Python please

[netstrider]

Hello,

I'm trying to learn some programming and starting out with Python as it seems to have many fans and seems to be widely used in the UNIX world. I have done some tutorials and so forth from various websites and I've joined the python mailing list.

However I have been wondering if there is anyone here who are willing to help me with this personally or someone who also wants to learn programming so we can do this together? Often I find myself struggling and I think two heads are better than one.

I'll be waiting in anticipation :P

[Freston]

Jep. I've been wondering whether I should start with Perl or Python, as I sometimes reach the edges of what can be done in bash (and that is quite a lot). I've read some tutorials, but it's hard to do it on your own.


I always feel it's best to learn from a practical project. If you are interested, I suppose what we could do is translate a script I wrote to Python. It's pretty variated in terms of functionality. It also does what it is supposed to do. But rewriting it in Python would allow for cleaner code and more advanced functionality. At least, that is what I hope for

Is that an idea?

[netstrider]

Yep!

Sure as hell is an idea and I'm very excited... Have also looked into the possibility of learning pearl and ruby, but I hear pearl has a lot of modules and stuff and is a very large language so I thought since python is pretty much equally effective and easier (smaller etc.) I'll go with that.

So when do we start :P ?

[Freston]

I'll put the script in Programming/scripting

So you can have a look at it. It's pretty self evident, as I have commented on it. Just read it and let it sink. We'll talk again tomorrow, as I believe it is even later in South Africa than in the Netherlands.

[daark.child]

I probably will be able to join you because its been a while since I've done any python stuff and would like a refresher. I've actually been reading a book on Ruby and I think it will be the next language that I will tackle when I have the time.

[Freston]

Link is up

Welcome aboard daark.child!

Sorry 'bout the script though. It's a work in progress.
I picked it because it seemed like a good place to start. Something practical and not to complex. But with a wide variety of problems to solve. Most of them already solved or solvable in BASH. That might give a good reference point.

[netstrider]

Thanks freston,

Remember though that I haven't done ANY programming before (not even some bash scripting) so it might take a while for me to figure things out. I did download the script and saved it.

I'm not sure what it's supposed to do. Asks me a yes/no question and whichever I say is "wrong"...

[elija]

Look at this line of code - see if you can get this one

if [ $INPUT = 'justwork' ]

Anyhoo a brief intro to programming. Linky

[netstrider]

if varialble "input" equals (string) "justwork" ?

[elija]

Yes - If that condition is true then perform the action...

So, based on that, what do you input to make it just work?