that is barely working" (in large part because it's written in python) "and we'd like you to maintain it but not switch from python" (because anything besides python makes us uncomfortable). meanwhile, python makes me uncomfo…
I have my misgivings about Python and C++ too, but when writing them for my job I think how much worse things could be. I could have a job that didn't involve coding, or no job, or even something involving Java.