Software Design
Spring 2008

Today:

1) get your environment squared away

2) start on Homework 1

3) start reading the Olinux Manual (see below)
   and the textbook (see below)


For next time:

1) read Chapters 1 and 2 of "How to think..."

2) start on Homework 0 (choose a backup book)

3) get a three-ring binder and put these notes into it.


Your environment
----------------

There are a few decisions you should make today:

1) What operating system will you use?

   Python is a portable language, which means that it can run on
   Linux, Windows, MacOS and others.

   You _could_ do all of your work this semester in Windows, and I
   won't stop you, but I want to _strongly_ encourage you to work in
   Linux:

   a) If you are not familiar with Linux, this is a good chance
      to learn.

   b) Even if you never use Linux again, there are some ideas you
      will be exposed to that will make your life richer.

   c) Since I don't use Windows, I can provide less help for
      Linux-avoiders (although I will try, or at least help you get
      help).

   Having said that, I will warn you that the more comfortable you are
   with another OS, the more adjustment it will take to get used to
   Linux.

   To help with this adjustment, I have written a guide, called The
   Olinux Manual, which is available from http://wb/linux/

   (wb stands for "whiteboard", which is an alternative to
   blackboard.  from off campus, you need the full name, which
   is wb.olin.edu or ece.olin.edu)


2) What distribution of Linux will you use?

   Olinux is the local version of the Fedora distribution.
   It should already be on your laptop, but you might have
   to do some work to bring it up to date.

   If you use Olinux, you can get help from IT, especially Dave
   Carver.

   If you use Ubuntu, you can get some help from me.

   If you use another distribution, you are pretty much on your own.


3) What development environment will you use?

   In Linux, there are several good development environments for Python.

   a) emacs + the Python interpreter: This is the most basic
      environment, but it is the one I use and I am happy with it.

      Depending on what Linux distribution you are using, you might
      need to install some packages:

      emacs:          a versatile text editor
      python-module:  a plugin for emacs that tells it about Python
      pymacs:         a plugin that provides an interface from emacs
                      to Python

   b) IDLE is an interactive development environment for Python.
      Again, you might have to install it; the name of the package
      is (not surprisingly) idle.

   c) You are welcome to try out other development environments.

      One warning: if you use a text editor that doesn't know about
      Python, you might have trouble with whitespace.  Python is
      picky about spaces and tabs.  Editors that know about Python
      handle this for you; editors that don't can be a real pain.


Install swampy
--------------

Swampy is a suite of programs I wrote for this class, including
TurtleWorld, which we will use for the first homework.

You will need to download and install it.  Instructions are at

http://allendowney.com/swampy/install.html

If you can run TurtleWorld, you are ready to start Homework 1.

If you get to this point quickly, please consider helping
some of your classmates get started.  The first day will
be pretty chaotic; all help will be appreciated!


The book
--------

I am in the process of revising "How to Think Like a Computer Scientist".

The current version is called "How to Think like a (Python) Programmer".

I am getting hardcopies printed, which I will distribute in a week or so.
They will probably cost $10.

In the meantime, please read the electronic copy at

http://thinkpython.com

This is a free, open-source book.  It depends on contributions from
readers, and that means you.

If you find errors, or have suggestions for improvement, please
send me email.  If I make a change based on your comments, I will
add your name to the contributor list (unless you tell me not to).