New submission from Jesse Silverman <jessevsilver...@gmail.com>:
The Python tutorial was not my first introduction to Python, but I see things in sections 4.2 and 4.7 that likely would have confused me a lot if it was. In 4.2 near the end, we have great advice about how to avoid problems with modifying a collection while iterating thru it. Unfortunately, it both makes use of a dict despite not having introduced it before at all within the tutorial (I wasn't shocked because it was NOT my first introduction to Python) and in fact, the .items() method which is beautifully explained in section 5.6, which hasn't been read yet. I got thru it a bit shakily, and in a reference, rather than an introductory tutorial, it is quite literally impossible to present everything in a strict sequence, but I would definitely have been thrown for a loop if it was actually my first introduction to Python. All was good again until I got to section 4.7.2, where I was again glad I had previously consumed tutorial materials concerning dict. There is a forward reference to: https://docs.python.org/3.9/library/stdtypes.html#typesmapping Which every Python programmer should undoubtedly be familiar with eventually, but "why not?" to the more novice-friendly: https://docs.python.org/3.9/tutorial/datastructures.html#dictionaries The forward reference from this section to tuples in section 5 of the tutorial suggests that this might have been appropriate as well. The dict, the tuple and parameter passing are all very basic topics indeed, but I would have found 4.7 very rough going if I had no prior exposure to dict and tuple. This isn't a complaint demanding a refund for the cost of the tutorial, so much as an indication of where I think true novices attempting to follow the tutorial in sequence would likely be thrown for a loop. I understand there is a healthy ecosystem of free and paid introductory tutorial material for Python, as evidenced by the fact that I was only working thru the tutorial just now, having been referred to it as a pre-req for other material I will be moving on to soon. ---------- assignee: docs@python components: Documentation messages: 385870 nosy: docs@python, jessevsilverman priority: normal severity: normal status: open title: Use of dicts in sections 4.2 and 4.7 of Python tutorial a bit confusing versions: Python 3.9 _______________________________________ Python tracker <rep...@bugs.python.org> <https://bugs.python.org/issue43056> _______________________________________ _______________________________________________ Python-bugs-list mailing list Unsubscribe: https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-bugs-list/archive%40mail-archive.com
