> At 01:35 PM 3/4/2009 -0800, kirby urner wrote: > >>This idea of "running Python over the web" doesn't seem necessary to >>me, not sure why people think that's so important. > > I started to do this as a downloadable program, then Athar jumped in and said > he could do it just as easily in Google App Engine. He did in one weekend > what took several weeks on my own server in an earlier project. >
Yeah, GAE seems a capable platform. In Portland, we're doing DemocracyLab using it. > The advantage of a web-based program is you don't have to download or install > anything. This is true, but I think if you're not going to download Python and actually run it locally, then you're mostly just kidding yourself if you think you're committed to learning it. That being said, having a server running locally (including GAE, which is designed to work on your laptop as well) is a great idea. If you're connected to some remote curriculum using this configuration, well, that's what Subversion is for (like with Django, just ask for an update and ye shall receive). > A small annoyance, for sure, but it adds up when we are making updates every > day. Also, if we get serious about teaching Python to a class, the ability > to check student progress online is critical. There are frameworks for doing > automated testing (Web-CAT, etc.) but I like the way JavaBat does it so much > better. > I'm more interested in students than teachers. I'd encourage them to download Python locally, update curriculum source using some checkout procedure, if that's what's required. But as I said, I agree with running server-side code, even in student mode, as a lot of what Python is about is nesting in Apache or whatever. Lots of people doing demos at PPUG and so on are using a server thats "running something" I notice. httpd is a daemon everyone should have. >>Anyway, best wishes on catching up in Arizona. Someday you'll be in >>the same league as Oregon! Something to look forward to. > > I hadn't thought of the project as having any particular location. We're into branding. Portland is FOSS capital and blah blah. We're proud to be lightyears ahead in this respect. I agree not every locale is this proud of itself or into flaunting its wares. > I guess you could say it is as much in Pakistan right now as in Arizona. U > of A has nothing to do with it, and I don't expect it will be used there > either, unless maybe my CS2 project gets some support. Then it will be > useful as a quick transition from Java to Python, so we can spend most of our > time on science and engineering. > > -- Dave Sounds like you've got it figured out, not for me to back seat drive. I just don't see a need to invest in running Python as a bare interpreter over the web so much, unless we're talking about ssh, then python in bash. YMMV of course. Portland State gives me a classroom, SA staff makes sure each workstation gets Python, VPython, POV-Ray. I bring my laptop (Ubuntu) and hook it to the classroom projector. We have full internet access and may download additional modules during class, including from my FOSS stash @ Oregon Curriculum Network. That's been my setup for some years and it works well. If things change, I may be looking for new configurations down the road. Kirby _______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list [email protected] http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
